On 6/25/2014 2:41 PM, rrovetto@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> Generally speaking, I don't think every form of reasoning (e.g.
> something taught in logic courses) is natural for a given person. (01)
Of course not. Some people have more talent for music, chess,
tennis, ballet, math, cooking, learning languages, etc. But none
of those talents are artificial. Each of them is built on natural
human abilities -- but developed by many long hours of practice. (02)
> For many, it takes a good deal of effort to get into the mode
> of doing logic and mathematics, or even grasp it. It does not
> come naturally. This may be a pedagogical issue of course. (03)
It is most definitely pedagogical. For any talent, learning at an
early stage is essential for mastery. Even for *natural* languages,
there is a critical period in early childhood. The "feral children"
who are deprived of language experience are seriously handicapped.
See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_period_hypothesis (04)
Does that mean that natural languages aren't really "natural"?
Or does it mean that *every* complex talent requires extensive
practice from an early stage? (05)
For more on this topic, see slides 18 to 21 about spoken and signed
languages and bilingual children: http://www.jfsowa.com/talks/goal2.pdf (06)
> When considering the political and psychological context (and
> therefore ethical), there are ideas according to which the imposition
> or implementation of certain systems or ways of thinking (e.g.,
> logical ways) has a harmful effect on the human mind... (07)
What is more unethical: giving children a broad range of options
or depriving them of certain options? Children whose parents read
to them do much better in school than those who don't. Does that
imply that reading is unnatural and should not be taught? (08)
Another example: Most academics had access to computers at their
universities during the 1970s. But outside of computer science
departments, very few professors -- even in math & physics --
learned to use a computer. But in the 1980s, their *children*
shamed them into learning how to use a computer. (09)
Were the children unethical in forcing their parents to learn
a new way of thinking? (010)
John (011)
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