I have used the notio0n of "possible world" to include *any* possible world,
whether hypothetical, counterfactual, future projection, part of a belief
system, etc., as well as possible actual physical universes (in a
multiverse) other than our own that really exist. It's a useful notion. Is
there some restricted specialized definition that is being discussed here? (01)
Pat (02)
Patrick Cassidy
MICRA, Inc.
908-561-3416
cell: 908-565-4053
cassidy@xxxxxxxxx (03)
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ontolog-forum-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ontolog-forum-
> bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of doug foxvog
> Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 7:52 AM
> To: doug@xxxxxxxxxx; [ontolog-forum]
> Subject: Re: [ontolog-forum] intangibles (was RE: Why most
> classifications are fuzzy)
>
> On Tue, July 19, 2011 23:53, doug foxvog said:
> > On Tue, July 19, 2011 10:16, Matthew West said:
> >> ...
> >> As far as possible worlds is concerned you should also look at
> >> multiverses ...
> >
> > But such multiverses, in my understanding, are intrinsically
> undetectable
> > from our universe and can not affect it. Therefore, they have no
> > predictive value
>
> the scientific utility of the concept of multiverses is to obviate the
> necessity to explain why OUR universe has certain properties. The idea
> is that there are universes with any set of properties imaginable (or
> not)
> and the one we happen to be in happens to have the properties which it
> does have. Such an explanation means scientists do not have to explain
> why various laws or constants (such as speed of light) obtain.
>
> Some scientists see this as an argument that there is no reason to
> determine the reason for basic concepts and laws, feeling a need for
> trying to determine such otherwise. As such there can be seen a
> utility of such a model for cutting off areas of scientific inquiry.
> But this does not mean that there is a utility of multiverse models
> for reasoning about occurrences in our universe.
>
> -- doug
>
> > and thus could be considered non-scientific. It is
> > similarly impossible to prove that the universe did not come into
> > existence
> > a millisecond ago (with all particles having positions and momenta
> that
> > suggest a universe of an age of ~14 billion years.
> >
> > Neither theory is useful for an ontological description of any given
> > state of affairs that is not specifically dealing with such a theory.
> >
> > -- doug foxvog
> >
> >
> >> Regards
> >> Matthew West
> >
> >> Information Junction
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> >>
> >> Skype: dr.matthew.west
> >>
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> >> matthew.west@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >>
> >> <http://www.informationjunction.co.uk/>
> >> http://www.informationjunction.co.uk/
> >>
> >> <http://www.matthew-west.org.uk/> http://www.matthew-west.org.uk/
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> This email originates from Information Junction Ltd. Registered in
> >> England
> >> and Wales No. 6632177.
> >>
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> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> From: ontolog-forum-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> >> [mailto:ontolog-forum-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
> >> sowa@xxxxxxxxxxx
> >> Sent: 19 July 2011 11:17
> >> To: [ontolog-forum]
> >> Subject: Re: [ontolog-forum] intangibles (was RE: Why most
> >> classifications
> >> are fuzzy)
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Dear Matthew,
> >>
> >> The point I'm trying to make is that possible worlds don't exist.
> They
> >> are
> >> imaginary. The way you imagine them is to create some hypothesis,
> >> theory,
> >> axioms, or specifications that generate them.
> >>
> >> The so-called extensional methods are superfluous. Whatever
> hypothesis
> >> you
> >> formed to generate the possible worlds contains all the information
> >> necessary to derive whatever conclusion you could get by analyzing
> the
> >> set
> >> of worlds.
> >>
> >> In short, the starting hypothesis is intensional. The possible
> worlds
> >> are
> >> useless baggage. They might give you some pleasure in your
> imagination.
> >> They might even be useful as illustrations. But the method of
> forming
> >> the
> >> initial specification for the worlds is intensional.
> >>
> >> John
> >
> >
> > =============================================================
> > doug foxvog doug@xxxxxxxxxx http://ProgressiveAustin.org
> >
> > "I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great
> > initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be
> ours."
> > - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
> > =============================================================
> >
> >
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>
> =============================================================
> doug foxvog doug@xxxxxxxxxx http://ProgressiveAustin.org
>
> "I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great
> initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be
> ours."
> - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
> =============================================================
>
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