Dear Log,
«Popper tackled an immense range of subjects: among them the mind-body problem. He was a dualist and more, a pluralist. He defined a third reality beyond the material world and the world of mental events, a World 3 consisting of the products and creations of the human mind, abstract and no longer in human minds - ideas, theories, music and poetry, Shakespeare's plays and the English language, not located in space or time but real because of their ability via human minds to change the face of the material world.»So that's where computer programs live! In their uncompiled form, at least.
Re:Platonic Forms
TorgoX on 2002-05-09T03:50:45
I think Popper's point is in the differences between that and Platonic Forms. I mean, nearly everything but the "blind matter" view of reality can be compared to Platonic Forms.Re:Platonic Forms
gizmo_mathboy on 2002-05-09T06:42:46
After a close inspection of the article (and doing some more reflecting on it's representation of Popper's philosophy) I would retract my Platonic Forms statement.
I would go along with this World 3 idea. Not a Form but not part of the physical world either. I suppose a pure Platonist would just push World 3 into the realm of Forms.
However, creating this place for ideas to exist is rather interesting.
Damn! Another philospher to read. The upside is that I've been looking for a 20th Century philosopher to read that seems to have something worthwhile to contribute.
My stack of philosophy texts to read is getting lengthy (Hume, Kant, Mill, Spinoza, Hobbes, and now Popper). Oh well, I'm glad I really like philosophy.Re:Platonic Forms
TorgoX on 2002-05-09T07:09:02
Enh, just go read The End of Science .All the fun gossip (Chomsky is a grouch, who knew!), and none of the usual tortuous prose.
Also, read Whitehead, starting with Dialogues with Alfred North Whitehead, which puts everything else into context.
And the list grows
gizmo_mathboy on 2002-05-09T07:52:07
How much is Chomsky linguistics and how much philosophy (although from the books I've seen of his he seems to keep them sort of separare, as much as you can separate philosophy from linguistics and vice versa).
Whitehead looks interesting.
More brain fodder I guess.:-) Re:And the list grows
TorgoX on 2002-05-10T21:57:52
I didn't know Chomsky wrote any philosophy.His linguistics is, in my opinion, ghastly. Typical mid-20th century stuff: narcissistic pseudo-innovation in notation and methodology, all to cover a near-total lack of worthwhile content. And his writing style fails the Turing test.
I predict that history will have no patience for him. I certainly don't.
