Territories and maps

From: Russell Standish <r.standish.domain.name.hidden>
Date: Sun, 19 Mar 2006 09:38:16 +1100

On Fri, Mar 17, 2006 at 04:55:37PM -0800, peterdjones.domain.name.hidden wrote:
>
> > > [...] Maps are isomorphic to
> > > territories, but are not territories.
> >
> > Well. Territories *are* maps. Just a very specific type
> > of map but maps anyway.
>
> err...no they are not. You can't grow potatoes in a map of a farm.

If the map is sufficiently detailed it contains a full simulation down
to the chemistry level of the soil, then most people would say that
you can grow (simulated) potatoes on the map.

>
> > Identity is just an isomorphism
> > among possibly many others.
>
> All identity relations are isomorphisms as well.
> Not all isomporhisms are identity relations.
>
> > The territory can be the map
> > and indeed vice versa.
>
> You can't fold up the farm and put it in your pocket.
>

I can't fold up the atlas that sits on my bookshelf and fit it in my
pocket either. Yet the atlas is undeniably a map, and undeniably less
detailed than the sorts of maps that might be confused with territory.

Bruno's commentary is still valid. Ad hominem arguments like these are
simply laughable.

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Received on Sat Mar 18 2006 - 17:39:39 PST