From: clyder@GN.APC.ORG
Date: Fri May 23 2003 - 16:39:30 EDT
Quoting Michael Eldred <artefact@T-ONLINE.DE>: > Cologne 23-May-2003 > > Paul Cockshott schrieb Wed, 21 May 2003 10:54:37 +0100: > > > Andrew Brown wrote: > > > >> Regarding your summary of my position on value: this is a > >> reasonable summary -- and thanks for that -- though it does of > >> course beg crucial questions such as the nature of 'logic' and its > >> relation to matter, so I probably wouldn't have put it quite the > >> same > >> way. > > > > On issues of the philosophical status of maths and logic, > > I regard Deutsch as one of the most fruitful researchers > > working on a materialist theory in this respect. > > > > I enclose a his key 1985 paper and a recent summary. > > > > -- > > Paul Cockshott > > Dept Computing Science > > University of Glasgow > > > > > > > > 0141 330 3125 > > > > > > > deutsch85.pdf > > > > Name: deutsch85.pdf > > Type: Acrobat (application/pdf) > > Encoding: base64 > > > > deutsch.pdf > > > > Name: deutsch.pdf > > Type: Acrobat (application/pdf) > > Encoding: base64 > > The two papers represent what I would call a digital casting of being. > The distinction between "software" and "hardware" maps (somewhat > imperfectly) onto the Cartesian dualism between res cogitans and res > extensa. > I dont see that in saying this you grapple with any of Deutsch's points. You make a general statement about the relationship between a couple of Cartesian concepts and a couple of terms used in computing, but what relevance has that to Deutsch's basic question : 'what is it about the laws of physics that allows mathematics to be possible?' The attempt to formulate descriptions of material reality in discrete ( and thus in your terms a digital casting ) is taken further by Stephen Wolfram, in 'A New Kind of Science', where he explores that generalisation of cellular automata. But a significant point about the latter is that they dont involve software. > Michael > _-_-_-_-_-_-_- artefact text and translation _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ > _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- made by art _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ > http://www.webcom.com/artefact/ _-_-_-_-artefact@webcom.com _-_ > _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ Dr Michael Eldred -_-_- > _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ > >
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