On Nov 15, 2008, at 5:22 PM, m.a. wrote: > Isn't some sort of substrate necessary for any mathematical event, > whether it be a brain or a screen or a universe? And isn't that > substrate sufficiently different from the math to be called physical > existence?
That's certainly the prevailing intuition. My position is that that intuition is incorrect, and that it bears a deep similarity to the (once prevailing) vitalist's intuition that some kind of "life force", sufficiently different than inanimate matter, is necessary for life. I'm arguing that mathematical facts-of-the-matter all by themselves fulfill the requirements that the materialist's substrate is supposed to fulfill. The materialists disagree, but then the burden is on them to explain exactly what qualities this substrate needs to have, and why mathematical facts-of-the-matter don't fit the bill. I've never heard a non-question-begging response. What I've heard a lot of is, "Mathematical facts-of-the-matter just aren't the kinds of things that can count as a physical substrate." But that's just a restatement of the position that needs to be defended. When the materialists try to describe what kind of thing *would* fit the bill, I find the descriptions as confusing as the vitalist's descriptions of the life-force. -- Kory --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
