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Article 5839 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu (Neil Rickert)
Subject: Re: Universe is a big place ,,,
Message-ID: <1992May22.041258.14109@mp.cs.niu.edu>
Organization: Northern Illinois University
References: <1992May21.194426.21081@u.washington.edu> <1992May21.220532.17325@mp.cs.niu.edu> <1992May22.014751.17847@u.washington.edu>
Date: Fri, 22 May 1992 04:12:58 GMT
Lines: 44

In article <1992May22.014751.17847@u.washington.edu> forbis@carson.u.washington.edu (Gary Forbis) writes:
>In article <1992May21.220532.17325@mp.cs.niu.edu> rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu (Neil Rickert) writes:
>>In article <1992May21.194426.21081@u.washington.edu> forbis@carson.u.washington.edu (Gary Forbis) writes:
>>>In article <1992May21.153839.15713@mp.cs.niu.edu> rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu (Neil Rickert) writes:
>>
>>>> However, Goedel's incompleteness theorem has NOTHING to say about human
>>>>cognitive ability.  It is merely a red herring which some people like to
>>>>drag up from time to time.
>>
>>>I think Goedel's incompeteness theorem has everything to do with the formal
>>>aspects of human cognition.  How can you consistently believe otherwise?
>>
>> Which formal aspects of cognition do you have in mind?
>
>Reason.

 How can you be sure that reason is part of cognition, rather than a
cultural construction built with our cognitive abilities, but not itself
part of them?

>We have gone out of our way to formalize our reasoning and that which is
>not formal is labeled "irrational".  I think humanity is most proud of its
>castles in the sky and trys to sweep the rest under the rugs.  Without our
>formal reasoning we do not know if our beliefs are consistent with each other
>or form a complete system.

  Perhaps humanity is "most proud" of this because it is humanity's
invention, rather than part of our native cognitive equipment.

>We know how to do integer arithmetic and a complete theory of cognition must 
>include a theory of how we can do integer arithmetic.  Goedel's incompleteness 
>theorem applies to our theories of cognition and this tells us something about 
>our cognitive abilities. 

  I would be quite satisfied to fully understand the cognition of members
of a very primitive tribe which had not yet developed arithmetic.  How
would Goedel apply to their cognition?  Yet their cognition is, apart from
cultural influences, the same as ours.

-- 
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
  Neil W. Rickert, Computer Science               <rickert@cs.niu.edu>
  Northern Illinois Univ.
  DeKalb, IL 60115                                   +1-815-753-6940


