Signs and Wonders

[hapaxnym]

I've been iced in for two days, I'm bored out of my mind, and I've been having a discussion over at another blog about the meaning and value of symbols.

In the process, I've had to do a lot of mental flailing and hand-flapping to try and clarify to myself what I think, and I might as well give Teh Greater Intertubez the benefit of my wisdom.

One of

Comments

[girasole]

It as if we are all tesserae in a great and glorious stained glass window, of absolute value for our own intrinsic color and shape, yet made meaningful by the overall pattern -- which itself exists to reveal the Light that streams through.

Thank you.

[sniffnoy]

But what are your thoughts on the principle of the excluded middle? :)

[hapaxnym]

I'm ambivalent. ;-)

No, seriously, that isn't THE major reason I reject the Aristotelian worldview -- epistemology and ontology play a more important law than logic -- but like so many of the Philosopher's observations, it doesn't ... quite ... jibe with my personal, subjective experience.

[sniffnoy]

I should probably be honest here and point out that I have no idea what this "Aristotelian worldview" you refer to is, I just thought that would be a funny thing to say in context. The dispute I was thinking of is a modern one; SFAIAC eschewing the principle of the excluded middle is what constructivists do...

[hapaxnym]

Oh. "Constructivism" in *mathematics*! I was sitting here thinking, "Well, I don't think the excluded middle has much of a place in sociological theory, but I don't recall Levi-Strauss actively going after it or anything..."

So I looked at the the Wikipedia page, and... ummm ... yeah, remember the "incapable of balancing my checkbook" part? But hmm... this "intuitionism" thing looks rather intriguing .... probably because I'm completely misunderstanding it. :-)

I don't suppose there's any sort of "Brouwer for Dummies", is there?