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To: underthestreetlite

Aha! Just as I thought. Math and numbers are a figment of the
imagination. It is a false system because it is based on
what the brain does and not on any objective reality. So, if
your brain can respond to number of dots, or Arabic shaped lines,
that is your reality <(or truth)....but it’s not necessarily real
(truth) to others.

Therefore math is now a subjective condition or “truth”. No one
will have to worry about being right or wrong when it
comes to mathematics.It doesn’t have
to be taught as the truth. We can now take it out of the science
curriculum and put into anthropology or psychology, or even
philosophy.

(sarcasm mode: now OFF)


10 posted on 09/25/2009 9:02:14 PM PDT by Getready (Wisdom is more valuable than gold and diamonds, and harder to find.)
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To: Getready
"what the brain does and not on any objective reality"

In what sense is 'what the brain does' different than 'objective reality'? Unless you are an idealist then 'what the brain does' is part of 'objective reality'.

"that is your reality <(or truth)....but it’s not necessarily real (truth) to others"

In what way does the article support relativism as a valid philosophical theory? Relativism has by and large been relegated to the philosophical dustbin. It is inherently self-contradictory and incoherent. This article does nothing to further that philosophical dead end.

"No one will have to worry about being right or wrong when it comes to mathematics"

It may be impossible for us to attain the absolute truth, but we seem to be able to get to really good approximations of the truth that we can all pretty much agree on. These approximations of the truth allow us to build bridges, airplanes, cars, etc. that seem to work pretty well for their intended purposes.

If little Mary or little Joey gets a gold star in first grade for adding two and two and getting three, and little Mary or little Joey is OK with that, then they just won't end up becoming scientists or engineers.

"We can now take it out of the science curriculum and put into anthropology or psychology"

Anthropology and psychology are generally considered valid scientific endeavors. So by putting something into 'anthropology' or 'psychology' you are not taking it out of the science curriculum.

" or even philosophy"

There is already a a field called the Philosophy of Mathematics. It is quite interesting and useful:

Philosophy of Mathematics

23 posted on 09/26/2009 10:35:42 AM PDT by who_would_fardels_bear (These fragments I have shored against my ruins)
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