Friday 14 June 2013

How to measure a schism?

Measuring a distance is easy.

Euclidean, city-block, you know the drill.

Ok, ok, I know, that’s assuming boundary conditions for Newtonian physics apply, but even beyond that, we know how to deal with distance, right?

Fractal geometry?
Yes.

Ok, but at least it’s a geometry.



A schism is like a chasm but between ideas

(did you notice the Christian religion appears to suffer from a kind of schismism?)


I see a great schism between ideas about what science is, what it can tell us about the structure of reality, second principles, or the universal mother-in-law. 


The schism is a vast ocean of useless empirical facts wide ("empiarrhea") and several schools of philosophy deep. Most importantly perhaps, one end seems to have drifted off into the now, detached from its own history and its friendly, but slightly nerdy neighbours.

A double dissociation of sorts.


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