Such are the joys of dualism! n
Nick Thompson [email protected] https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/ -----Original Message----- From: Friam <[email protected]> On Behalf Of jon zingale Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2021 5:24 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [FRIAM] Hywel's anti-representationalism >From time to time, I find myself reflecting on the wisdom of my old friend Hywel, and this time in particular, on the anti-representational nature of his epistemology. Hywel was well known for his aphorisms and most famously the declaration that: "Mathematics is fine, but it is better to know what you are doing". Occasionally, I would hear this as a staunch refutation of math envy. Upon more gracious reflection it occurs to me that there is much to be gained from substituting, in the aphorism, "Mathematics" for "Representation". Perhaps, even better would be the declaration that: "Representation is fine, but it is better to know directly". Hywel would often decry the existence of numbers, to which Frank would playfully reply, "Hywel, how many mothers do you have"? Hywel's response was a tacit smile, his wisdom would need to wait for a more amenable moment. Hywel's thought was radically empirical. The *world* itself was the thing to know and everything else an, often convenient, illusion. To proceed with the discussion, granting mothers, was to already concede a denotational worldview that was not his own. It is perhaps more insightful to reflect on his views on non-units. Hywelian epistemology admits no two things the *same*. To discuss neutrinos with him, the area of his expertise, was to discuss the experiments themselves, the blips of particle detectors, and the tubs of baby oil. Relations always between direct perceptions. To ask him about the exchangeability of protons was to have a discussion about particle decay. All symmetries, illusory. While representationalists find themselves in paradox pondering the source, whence objects come? Hywel's epistemology finds no such concern and continues to find purchase out there among the stars. -- Sent from: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/ - .... . -..-. . -. -.. -..-. .. ... -..-. .... . .-. . FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/ - .... . -..-. . -. -.. -..-. .. ... -..-. .... . .-. . FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Zoom Fridays 9:30a-12p Mtn GMT-6 bit.ly/virtualfriam un/subscribe http://redfish.com/mailman/listinfo/friam_redfish.com FRIAM-COMIC http://friam-comic.blogspot.com/ archives: http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/
