Philosophy
Been thinking about money. Sciences describe the behavior of observable systems. In physics, there are empirical terms that are directly measurable, things like mass and distance. We know that these things are real as far as we can know that anything is real. Then there are theoretical terms, things like gravitational potentials and field values, parts of the theories that we use to connect observable results to each other in a way that explains and predicts. The metaphysical status of these objects is a matter of philosophical conversation. Realists argue that the more and more surprising the predictions, the more simple, wide-ranging, and unified the explanations, the more likely it is that these theoretical terms describe part of the furniture of the universe. Instrumentalists argue that all that is real is what is measurable and the theoretical terms are simply useful tools in coordinating those observable quantities.
But what about economics? What are the observables? Price? If we picked some random class of objects and for no good reason all decided that something they were worth absurd amounts of money, then it would be, right? (See babies, beanie) But at the same time, they do have real consequences, for example, whether someone can retire or buy a house. How do we make sense of the basic notions of economics? Do they describe something real? If so, what? If not, what is it the science of?
- Scientific Truths, Quantum Mechanics, And Quantum Mechanics To Auto Mechanics
C. Ewings asks, "Are "scientific truths" actually true?"By true, I'll take it you mean "can be known with certainty." In that case, it depends upon which scientific truths you are speaking of. There are statements of observable behaviors of parts...
- God, Darwin, And Conservative Kumbaya
In a recent op/ed in The New York Times, Robert Wright offers a "grand bargain" in a bid to arrange a ceasefire in the war between the religious and those who accept evolution. We can form, he argues, a theory completely consistent with evolution by simply...
- Are Atoms Real?
I gave a talk to a group of parents last Friday and asked whether we should believe atoms are real. The group overwhelmingly thought it was a silly question until one parent, clearly a scientist, piped up and informed everyone that atoms are not directly...
- Scientific Realism And Science Fiction
C. Ewing asks a series of three interrelated questions,Does science make statements about "the world", or is its role merely to give us the best dice roll possible? That is, when we're dealing with scientific laws and theories, are we expected to...
- Thermodynamics, Complementarity, And The Dangers Of Gay Sex
A few more questions relating to physics, well, sorta. Barefoot Bum asks, What are "temperature" and "pressure"?An interesting question on a host of levels. To be a smart ass, I could pull the philosopher of language move and say that while temperature...
Philosophy
The Metaphysics of Money
Been thinking about money. Sciences describe the behavior of observable systems. In physics, there are empirical terms that are directly measurable, things like mass and distance. We know that these things are real as far as we can know that anything is real. Then there are theoretical terms, things like gravitational potentials and field values, parts of the theories that we use to connect observable results to each other in a way that explains and predicts. The metaphysical status of these objects is a matter of philosophical conversation. Realists argue that the more and more surprising the predictions, the more simple, wide-ranging, and unified the explanations, the more likely it is that these theoretical terms describe part of the furniture of the universe. Instrumentalists argue that all that is real is what is measurable and the theoretical terms are simply useful tools in coordinating those observable quantities.
But what about economics? What are the observables? Price? If we picked some random class of objects and for no good reason all decided that something they were worth absurd amounts of money, then it would be, right? (See babies, beanie) But at the same time, they do have real consequences, for example, whether someone can retire or buy a house. How do we make sense of the basic notions of economics? Do they describe something real? If so, what? If not, what is it the science of?
- Scientific Truths, Quantum Mechanics, And Quantum Mechanics To Auto Mechanics
C. Ewings asks, "Are "scientific truths" actually true?"By true, I'll take it you mean "can be known with certainty." In that case, it depends upon which scientific truths you are speaking of. There are statements of observable behaviors of parts...
- God, Darwin, And Conservative Kumbaya
In a recent op/ed in The New York Times, Robert Wright offers a "grand bargain" in a bid to arrange a ceasefire in the war between the religious and those who accept evolution. We can form, he argues, a theory completely consistent with evolution by simply...
- Are Atoms Real?
I gave a talk to a group of parents last Friday and asked whether we should believe atoms are real. The group overwhelmingly thought it was a silly question until one parent, clearly a scientist, piped up and informed everyone that atoms are not directly...
- Scientific Realism And Science Fiction
C. Ewing asks a series of three interrelated questions,Does science make statements about "the world", or is its role merely to give us the best dice roll possible? That is, when we're dealing with scientific laws and theories, are we expected to...
- Thermodynamics, Complementarity, And The Dangers Of Gay Sex
A few more questions relating to physics, well, sorta. Barefoot Bum asks, What are "temperature" and "pressure"?An interesting question on a host of levels. To be a smart ass, I could pull the philosopher of language move and say that while temperature...