Chris has an excellent post at "Mixing Memory" on causal reasoning, looking at attempts in cog. sci. to model causal reasoning.
Some philosophical work on the topic that I've found at least thought-provoking is the generally unpopular (but also always misunderstood) manipulability theory. Manipulability theory cannot, I think, be a full account of causation, nor can it be a strict account of what the nature of causation is (this review of Woodward gives one reason why); nonetheless, I think it captures an important aspect of the way we reason about causes that is usually neglected, or, at least, used to be (it's recently become something of a hot topic due to people like Woodward). This (PDF) is an interesting defense of manipulability theory (a.k.a. agency theory) against some common objections.
I've previously recommended some of the work of Eric Hiddleston, especially his paper, Causal Powers (PDF). Hiddleston is an advocate of the probabilistic-contrast-based causal power theory Chris mentions in his post.
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Things for Reading
* Devotional Reading of H. P. Lovecraft at "Flos Carmeli"
* Pseudonymous kid learns philosophy at "Bitch Ph.D."
* The Fountainhead starring Skull Force
It's a parody that also makes a good summary of the book. All the Roark and a fraction of the time! (Hat-tip: Cliopatria.)
* Carnival and Lent at "Early Modern Notes"
All the links on Shrove Tuesday you could possibly need.
* Hume's Skeptical Solution to Taste at "Whistling It by James Liu"
"When God slides out of the picture, we slide in to the madness of fallen nature."
* Pseudonymous kid learns philosophy at "Bitch Ph.D."
* The Fountainhead starring Skull Force
It's a parody that also makes a good summary of the book. All the Roark and a fraction of the time! (Hat-tip: Cliopatria.)
* Carnival and Lent at "Early Modern Notes"
All the links on Shrove Tuesday you could possibly need.
* Hume's Skeptical Solution to Taste at "Whistling It by James Liu"
Not a Perfect World
Joshua at Blogosophy says:
But the doctrine of heaven isn't about a perfect world (in the sense relevant to the argument); it's about a particular state of life in this world. Indeed, that's the whole point of doctrine; it isn't supposed to be a hypothetical about what would be the case if this world were perfect, but a promise about what can be the case in this world (under a certain set of conditions). And, indeed, it traditionally isn't even intended to be a perfect state of life, except in the sense of being completely fulfilling (since it involves the sort of union with God for which we were intended); there's nothing in the traditional doctrine to say that it is beyond divine omnipotence to make a creature that can experience a heavenly state of life even better than any human being could possibly experience.
So the No Perfect World argument (by which is meant a particular defense against the argument from evil; it is discussed here and here) doesn't really have any bearing on the issue of Heaven. Of course, as my readers know, I don't have any particular commitment to this response to the argument from evil, since I think such defenses superfluous (and I don't think this one particularly impressive or even remotely important except to the extent it points out that supporters of the argument from evil are generally not as clear about what they mean by gratuitous evil as they pretend). But I think the heaven issue isn't one that really arises here.
Has anyone noticed, or commented on, the fact that if the No Perfect World argument is sound, then Heaven is impossible? I suspect that philosophers who regard it as a logic puzzle don't care, but Christian apologists probably ought to. Yes, even an eternity of perfect bliss in communion with God can alway be improved upon. Perhaps by adding adequate parking...
But the doctrine of heaven isn't about a perfect world (in the sense relevant to the argument); it's about a particular state of life in this world. Indeed, that's the whole point of doctrine; it isn't supposed to be a hypothetical about what would be the case if this world were perfect, but a promise about what can be the case in this world (under a certain set of conditions). And, indeed, it traditionally isn't even intended to be a perfect state of life, except in the sense of being completely fulfilling (since it involves the sort of union with God for which we were intended); there's nothing in the traditional doctrine to say that it is beyond divine omnipotence to make a creature that can experience a heavenly state of life even better than any human being could possibly experience.
So the No Perfect World argument (by which is meant a particular defense against the argument from evil; it is discussed here and here) doesn't really have any bearing on the issue of Heaven. Of course, as my readers know, I don't have any particular commitment to this response to the argument from evil, since I think such defenses superfluous (and I don't think this one particularly impressive or even remotely important except to the extent it points out that supporters of the argument from evil are generally not as clear about what they mean by gratuitous evil as they pretend). But I think the heaven issue isn't one that really arises here.
Monday, February 07, 2005
A Jotting about Aquinas on Divine Simplicity
It is not sufficiently noted that Aquinas always characterizes the doctrine of simplicity as the claim that there is no composition in God. Composition, however, tends to be a technical term for Aquinas; it means a union of two things as potential to actual. That this is in fact what he means in this context is clear from the way he goes about discussing simplicity. It has become common to claim that Aquinas's doctrine of simplicity conflicts with the doctrine of the Trinity; but this is an artifact, I think, of not properly characterizing Aquinas's doctrine of simplicity. I think a failure to recognize the essential point about composition is a major factor in this. For the only alternatives to Aquinas on this is to say either 1) that the Trinity is an aggregate; or 2) that the Persons are related to each other in some way as actual to potential. (1) contradicts the unity of the Persons. (2) contradicts the equality of the persons. So the alternatives to Aquinas violate the doctrine of the Trinity. Aquinas's does not, because the doctrine of the Trinity does not require us to say that there is a union according to potential and actual in God. This, of course, leaves many other questions (could it possibly be otherwise?), but the claims of Aquinas's problem here are massively exaggerated.
Sunday, February 06, 2005
The Lotus, Part II: Quin
I had been searching for Quin for three days. On the morning of the fourth day I was awakened by a rustlen near the fire. When I jumped up, I found myself pointing my rifle at Quin who continued to make coffee with my messkit as calmly and unconcernedly as if we had made camp together.
"God morning, Trim," he said. When we had first met, we knew too little of each other's language to do anything but mangle the pronunciation of each other's name, so we settled on the closest approximation to first syllables that we could: Quin and Trim. The approximations remained long after Quin was able to pronounce my name correctly. (I, alas, still cannot pronounce Quin's name properly. The third syllable is one of those sounds that are only pronounced easily by those who have been pronouncing it all their lives.)
"I have been looking for you forever," I said, lowering the gun.
"Forever is a long time, Trim," he replied reproachfully. "You were only looking afew days. It's a short time to find anyone in these parts." He set the coffee over the fire and turned to me. "What are you trying to find today?"
I took a picture of Rozanov out of my pocket and gave it to him. "If you are able, I would like to hire your services again. I can pay twice what I paid last time."
"You almost missed me, Trim. I intended to set out tomorrow for home.
I was surprised. Quin rarely talked of his home. I knew him better than probably any man alive, but I knew nothing of it except that it was away west and populated with a different people than these who lived near the jungle. He had left when young, due to some family dispute, and had never returned.
He seemed lost in thought a moment, then said, "Let's find your man, Trim. I think I know where to look."
After coffee, we set out and journeyed to the northwest for several days, until we came to a village. Several villages came out to meet us; Quin approached them and started joking with them. The jokes, of course, were largely at my expense; in many of the villages in this area there is no better way to get the sympathy of the natives than to joke about the follies of Europeans. We had done this before, I posing as the stupid foreigner, a role that is disconcertingly easy to play, and Quin telling several tale tales of bungling European ways, each taller than the last.
And it worked, as usual. Quin began to hear stories as well as tell them, since the villagers had met a few crazy Europeans themselves. At one point, Quin showed them Rozanov's photograph; they recognized him at once, but refused to say where he had gone. Every time Quin asked they would become silent, and look as if they did not know quite how to proceed.
We were fed a meal of catfish by the villagers which, given that hospitality is very important in this region of the world, was probably better than the meals they eat themselves, and then set out again. Before we left, however, one of the elders of the village took Quin aside and whispered something to him. After the village was out of sight I asked him what it was.
"Ah," he said. "He told me that we would do better to give up looking for this man because he was cursed."
"Oh," I replied, disappointed.
A ghost of a smile played over Quin's face. After a moment or two of silence he contined: "And that we should avoid following the second stream on the right because then we, too, could become cursed in the same way."
"Well, Quin," I said after a moment, "are you ready to brave the curses of the second stream on the right?"
"Some day, Trim, you and I will have to find something that requires going where we will be blessed," he replied.
Over the next two weeks we slowly made our way deeper and deeper into the jungle. The slow pace was necessary given the difficulty of tracking. A jungle is a flurry of activity in every way, from the swift-growing greenery to the perpetual toil of insects to the movements of animals. Quin, however, is the best I have ever seen at tracking, and despite the deliberate pace we made excellent progress.
On the afternoon of the twelfth day I was preparing to catch some small crocodile for dinner when I heard Quin signaling. I met up with him beside a human skeleton in very bad shape.
"Rozanov?" Quin asked.
I shook my head. "Judging from the leg, it is too short. His guide, perhaps?" I knelt to look closer. "The skull is crushed, the chest is crushed. Whatever did this was brutal."
Quin began looking around for more, and within a quarter of an hour had found the remains of an old camp site. Although it was clear no one had been there for several weeks, there was still a pack, half-buried in the underbrush. Inside was a book. It was badly water-damaged, but on opening its front cover, I could easily make out, in a bold and beautiful Cyrillic hand, a name. It was Fyodor Rozanov.
"God morning, Trim," he said. When we had first met, we knew too little of each other's language to do anything but mangle the pronunciation of each other's name, so we settled on the closest approximation to first syllables that we could: Quin and Trim. The approximations remained long after Quin was able to pronounce my name correctly. (I, alas, still cannot pronounce Quin's name properly. The third syllable is one of those sounds that are only pronounced easily by those who have been pronouncing it all their lives.)
"I have been looking for you forever," I said, lowering the gun.
"Forever is a long time, Trim," he replied reproachfully. "You were only looking afew days. It's a short time to find anyone in these parts." He set the coffee over the fire and turned to me. "What are you trying to find today?"
I took a picture of Rozanov out of my pocket and gave it to him. "If you are able, I would like to hire your services again. I can pay twice what I paid last time."
"You almost missed me, Trim. I intended to set out tomorrow for home.
I was surprised. Quin rarely talked of his home. I knew him better than probably any man alive, but I knew nothing of it except that it was away west and populated with a different people than these who lived near the jungle. He had left when young, due to some family dispute, and had never returned.
He seemed lost in thought a moment, then said, "Let's find your man, Trim. I think I know where to look."
After coffee, we set out and journeyed to the northwest for several days, until we came to a village. Several villages came out to meet us; Quin approached them and started joking with them. The jokes, of course, were largely at my expense; in many of the villages in this area there is no better way to get the sympathy of the natives than to joke about the follies of Europeans. We had done this before, I posing as the stupid foreigner, a role that is disconcertingly easy to play, and Quin telling several tale tales of bungling European ways, each taller than the last.
And it worked, as usual. Quin began to hear stories as well as tell them, since the villagers had met a few crazy Europeans themselves. At one point, Quin showed them Rozanov's photograph; they recognized him at once, but refused to say where he had gone. Every time Quin asked they would become silent, and look as if they did not know quite how to proceed.
We were fed a meal of catfish by the villagers which, given that hospitality is very important in this region of the world, was probably better than the meals they eat themselves, and then set out again. Before we left, however, one of the elders of the village took Quin aside and whispered something to him. After the village was out of sight I asked him what it was.
"Ah," he said. "He told me that we would do better to give up looking for this man because he was cursed."
"Oh," I replied, disappointed.
A ghost of a smile played over Quin's face. After a moment or two of silence he contined: "And that we should avoid following the second stream on the right because then we, too, could become cursed in the same way."
"Well, Quin," I said after a moment, "are you ready to brave the curses of the second stream on the right?"
"Some day, Trim, you and I will have to find something that requires going where we will be blessed," he replied.
Over the next two weeks we slowly made our way deeper and deeper into the jungle. The slow pace was necessary given the difficulty of tracking. A jungle is a flurry of activity in every way, from the swift-growing greenery to the perpetual toil of insects to the movements of animals. Quin, however, is the best I have ever seen at tracking, and despite the deliberate pace we made excellent progress.
On the afternoon of the twelfth day I was preparing to catch some small crocodile for dinner when I heard Quin signaling. I met up with him beside a human skeleton in very bad shape.
"Rozanov?" Quin asked.
I shook my head. "Judging from the leg, it is too short. His guide, perhaps?" I knelt to look closer. "The skull is crushed, the chest is crushed. Whatever did this was brutal."
Quin began looking around for more, and within a quarter of an hour had found the remains of an old camp site. Although it was clear no one had been there for several weeks, there was still a pack, half-buried in the underbrush. Inside was a book. It was badly water-damaged, but on opening its front cover, I could easily make out, in a bold and beautiful Cyrillic hand, a name. It was Fyodor Rozanov.
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