SUO: Re: Abstraction, Analogy, Example, Icon, Metaphor, Model, Morphism, Paradigm, Prototype, Simulation

[Jon Awbrey <jawbrey@oakland.edu>]

Philip Jackson wrote:
> 
> Jack and Jon,
> 
> I'm especially interested in ontology and epistemology of physics,
> and think these topics could be relevant to SUO.... What I find
> very interesting is how we are able to extend our concept base
> for scientific knowledge, e.g. via metaphoric application of
> concepts from one domain to another.... Which relates to
> linguistics, semiotics, etc... So I'd like to participate,
> or at least lurk, in a discussion of such topics....
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Phil Jackson
> 
> >
> > Jon,
> > I would be very interested to persue a discussion of qualitative physics.
> > Would that need to be conducted on a different venue?
> > Jack Park
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Jon Awbrey <jawbrey@oakland.edu>
> >
> > <snippage>
> >
> > OK, this part I think I get, as I did spend some time studying
> > the "Qualitative Physics" of Ken Forbus, Ben Kuipers, and others.
> > But that was a long time ago, and my present approach to these
> > issues has evolved quite a bit since then.  Let me know if you
> > want to talk about that.

¤~~~~~~~~~¤~~~~~~~~~¤~~~~~~~~~¤~~~~~~~~~¤~~~~~~~~~¤

Phil,

Yes, within the reach of my abilities,
if a bit beyond the grasp of the same,
I am quite interested in these topics.

Where to begin?

Not at the beginning of physics itself -- certainly --
it's way too dim, too far, too hard -- not for me --
but, say, at the beginning of "physics", the word,
a old word-up for "what it is", "becoming", "being",
kin to the second-shortest word in Anglish, to "be".

[ A Divulgence from the Mill on the Gloss:
| Latin:  fui = I have been,
|         futurus = about to be,
|         fieri = to become, be done,
| Greek:  phynai = to be born, be by nature,
|         phyein = to bring forth.
| Geeks:  "Being Here, Doing This, Quo Vadis, Dude!?"
]

Ay, there's the rub.

No sooner do we skip a word across that lack
than the beautiful quietude is interrupreted,
becomes perturbed in a panic of riotual ways,
inapt to requench itself for all of our days.

There is the antagonism of our mellow drama,
between the Logos and the Physis, nor all
your Nemos nor all your Nomos will lure
it back 'til a' the seas gang dry,
to koin a phrase.

Where was I?

Oh yes, back to the feature.

| ontology and epistemology of physics --

Check.  I think that I covered that, enough, already.
For the moment.  No doubt the lid is primed to blow off,
but there will be time for that to happen, to come to be,
quite koincidentally it seems, quasi modo definition, q.v.

| how we are able to extend our concept base for scientific knowledge,
| e.g. via metaphoric application of concepts from one domain to another

Now here is a theme that I can almost rough out
the gloss thereof -- enough to get a grip on it.

In fact, I have a reel (and a ballast, and a jig, and a strathspey)
of archived material, already airsouled and pressurized in the can.

"Analogy, Metaphor, Transfer"?

I will find this stuff and get back to you.

But I'll bet that you have already read Kuhn three or four times by now,
and there is this interesting relation between abductive reasoning and
that whole doll-gang mess of automatic science vs. shifting paradigms.

This is bound up, not just with analogy, but with the exactly
dual nature of the first two-thirds of the scycle of inquiry.
(And yes, I know a scythe from a sickle when the jig is up.)

There will be much to discus here.

Mantic Reguards,

Jon Awbrey

¤~~~~~~~~~¤~~~~~~~~~¤~~~~~~~~~¤~~~~~~~~~¤~~~~~~~~~¤