Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id KAA13368 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 19 Apr 2001 10:12:01 +0100 Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2001 08:59:26 +0100 To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Levels of explanation (was Re: Determinism) Message-ID: <20010419085926.A715@ii01.org> References: <20010418125013.AAA28726@camailp.harvard.edu@[128.103.125.215]>; <20010418181520.A598@ii01.org> <3ADD9D05.18383.14151C@localhost> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.3.15i In-Reply-To: <3ADD9D05.18383.14151C@localhost>; from joedees@bellsouth.net on Wed, Apr 18, 2001 at 01:56:21PM -0500 From: Robin Faichney <robin@ii01.org> Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
On Wed, Apr 18, 2001 at 01:56:21PM -0500, joedees@bellsouth.net wrote:
> On 18 Apr 2001, at 18:15, Robin Faichney wrote:
>
> > On Wed, Apr 18, 2001 at 08:49:55AM -0400, Wade T.Smith wrote:
> > > On 04/18/01 05:52, Robin Faichney said this-
> > >
> > > >"we have to distinguish
> > > >between causation and conceptual framework translation"
> > >
> > > OK, I know that's your manifesto at the moment, but, I have to admit
> > > I'm fuzzy on what 'conceptual framework translation' actually _is_.
> > >
> > > What is being translated and into what language?
> >
> > Genetics, when you get to a certain level of detail, requires the
> > language of chemistry, rather than that of biology (biochemistry,
> > microbiology, whatever -- you get the idea). Similar translations are
> > required whenever we shift between levels of explanation. It's the
> > different concepts that apply within them that distinguish between
> > levels.
> >
> And now, for his next act, the amazing linguistic prestidigitator (or
> is that prestianaloguer?) Robin Faichney will fully explain self-
> conscious awareness using nothing more than the elementary laws
> of physics and the Periodic Table of Elements! Let's give him a
> round of applause, ladies and gents!
Chemisty and biology are differentiated by the levels of explanation with
which they deal, but both use objective methodology. With "self-conscious
awareness" subjectivity comes into the picture, and that is irreducible.
-- Robin Faichney Get your Meta-Information from http://www.ii01.org (CAUTION: contains philosophy, may cause heads to spin)=============================================================== This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing) see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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