DM, I am not saying that we can avoid making assumptions. I'm saying we should avoid making stupid assumptions. When we ask others to make assumptions with us we should be prepared to explain why. The conscious germ and electron assumptions offer nothing in the way of explanatory power. All I can see that they do is offer a bogus sense of identity. Rather like, "If I were an electron I know that I would prefer this state to that state and I would want to do thus and so." Now if there is some serious advantage to this line of thinking, great. But Platt has certainly not been forthcoming with it. I can tell you are sympathetic but really have not shown me much either.
The question is not whether we make assumptions, it is about what kind of assumption we make and why. Krimel -----Original Message----- From: David M [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, April 11, 2008 3:03 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [MD] Science and the MOQ Hi Krim Platt'a general point about assuptions is right I think and supported by the philosopher of science Nick Maxwell who argues the problems caused by forgetting this. Specifically assuming that there is a felt-response to all activity helps us to overcome the need to explain this as something that has been created by natural selection -as Whitehead argued, and has proved difficult to do, i.e. why should behaviour not be entirely unfelt and unconscious, how could random or law caused events be otherwise? Yet in our experience otherwise they are, i.e. felt, open and active. DM >> [Platt] >> Whether a germ knows there's an independent reality or not is debatable >> since we don't know what it's like to be a germ. That a germ knows that >> it's better for it to be in one place rather than another can be assumed >> by its behavior. >> Similarly with an electron. >> >> [Krimel] >> If we don't know what a germ knows maybe we ought to just talk about what >> it does rather than makin g ass-u-me-tions about what it knows. >> Similarly with electrons. > > [Platt] > Every form of knowledge rests on assumptions. > > [Krimel} > This places a heavy burden on assumptions. So much so that I think the > burden of justifying the making of them rests on those urging the > assumption. In these situations what justifies your assumption? What does > it > offer us? > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
