The Dutch translation of Ray Kurzweil's 2005 bestseller “The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology” (the title says it all!) is about to be released, so this post on 'practical PAC' will be a summary of my objections to this idea. The Singularity was a case study in my research to see if I could analyse the claims with PAC.
In my previous post, I defended a 'post-modern' stance in science, as I consider quest for singular concepts to explain all kinds of things to be somewhat outdated. Or, to be more precise, it is rather stupid to consider oneself a 'complexity thinker' and then believe that singular concepts can explain everything. This tie between post-modernism and complexity has been elucidated in a much better way than I can, by philosopher of complexity Paul Cilliers in his ground-breaking book, so I will not delve into this issue further.Methodological Stuff:
The Pattern of Contextual DiminutionThis pattern is a bit more involved,as it combines a number of other patterns. It also adds to theself-referential nature of PAC, as it describes the dynamics of anepistemological system, such as PAC.MethodologicalStuff:
Introduction
Patterns
Patterns, Objectivity and Truth
Complexity and Randomness
This pattern is from System's thinker Gerald Weinberg, and has been extremely helpful to illustrate the difference between complexity and randomness. It is also a nice example of the self-referential methodology of PAC, as the pattern is used to discuss scientific approaches: science discovers patterns, which are then used to elucidate scientific processes!
Methodological Stuff:
Methodological Stuff:
1. Introduction
2: Patterns
3: Patterns, Objectivity and Truth
4: Patterns and Processes
The Pattern Library:
1. Introduction 2: Patterns3: Patterns, Objectivity and Truth4: Patterns and ProcessesThe Pattern Library:
Methodological Stuff:1. Introduction 2: Patterns3: Patterns, Objectivity and Truth4: Patterns and ProcessesThe Pattern Library:
Methodological Stuff:1. Introduction 2: Patterns3: Patterns, Objectivity and Truth4: Patterns and ProcessesThe Pattern Library:1. A pattern of Difference
If we have done away -like postmodernism- with the notion of absolute truth, and we are living in a life-world where observers with limited knowledge try to 'make sense' of their envirnoment, then we we have certain freedom to define other forms of truth.1. Introduction 2: Patterns3: Patterns, Objectivity and Truth
