Re: realist-rationalist quad

From: wilkins (wilkins@wehi.EDU.AU)
Date: Tue Feb 13 2001 - 23:55:56 GMT

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Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2001 10:55:56 +1100
From: wilkins <wilkins@wehi.EDU.AU>
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Subject: Re: realist-rationalist quad
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    Mark Mills wrote:
    >
    > At 09:25 AM 2/14/01 +1000, you wrote:
    > >"I don't believe in ism's, I just believe in me." - Ferris Beuller, quoting
    > >some dead rock star.
    > >
    > >Top left?
    >
    > I am assuming you mean: anti-realist, anti-rationalist. Right?
    >
    > I hadn't put things in any visual order, so I built a webpage chart:
    > http://www.htcomp.net/markmills/real-rational.htm
    >
    > (some new labels)
    > upper left: Realist & anti-rational (pure realist)
    > lower left: Anti-realist & anti-rationalist (anarchist, nihilist)
    > upper right: Realist & rationalist (pragmatist, enlightened?)
    > lower right: Anti-realist & rationalist (pure rationalist)
    >
    > I keep wondering if it is possible to be both rationalist and realist.
    >
    Bear in mind that these are polar, not discrete, options. This describes
    a field of positions that may be occupied in degrees rather than kind.
    Moreover, there may not be equilibrium states (see David Lewis'
    _Conventions_ for a description of these) but rather some sort of
    chaotic attractors so that the most stable position is something like
    pragmatist realism but not entirely. How you could determine this I am
    not sure. Perhaps it could be modelled and then tested against observations. 

    -- 
John Wilkins, Head, Graphic Production, The Walter and Eliza Hall 
Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Australia
Homo homini aut deus aut lupus - Erasmus of Rotterdam
<http://www.users.bigpond.com/thewilkins/darwiniana.html>
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