Russ,
Categories are the stuff or ordinary logic, right. We are given the category swans. Knowing that all swans are white, and that this bird is a swan, we know that this bird is white; knowing that this bird is a swan, and that this bird is white, we infer (fallibly, but with some probability) that all swans are white; and knowing that this bird is white, and that all swans are white, we infer (fallibly, but with some probability) that this bird is a swan. But nobody ever tells me where the category comes from. Nick Nicholas Thompson Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology Clark University <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] <https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/> https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/ From: Friam <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Russ Abbott Sent: Monday, October 5, 2020 4:11 PM To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [FRIAM] Shorthands for Brain-stuff Can't we get fine approximations via apt categorizations? I can witness how others, that are similar to this individual, behaved in the past. Of course we can and do create categories. They will often be useful, but they will almost certainly produce wrong answers in significant numbers of situations. When applied to people such categories often become stereotypes, which can do great damage to both individuals and society. -- Russ Abbott Professor, Computer Science California State University, Los Angeles On Mon, Oct 5, 2020 at 2:02 PM jon zingale <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > wrote: "It can’t be necessary to adopt what amounts to a religion in order to function with one another." Maybe not a religion, but perhaps to recognize/engage one's beliefs relative to another's beliefs? "In many cases, one would have to know the complete history of a person--from his childhood family and environment to whether someone gave him the finger for no apparent reason earlier in the day--to know how he is going react to any particular triggering event." What about classes? Can't we get fine approximations via apt categorizations? I can witness how others, that are similar to this individual, behaved in the past. "So, I think it's Fine and Good to *entertain* the idea of fully closed logical abstraction floors and ceilings. But I think it's shaky metaphysics to rely on them." Agreed. Lately, I have been thinking a lot about openness on the left hand and closedness on the right. There is no adapting to an ever-changing world when we are closed, but at least we can write global theorems. When we are open, we are open to catastrophe, and all progress to rectify discrepancies between model and experience is inherently local. -- Sent from: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/ - .... . -..-. . -. -.. -..-. .. ... -..-. .... . .-. . FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam <http://bit.ly/virtualfriam> un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/ <http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/FRIAM-COMIC> FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/
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