Re: Epistemology 201: The Science of Science

From: Lester Zick (lesterDELzick_at_worldnet.att.net)
Date: 03/17/05 

Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 14:58:38 GMT

On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 19:36:37 -0600, Albert Wagner
<albertwagner@cox.net> in comp.ai.philosophy wrote:

>robert j. kolker wrote:
>>
>>
>> Tony Orlow (aeo6) wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Except that unbounded is the same as "without end". That's what
>>> "infinite" literally means.
>>
>>
>> Will you stop confusing your sloppy use of everyday language with
>> precise technical definitions. The word "infinite" has several distinct
>> meanings (in a mathematical context) and this has been pointed out to
>> repeatedly. Mathematics has a technical vocabulary which bears a
>> conincidental similarity to common usage. In the common lexicon
>> "infinite" means something like "indefnite". "Finite" in the common
>> lexicon is approximately the same as "definite".
>>
>> Our discussion from the very beginning has been about the mathematical
>> context, not about common usage.
>
>You can't crosspost to a philosophical NG and demand control of
>context and word usage. If such is important to you, then keep
>it to yourself until you are safely inside you private Hilbert
>Space with your peers.

Technically as I recall this thread has only been about mathematics as
a branch of science about which mathematikers take umbrage and have
since been trying to justify their claim to some kind of independent
mathematical truth without, however, resorting to finite tautological
regression to self contradictory alternatives to validate their claim.

Regards - Lester

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