On 02 Jul 2009, at 20:48, Brian Tenneson wrote:
> Thanks.
>
> How does Tegmark's Physical Existence = Mathematical Existence
> hypothesis fit or not fit into this?
It fits well, I mean better than anythings else (except perhaps
Wheeler), but yet ... not so well. What is common, is the open-
mindness toward mathematicalism.
First "mathematical existence" is a very encompassing notion, which
usually leads to contradiction when made precise.
Secondly, the UD reasoning should make clear that "physical
existence" is not just the view from inside some mathematical
structure. The first person indeterminacy delocalize the observers
(universal mathematical machines) in infinities of mathematical
structures. So the physical existence is more a form of modal notion,
involving many mathematical beings, and capable to be explained, from
self-reference and a (tiny) part of arithmetic. Physics emerges from
how numbers are "seeing" each other, taking into account that numbers
cannot know which number there are. If you know the work of Tegmark,
you will easily see the difference by studying the UD proof. Then the
Arithmetical version of the UDA, which I call AUDA, shows exactly how
physical interactions and physical sensation arise in the mind or
discourse of the self-observing universal (arithmetical) machine.
Thirdly, well, I already mentioned the emergence of the physical
sensation. What is nice, but relies on some mathematical logic, is
that the way UDA+AUDA proceeds, we get a theory of both quanta and
qualia, together with an explanation of the gap between third person
proof and first person knowledge, an explanation of the role of
consciousness (relative self-speeding up), etc.
I guess opportunities to make all this clearer will happen. If you
read the papers, you can ask any questions, of course. The key idea is
the first person indeterminacy. It is the basic building concept which
drives the whole reasoning.
One day I will write some book, or large paper, but I need more
feedback. Up to now, I heard about critics, but I have never succeeded
to be confronted to them. Most misunderstanding comes from the
ignorance of logic and of the math I am using, but also by the usual
disinterest of many scientist in the fundamental of "philosophy of
mind". The subject is of course rather difficult, and intrinsically
transdisciplinary. yet, only the very basic notions of the disciplines
crossed need to be known, but there is a huge gap between cognitive
science/philosophy of mind, physics, and mathematical logic which
needs to be filled. The work has been rejected in Brussels, by people
having none of those expertise, and has been defended as a PhD thesis
in France without any trouble, despite some of the members of the jury
were a bit unease by the admittedly rather big change in perspective
it leads too. Which I can understand, but I must admit that I have
underestimated the attachment of modern scientists to Aristotle
theology. This simply does not work, once we take the Comp. Hyp.
seriously enough, meaning: without eliminating the person or its
conscious sensations and perceptions.
Bruno
http://iridia.ulb.ac.be/~marchal/
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Received on Fri Jul 03 2009 - 10:49:20 PDT