Re: Subject: Re: A Physicist Experiments With Cultural Studies

From: J. R. Molloy (jr@shasta.com)
Date: Tue Nov 16 1999 - 13:07:41 MST


Anders wrote,
>Actually, I would consider that politics. The architect will have to
>balance the wishes of the neighbours, the owners of the building, his
>own aesthetic views, costs and everything else; I would consider that
>a (small) political decision. As I see it, politics is about making
>decisions together with other people, acting in the public sphere.

A scientific approach to making decisions together with other people, acting in
the public sphere would, I imagine, eliminate biases which interfere with
obtaining the most successful decisions. Cutting politics ("A strife of
interests masquerading as a contest of prinicples. The conduct of public affairs
for private advantage." --Bierce) out of the loop, would meet with the strongest
resistance from powerful politicians (whom the scientific method would also
prune from the decision making system).

In this scenario, neither you nor I would decide which color to paint the
building. We'd both agree to let the expert system decide.
Eventually, we'd let the SI make all these kinds of decisions. (Didn't we have
this conversation once before?)

>> Authority belongs to the one who best answers those who question authority.
>
>A good heuristic.

A good answer!

                 --<>-- --<<<+>>>-- --<>--

"The word "genius" isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy
like Norman Einstein."
> > > -- Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback and sports analyst



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