Contradiction in Rucker?

From: Roderick A. Carder-Russell (rodc@shore.net)
Date: Sat Jul 12 1997 - 14:20:03 MDT


        It has been a long while since I have read, from start to finish,
"Infinity and the Mind" by Rudy Rucker. I was, however, skimming through
it the other day, and I noticed what I think is a contradiction. It is
located in my paperback version on p. 86, last paragraph. That would be
chapter two, section 3, Infinitesimals and Surreal Numbers.

        "I would respond that omega is a _given_, an object of our
immediate pre-rational experience. And to use the tools of symbolic logic
to investigate an _empirically_ existing phenomenon..."

It seems to me that he is at first asserting that the concept of omega
exists a priori. He then goes on to speak of it further as an empirical
phenomenon, certainly in clear contradiction of the first statement. Any
thoughts on this? Could I be correct, or am I missing something in the
text?

                          ------------
                   Roderick A. Carder-Russell
              Student-Computer Science, Philosophy
             Specializing in Man-Machine Symbiosis
               Suspension Member-Alcor Foundation
       Information Systems Consultant-Technology Syllogistics
  www.shore.net/~rodc/home.html www.shore.net/~rodc/hcibci.html
                         rodc@shore.net
                              ------------



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