Thanks, Glen. I assume this summary covers the "Mentalism and Calculas" thread as well?
;-} --Doug -- Doug Roberts, RTI International [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] 505-455-7333 - Office On Thu, Jul 17, 2008 at 10:23 AM, Owen Densmore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Holy cow Glen, that's GREAT, thanks. > > Maybe we should start a tradition of summarizing like this when > threads get rather long. Then Nick can put them into the wiki? > > -- Owen > > On Jul 17, 2008, at 10:08 AM, glen e. p. ropella wrote: > > > > > I'll attempt to identify the core of the recent Mathematics and XYZ > > thread, going back to Nick's original kernel: > > > > Nicholas Thompson wrote: > >> All, One of the running arguments I have with one of my favorite > >> colleagues here in Santa Fe is about whether Mathematics is (or > >> isn't) different from all other intellectual enterprises, such as > >> psychology or philosophy. in that, unlike them, mathematics "adds > >> up," in the long run. Contrary to psychologists and philosophers like > >> me, who are besotted with ephemeral traditions and ideologies, and > >> keep changing the rules of the game, mathematicians have built a > >> structure that is not subject to vicissitudes and whims of > >> intellectual history. (I hope I have represented this argument > >> fairly.) Although I have tried to give him as little comfort as > >> possible, I confess that I have been impressed more and more by this > >> argument as I continue to read accessible works on the history of > >> mathematics. > > > > The core of the question came up several times. In essence, it's > > about > > whether or not progress (or accumulation) is illusory or objectively > > real, and whether math exhibits progress more obviously than other > > domains. > > > > We fleshed out the question by claiming and counter-claiming about > > whether math is a purely social construct or whether it is (and how it > > might be) hooked directly to reality, even to the extent that reality > > may be mathematical. > > > > So, there we are. Was anything achieved in this meandering thread? > > Most certainly. Are the achievements quantifiable? Most definitely > > not. > > > > In any case, I feel the pressure to shut up for awhile. [grin] So, I > > will comply. > > > > -- > > glen e. p. ropella, 971-219-3846, http://tempusdictum.com > > > > > > ============================================================ > > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > 505-670-8195 - Cell
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