sillogism is not tautology

[isho]

As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain. As far as the laws of mathematics are certain, they do not refer to reality. 

Einstein

What can be controlled is never completely real. What is real can never be completely controlled 

Prigogine



> -----Original Message-----
> From: anna balint [mailto:epistolaris at freemail.hu]
> Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2002, 1:08 PM
> To: syndicate at anart.no
> Subject: [syndicate] Re:sillogism is not tautology
> 
> I was hesitating to answer to this post - i don't want to know anything better
> - but...
> 
> I usually follow with great interest disputes about results of science, and
> subjectivity of science, rediscovery of
> different works - that also reveals the contemporary shifts of paradigms as
> well.
> it is not only meaningful, but there is a lot of fun in detective works such
> to prove that Marconi - who might have known 
> very well the lectures of Tesla- , did nothing but repeated two years later
> the experience of Tesla that became ultimately 
> the basis of radio transmissions. All comparative research about history of
> sceince during the cold war is fascinating, the 
> rejections of 'bourgeois science' in the former Soviet Empire, and neglection
> of 'orthodox marxist science' in the West still 
> awaits for rediscovery, commentaries and could much contribute to the
> reconstruction of mentalities in different societies.
> 
> But the post about 'Aristotle's tautology' surprises me very much. Does
> education - and social context - throw us in parallel 
> universes? Because I have learnt in the secondary school about  Euclide of
> Alexandria (approx. 365- approx. 300 BC) 
> [not to confuse with the philosopher Euclide of Megara, 450-380 BC], that in
> his Elements (the first English edition by John 
> Daye in London, 1570), one of the basic works of the mathematics he included
> many theorema of  Eudoxe, he perfected 
> many of the theorema of Thetete, and he irrefutably proved many theorema that
> his precedents were not able to prove.   
> As basic relations and definitions of geometry he stated first 9 axiomes, and
> concluded 5 postulates. The axiome nr. 7 is 
> the axiome of congruency, and states that matching forms are equal.
> How could this be reduced to a formula A=A? Do people know in the United
> States other Aristotle, other Euclide, is there 
> no difference there between tautology and sillogism? Transdisciplinarity is
> also a known phenomena, terminology and 
> methods of a science transgress to other domains, however knowing the dreadful
> social utopia of many mathematicians, 
> an alarm in my head says (despite all Nobel prizes for mathematical models of
> social phemena) 'as few mathematical law in 
> social sciences as possible'.
> 
> hm, truly uncertain,
> anna
> 
> 
> 8/14/02 10:00:49 AM, integer at www.god-emil.dk wrote:
> 
> >
> >
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > >She signed, she said, because she was spending her day outside in the
> > >lovely Saturday weather, and she simply wants to have a good time without
> > >confrontations.
> > 
> > 2x = 2x +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ... tetrated
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > nn \ nn  =sine(x
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > From: "Kermit Snelson" <ksnelson at subjectivity.com>
> > To: <nettime-l at bbs.thing.net>
> > Subject: <nettime> art as law in Berkeley, USA
> > Date: Tue, 13 Aug 2002 11:44:22 -0700
> > Sender: nettime-l-request at bbs.thing.net
> > Precedence: bulk
> > Reply-To: "Kermit Snelson" <ksnelson at subjectivity.com>
> > Status:   
> > 
> > Identity politics reaches a whole new level..
> > 
> > Kermit
> > ======
> > 
> > Aristotle's law in Berkeley
> > Petition confounds blase city
> > 
> > San Francisco Chronicle
> > Meredith May, Chronicle Staff Writer
> > Tuesday, August 13, 2002
> > http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/08/13/BAARISTOTLE.TMP&nl=t
> > op
> > 
> > Berkeley, the first city to ban Styrofoam and wood-fired pizza ovens,
> > could become the first to enact Aristotle's ancient law of logic -- that
> > every entity is equal to itself.
> > 
> > In a philosophical effort to come up with a city law that no one could
> > ever break, conceptual artist Jonathon Keats wants Berkeley to legally
> > acknowledge Aristotle's law, commonly expressed as A=A.
> > 
> > More plainly put, it means a table is a table. A blade of grass is a blade
> > of grass.  The mayor is the mayor.
> > 
> > Mayor Shirley Dean was dumbfounded.
> > 
> > "I haven't a clue what that means," Dean said of Keats' proposition.
> > 
> > Few others did either as Keats tried to get them to sign his sidewalk
> > petition Saturday near the downtown Berkeley BART station.
> > 
> > "Why do you need a law to say that?" asked one passer-by.
> > 
> > Sweating in a three-piece wool suit, bow tie and penny loafers, Keats
> > explained that a simplistic law challenges society's notion of what laws
> > are, why they are made, and why we follow them.
> > 
> > It makes perfect sense to Keats, who is the kind of guy who likes to do
> > things like sit in an art gallery for 24 hours and sell his thoughts to
> > museumgoers.  The San Francisco Arts Commission once paid him to do
> > portraits, and because he can't paint, draw or take good photographs, he
> > took fingerprints instead.
> > 
> > His latest A=A idea, timed to coincide with the annual Berkeley Arts
> > Festival, was a harder sell.  His six-hour effort netted 65 signatures, 42
> > of which belonged to actual Berkeley residents.
> > 
> > There were many head-shakers, a couple of yellers, and a handful of people
> > who signed just to get away from Keats' long discourses on tautology --
> > which is a fancy word for A=A theory.  One guy shouted that Keats needed
> > therapy.
> > 
> > Keats offered to do sidewalk therapy with the man, who stomped away in
> > frustration.
> > 
> > "I see the law I've proposed as an (art) installation, one which has the
> > potential to operate in infinite space while occupying no space," said the
> > 30-year-old performance artist, who lives in San Francisco.
> > 
> > "I offer it as a donation to the people of Berkeley," Keats said.
> > 
> > Michelle Grisat, who has a doctorate in philosophy, signed.
> > 
> > "I think A=A is a basic truism, and it's interesting to have him out here
> > arguing with people."
> > 
> > Keats plans to present his petition to the City Council when it reconvenes
> > in September.  He wants the council to place the proposal on the November
> > ballot for a vote.
> > 
> > Although his law can't be broken, a misdemeanor fine of up to one-tenth of
> > a cent would be imposed on anyone or anything caught being unidentical to
> > itself within city limits.
> > 
> > "All laws have rules, so mine needs them, too," he said.
> > 
> > Myrna Sokolinksy listened, trying to bend her brain around his logic.
> > 
> > "It's silly, but I'll sign anyway," she said.
> > 
> > She signed, she said, because she was spending her day outside in the
> > lovely Saturday weather, and she simply wants to have a good time without
> > confrontations.
> > 
> > As with any philosophical question, A=A is already generating scholarly
> > debate.  The proposed law has been vetted by Yale philosophy scholar
> > Matthew D. Walker, and noted Amherst College logician Alexander George has
> > praised A=A as "the simplest of identity's properties."
> > 
> > But a philosophy professor at UC Berkeley isn't even sure A=A is the
> > brainchild of Aristotle.
> > 
> > "It's a bit of a stretch to attribute it to Aristotle," said John
> > MacFarlane.
> > 
> > MacFarlane also took issue with Point C in the proposed law which defines
> > identical as "exactly alike."  He said two people could be wearing shirts
> > that are "exactly alike" but not identical.
> > 
> > "A does not equal A, and I can prove it!" shouted Elliot Clayton, who
> > rushed to Keats' card table.
> > 
> > "Look at your own petition!  There's a capital A and a small case a, all
> > throughout it.  See?  A is sometimes a, not A."
> > 
> > ©2002 San Francisco Chronicle
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >
> >
> >
> >
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