We transform colourless, soundless phenomena and turn them automatically into the blue of the ocean and a symphony respectively. — Manuel
there is the world we experience, what science says about it and whatever else we simply cannot assimilate or register in any way, which happens to be quite important. — Manuel
I know first hand what people who advocate "to look inside" tend to be like, and it doesn't fill me with enthusiasm for the project of "self-examination". Too often, I've seen the proponents of the "examined life" simply championing their ideology, and dismissing everything else as "unexamined life". So I've become rather bitter and distrustful for the project of "self-examination".
This is not to say that every proponent of the "examined life" is like this. At this point, I'm just not sure there is an objective, ideologically neutral way to "examine one's life". But that instead, "living an examined life" goes hand in hand with embracing a particular ideology. — baker
Shannon, whose position eventually prevailed, defined information in terms of the transmission of the signal and was not concerned with the meaning. The problem with MacKay’s definition was that meaning could not be measured or quantified and as a result the Shannon definition won out and changed the development of information science". People that shared MacKay’s position
complained that Shannon’s definition of information did not fully describe communication. Shannon
did not disagree–he “frequently cautioned that the theory was meant to apply only to certain technical
situations, not to communication in general". — Pop
We all have some sense of what a mind is, enough to communicate about it every day. If you have some idea of what it may be already, it's probably something like that. If you don't, then we can try dictionaries...? — Olivier5
Wittgenstein, it seems, was especially affected by the word "game." He realized that, in truth, no one really knows how to define it but then everyone uses it and uses it correctly. It's actually a paradox very similar to St. Augustine's time paradox:
What then is time? If no one asks me, I know what it is. If I wish to explain it to him who asks, I do not know.
— St. Augustine (on time) — TheMadFool
Introducing QM to a thread is a surefire way to ensure it goes for another twenty pages without being at all helpful. — Banno
It does still feel a little funny having words like "truth" and "fact" around we've given definitions we can only aspire to use and never reach. I used to think a lot about the role of the ideal, as something that does have practical use. I'll have more time later tonight. — Srap Tasmaner
That's very close to how I look at it. Forced to choose, to act, to place our bets, to say one thing rather than another and then be accountable for what we say. All that.
I do still find it slightly curious that this shows up at the language level, but I probably just haven't thought about it hard enough. — Srap Tasmaner
We won't be able to walk through the wall, no matter what we call it. That's all. — Banno
Sure, scepticism has been the fashion for quite some time. If it were kept as an attitude, as a method, there might be no issue. But folk talk of it as if it were a metaphysics; as if Everest really did not have a height until it was measured. — Banno
We had a long discussion years ago in which he insisted that Mount Everest did not have a height until it was actually measured. — Banno
We put the world in order by the way we talk about it. There are apples and chairs because that is what we say there are. We might have spoken differently.
But that's not to invite relativism; the world still inflicts itself upon us; what is the case will be the case regardless of how we express ourselves. We have to divide the world up somehow, we commit to the divisions handed to us by our community because they work. — Banno
This is problematic for those who want there only to be belief - perhaps that's T Clark and @Olivier5; If all there is, is belief, then Kelly-Anne Conway wins, since her belief is as valid as theirs.
Throw out truth at your peril. — Banno
No matter how convinced we might be about reality eluding our beliefs about it, we have no choice but to talk in terms of facts and truth and what is the case. — Srap Tasmaner
How do facts obtain as true?
That question is what I wonder about facts... — Shawn
The upshot is that the sense is in a state of flux. Nevertheless we can maintain a distinction between what is the case, and what is believed to be the case; and mark this distinction with care by distinguishing fact from belief.Choose whatever words you will, this distinction must remain, since without it there can be no error, and without error we cannot improve our understanding. — Banno
Actually, I've always thought that hanging would be a good way to commit suicide if I ever want to do so. When I picture it, I always just tie a slip knot. It is my understanding the fancy-schmancy hangman's noose was developed as a way to break the hangee's neck when they are dropped from a gallows. — T Clark
No that does not follow, imo. You will have to contend with a growing realization that everything is information. — Pop
To some extent that would be the case. But more specifically there is no way you can use Shannon info theory, to understand why information is such a valuable quantity today. How information shapes us. How it can be weaponized. How it can be used to control people, etc. — Pop
:up: :up: :up:How do we use knowledge - adequately justified beliefs? We use them to make decisions about possible actions.
...
First off, we don't generally need to establish facts "beyond a reasonable doubt." Sometimes we do, but not usually. Choosing the level of allowable doubt is a matter of human of judgement. You have to take into account the amount of uncertainty and the consequences of being wrong. This is something people do all the time. It's nothing exotic or even particularly philosophical. — T Clark
I think that you make an important point about blindspots. One model which I am aware of is Johari' s model , which involves various aspects of which we may be conscious of certain aspects about ourselves, and how feedback can increase our own knowledge about ourselves . I think self knowledge and awareness are an important aspect as a starting point for further and deeper knowledge of everything else. Indeed, our own blindspots, and understanding of them, may be an essential part of finding greater depth of knowledge. — Jack Cummins
There are always divergent vested interests at play. I'm sure mathematicians, physicists, and engineers would have found Shannon's quantification of information more useful. However, this has resulted in much confusion about what information is, and what role it plays in life. — Pop
but because of Shannon's meaningless definition of information, many people are clueless as to what information is. — Pop
Well, I prefer (so far) to just pick up Wittgenstein. Or actually, once W breaks the ice, to just start paying more attention to the barks and moans and tweets we do. But this thread has largely focused on what X said about W.I don't recommend this. It's like when people teach themselves piano, — Antony Nickles
Hacker will just reinforce a reading of Witt that is limited and unconsciously driven by the same forces Witt is trying to investigate. I would suggest Cavell's The Claim of Reason, in which he discusses Hacker, or, easier, the very short essay The Availability of the Later Wittgenstein. — Antony Nickles
That's kind of a personal preference. How do you evaluate any of that? — Shawn
I remember some philosopher being described as "asking ordinary questions about peculiar things and peculiar questions about ordinary things." I aspire to be so described. — Srap Tasmaner
In general, I agree, but in this case there is no science possible without some faith in the capacities of the human mind to understand the world. — Olivier5
I'm with you on that. Shannon's definition of informatiom as resolution of uncertainty doesn't go into meaning, in that it's deficient. — TheMadFool
Hey, speak for yourself. Your mind might be obscure, but mine isn't. — Olivier5
Is 'being funny' material? Can humour be weighted or measured in any way? We don't even know what humour is, and yet we couldn't live without it. — Olivier5
How do we tell good philosophy from bad philosophy? More philosophy? — Tom Storm
You think? I find it a bit sad that those hereabouts are so ready to dispatch truth to the backroom. — Banno
...but pragmatism would have us throw out the sketch and draw something else. Failing to see the distinction between truth and belief they see belief can change and decide nothing is true. — Banno
I have said that a fact is what's asserted by a true proposition. Now, if you disagree then kindly tell me what you'd call what's asserted by a true proposition. — Bartricks
I don't know if you've come across Bartricks in your wandering through the forum yet. He likes to insult people rather than engage in a collegial discussion. — T Clark
There's an ambiguity to the word 'is' that makes questions such as "what is a fact?" ambiguous. — Bartricks
insight into what a fact is made of, so to speak. — Bartricks
It's akin to answering the philosophical question "what is yellow" with "bananas". — Bartricks
Even if it were true, it would not tell us what a fact itself 'is'. — Bartricks