Paul Smith wrote:
> Fodor uses as
> his example a particular law of economics ("Gresham's Law", if I remember
> correctly), which makes statements about phenomena described as "monetary
> exchanges". Surely each example of a "monetary exchange" is a physical
> event. Just as surely, it is not possible to specify in advance which
> physical events constitute "monetary exchanges" and which do not. The
> phenomena covered in that economic law are physical phenomena, but cannot be
> predicted OR explained by reference to their purely physical descriptions.
And:
> I find this completely satisfying. Ontologically, everything reduces
> to
> physics. But explanations and predictions do not. As Fodor concludes, no
> matter how advanced our physiology and biology and chemistry and physics
> become, we will always need psychology and sociology and economics.
Yeah . . . what Paul said!! Because I have not studied in depth, or for a long time,
philosophical discussions of reductionism (and related concepts such as emergent
properties, etc.), I have been struggling to make clear to myself (and you) some
half-formed thoughts I had about these issues and how they applied to psychology. I
will have to read this article by Fodor. I think that this was the direction I was
trying to head with my own comments, even if it doesn't seem like it from what I said.
This is what I enjoy about TIPS. Over the years, it has led me to think about issues I
probably would not have thought much about otherwise. It also gives me the opportunity
to express some of the nascent ideas I have been thinking about (at the risk, of
course, of sounding silly . . . but so what?). Thanks Paul Brandon, Bob Keefer, Marc
Turner, Jim Clark, and Paul Smith for giving me some different ideas to consider.
Jeff
--
Jeffry P. Ricker, Ph.D. Office Phone: (480) 423-6213
9000 E. Chaparral Rd. FAX Number: (480) 423-6298
Psychology Department [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Scottsdale Community College
Scottsdale, AZ 85256-2626
"The truth is rare and never simple."
Oscar Wilde
"Science must begin with myths and with the criticism of myths"
Karl Popper
"If you want to learn new things, you should try reading old books."
Richard Cytowic
