Allow me to quote a philosopher that I heard recently, but this
time, editorialize him with regard to "nonlinear dynamics". I
may only be a sanitation engineer, but I smell something fishy...(I
have replaced certain nomenclature for humorous purposes)
"I find most amusing, and moving in a sad way, is the universal and
eternal need for people to find comfort in the idea that
(everything is in chaos and truth is relative). It could be
the (atheistic academic community), the ("non-religious
materialists"), the ("market forces" which are completely rational
and consistent), or any of a series of (scientists and prosperity
gurus), but the motivation is the same: to escape the
messiness of human life by positing a (relativistic), or at least
very (chaotic), logic (oxymoron here) or (non) order in the world,
a (chaos) that is hidden to all but the enlightened few (who are,
sadly, the most deluded)."
Nonlinear dynamics isn't about chaos in the usual sense of the
word. It's a about all kinds of order hidden in what appears
to be random.
And, btw, people don't usually try to escape from the messiness
of life though recourse to relativism. They usually find
comfort in some eternal, metaphysical truth (political ideology,
religion, Platonism, etc.).
But my point is that nonlinear dynamics is neither randomness
nor determinism. It is, like life, the delicate and beautiful
intersection of the two.
But your previous piece was simply denigration of all sorts of
straw men...which is suspicious since you appear to want to have an
intellectual veneer.
Traditional metaphysics, e.g. Thomism and Aristotelian, are not
ideologies where "people find comfort...", they are rigorous
examinations of the nature of reality from which flow equally
rigorous moral and ethical truths. It is these truths that
people usually try to find a haven from in relativism, from which
flows hedonism and materialism and all the modern variations of
"scientism".
Thomas and Aristotle, and many of their commentators, including
Augustines' commentaries on Plato, are the foundations of a once
great Western civilization. They were peerless scholars and
men of genius who cannot be denigrated by us moderns without
ignorance and hubris.
Posted by lessarda on 17th of Apr 2011 at 09:36 pm
Following the great conversation among the poets, philosophers
and theologians from the ancients through to the moderns is the
essence of liberal education -- something only a few schools do any
more.
Yes, it would be great if we could reinstitute "great books"
courses that were required of all students, in both high school and
college. But, we seem to be moving in the direction of
McCollege. Perhaps that's the price of democracy.
Perhaps the price of a free market system. I don't
know. But I do know that it makes me sad that in many circles
to be called an "intellectual" is an insult. Can you imagine
what Plato, Aquinas, Nietzsche, etc. would have thought of a
culture that sees the cultivation of the mind as a negative
thing.
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Chaos in the modern sense
Posted by algyros on 16th of Apr 2011 at 02:39 pm
Chaos in the modern sense of nonlinear dynamics.
Algyros
Posted by sanrafael on 16th of Apr 2011 at 03:00 pm
Allow me to quote a philosopher that I heard recently, but this time, editorialize him with regard to "nonlinear dynamics". I may only be a sanitation engineer, but I smell something fishy...(I have replaced certain nomenclature for humorous purposes)
"I find most amusing, and moving in a sad way, is the universal and eternal need for people to find comfort in the idea that (everything is in chaos and truth is relative). It could be the (atheistic academic community), the ("non-religious materialists"), the ("market forces" which are completely rational and consistent), or any of a series of (scientists and prosperity gurus), but the motivation is the same: to escape the messiness of human life by positing a (relativistic), or at least very (chaotic), logic (oxymoron here) or (non) order in the world, a (chaos) that is hidden to all but the enlightened few (who are, sadly, the most deluded)."
If the shoe fits, you're already wearing it.
Nonlinear dynamics isn't about chaos
Posted by algyros on 16th of Apr 2011 at 03:11 pm
Nonlinear dynamics isn't about chaos in the usual sense of the word. It's a about all kinds of order hidden in what appears to be random.
And, btw, people don't usually try to escape from the messiness of life though recourse to relativism. They usually find comfort in some eternal, metaphysical truth (political ideology, religion, Platonism, etc.).
But my point is that nonlinear dynamics is neither randomness nor determinism. It is, like life, the delicate and beautiful intersection of the two.
Algyros
Posted by sanrafael on 16th of Apr 2011 at 03:31 pm
But your previous piece was simply denigration of all sorts of straw men...which is suspicious since you appear to want to have an intellectual veneer.
Traditional metaphysics, e.g. Thomism and Aristotelian, are not ideologies where "people find comfort...", they are rigorous examinations of the nature of reality from which flow equally rigorous moral and ethical truths. It is these truths that people usually try to find a haven from in relativism, from which flows hedonism and materialism and all the modern variations of "scientism".
Thomas and Aristotle, and many of their commentators, including Augustines' commentaries on Plato, are the foundations of a once great Western civilization. They were peerless scholars and men of genius who cannot be denigrated by us moderns without ignorance and hubris.
Excellent, true observations, Algyros...
Posted by lessarda on 17th of Apr 2011 at 09:36 pm
Following the great conversation among the poets, philosophers and theologians from the ancients through to the moderns is the essence of liberal education -- something only a few schools do any more.
Yes, it would be great
Posted by algyros on 17th of Apr 2011 at 09:48 pm
Yes, it would be great if we could reinstitute "great books" courses that were required of all students, in both high school and college. But, we seem to be moving in the direction of McCollege. Perhaps that's the price of democracy. Perhaps the price of a free market system. I don't know. But I do know that it makes me sad that in many circles to be called an "intellectual" is an insult. Can you imagine what Plato, Aquinas, Nietzsche, etc. would have thought of a culture that sees the cultivation of the mind as a negative thing.