I've been pondering the idea of a 'realism' - 'rationalism'
quad, something along the lines of:
Maybe there needs to be a different explanation of memetics for each
quadrant.
anti-realist and anti-rational: anarchist, nihilist (nothing matters,
nothing makes sense, but don't hold me to that)
anti-realist and rationalist:: pure rationalist-economists, sociologists,
artists (culture is too complex to test, but I have an idea)
realist and anti-rationalist:: pure realist-scientists (ideas come and
go, but repeatable experiments never change)
realist and rationalist:: idealist? (an impossible mix?) (drug addicts-I
know what I need and I know how to get it)
neutral realist and neutral rationist: engineer? (useful folks, but
intellectual prostitutes)
definitions:
Realist: there is a reality. Our senses give us an incomplete picture.
Evolution has provided humans with cognitive tools for getting a sense of
reality, but it just one 'perspective' of many possible.
Rationalist: We have the mental tools to understand the world. Our
cognitive powers enable us to rationally discern reality, something our
senses only confuse.
Wondered if anyone here was interested in improving my scheme,
definitions or quadrant labels.
Mark
http://www.htcomp.net/markmills