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Article 5373 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Games (was Re: Categories: bounded or graded?)
Message-ID: <1992Apr30.232337.7136@norton.com>
>From: brian@norton.com (Brian Yoder)
Date: 30 Apr 92 23:23:37 GMT
References: <1992Apr28.230052.7394@spss.com>
Organization: Symantec / Peter Norton
Lines: 37

In comp.ai.philosophy article <1992Apr28.230052.7394@spss.com> you wrote:
> In article <1992Apr28.173231.11604@cs.ucf.edu> clarke@acme.ucf.edu 
> Still, I love messing up definitions.  This one seems to apply pretty well
> to the stoore efficient means like insider trading are prohibited, and the rules are
> accepted to facilitate the trading.  Dancing a square dance fits, too.

I'd buy that.

> Running a research institution.  (Goal: increase of knowledge; rules:
> scientific method; prohibited efficiencies: plagiarism, espionage;
> rules accepted to facilitate goal.)

Only if you think that plagarism and espianage are an efficient means (or 
any means) to increase knowledge.  Plagarism is not a means of knowledge.

You also must also differentiate between derivitive goals and direct ones.
Buying a microscope is directly related to the goal of achieving knowledge.
Putting the ball through the basket is not directly related to the true 
goals of the game.

> It's no reflection on Suits to say that his definition has holes in it.
> Defining a word like "games", for both Wittgenstein's reasons and 
> Prof. Minsky's, is tricky.

One of the problems with this whole question is that Wittgenstein is 
asking for a definition that requires a teleological explanation.  Since
he STARTS with language as a primary without first dealing with issues of
metaphysics and teleology (both of which are more fundamental than language),
he's building his castle in the air, not on the ground.

--Brian

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