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Article #1264Re: Layman's argument for Occam's razor
From: Sarge Gerbode
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1987 22:52
Date: Mon, 24 Aug 1987 22:52
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In article <20264@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> kube@cogsci.berkeley.edu.UUCP (Paul Kube) writes: > >what reason >is there now to think that we have evolutionarily honed intuitions >for detecting correct mathematics, or quantum mechanics, or astrophysics? Only that it seems to be a psychological fact that we have a kind of "built-in computer" that operates unconsciously (or maybe we get messages from God, or whatever). From this source (or Source) we get hunches and "feelings" about things. These hunches and feelings often form the basis for scientific hypotheses that later turn out to be true. I don't go along with the radical form of "If it feels good, do it!" that was mandated in the '60s counter-culture, but I think, as Aristotle did, that pleasure is a sign of the good (and the true). Therefore, all else being equal (and it usually isn't), one should (and does) pick the choice that gives one pleasure, or, alternatively, that appeals to one aesthetically. -- "Absolute knowledge means never having to change your mind." Sarge Gerbode Institute for Research in Metapsychology 950 Guinda St. Palo Alto, CA 94301 UUCP: pyramid!thirdi!sarge
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Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!rutgers!labrea!decwrl!nsc!pyramid!thirdi!sarge From: sarge@thirdi.UUCP (Sarge Gerbode) Newsgroups: sci.philosophy.tech Subject: Re: Layman's argument for Occam's razor Message-ID: <106@thirdi.UUCP> Date: Mon, 24-Aug-87 18:52:27 EDT Article-I.D.: thirdi.106 Posted: Mon Aug 24 18:52:27 1987 Date-Received: Wed, 26-Aug-87 01:25:18 EDT References: <433@morgoth.UUCP> <20264@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> Reply-To: sarge@thirdi.UUCP (Sarge Gerbode) Organization: Institute for Research in Metapsychology Lines: 25 Keywords: simplicity truth aesthetics Summary: Pleasure is a sign of the good.