Philosophy

Introduction:

Philosophy is considered here as analytic or speculative philosophy, the former consisting of the application of formal models and deductive reasoning to philosophical problems.

Analytic Philosophy
analytic philosophy here concerns all aspects of logical analysis
analytic methods: I aim to develop, articulate and apply methods and tools supporting logical analysis in philosophical (and other) applications. I will present a prospectus for analytic philosophy in the 21st century which comprehends, embraces and contributes to the potential of modern logic and information technology as tools for understanding and transforming our world.
epistemology: the most fundamental part of analytic philosophy is that part of epistemology which concerns the distinctions between necessary, analytic propositions and those which are contingent and synthetic. From this distinction flows the special methods for establishing logical truths upon which logical analysis is founded.
logic: here we consider the nature of logical necessity and the languages and tools which enable us to express, demonstrate and apply logical truths.
mathematics: is by far the most extensive body of established logical truths. We consider the relationship between logic and mathematics, and aim to ensure the adequacy of our languages methods and tools for mathematics and its applications now and in the future.
metaphysics: we aim to develop an analytic role for metaphysics as an intermediary between the abstract ontology which is pure logic and the applications of mathematical modelling in science and engineering.
Speculative Philosophy
speculative philosophy goes beyond logical analysis considering matters of fact, value systems and ethics
Utopia: Factasia aims to synthesise a realistic utopian vision. This kind of utopian thought, though belonging within the philosophical tradition, goes beyond analysis by presenting a position or platform, touching upon personal philosophy, religion, values, politics, economics, science and technology.
Values: Before we can design, we must understand the requirements which our design is to realise. The Factasia Value System It is our value systems which tell us what to promote and what to avoid. The Factasia value system will articulate values against which a Factasia blueprint for the future can be judged.
Politics and Economics: Over the next century the information revolution will transform the way in which the global economy works. When products with zero marginal cost account for the major part of economic output we can expect some strange economic happenings. Value Net Factasia is developing a position on how a post-capitalist market economy might function. We emphasise the enormous importance of consumer purchase decisions in shaping all aspects of our physical and social environment and present a polical agenda based on helping people to understand how this happens and how to turn personal spending decisions into high-bandwith high-leverage pluralistic political enfranchisement.
The Global Superbrain The Global Superbrain is a Factasia subtheme involving applied analytic and synthetic philosophy contributing to the exploitation of emerging broadband digital computer networks.

Analytic Methods:

We aim to develop, articulate and apply methods and tools supporting logical analysis in philosophical (and other) applications.
Metaphysical Positivism
The analytic philosophy under development here at RBJones.com is now called Metaphysical Positivism. Its closest predecessor is the Logical Positivism of Rudolf Carnap.
Varieties of Philosophical Analysis
A survey of some of the varieties of analysis which have been practiced or advocated by Philosophers.
The Axiomatic Method
A discussion of this analytic method used by Mathematicians since the time of Ancient Greek Mathematics.
Carnap's Syntactical Method
Possibly the nearest predecessor to the form of Formal Analysis advocated at RBJones.com.
Rationality
What is it, and why does it matter?
A Framework for Formal Analysis
An overview of methods, philosophy, languages, logic and software tools for the kind of Formal Analysis we advocate, mainly intended for application in science and engineering.
Methods for Formal Analysis
A look at the various methods involved in establishing and applying the framework for formal analysis.
Philosophy and Formal Analysis
A discussion of the role of analytic philosophy in constructing and applying the framework for Formal Analysis.
Formal Philosophy
A discussion of formal methods in philosophy prepared for submission to www.formalphilosophy.com for inclusion in their second volume.

Epistemology:

provides that fundamental distinction, between analytic and synthetic truths, upon which logical analysis is founded.
The Fundamental Triple Dichotomy
A short description of the dichotomies on which logical analysis is founded, with some rhetoric supporting their identification.
Modelling the Triple Dichotomy
A very simple mathematical model intended to clarify the issues behind the proposed identification of logical and analytic truths.
Historical Notes on Analyticity
Some historical background on the use of this word "analytic".
Logicist Epistemology
"The purpose of this logicist epistemology is to assess the scope for logic to contribute to our knowledge."
Two Epistemological Triads
If you add in value judgements the dichotomies become trichotomies, which for no known reason I prefer to call triads.
Formal Analyticity
A key to the broader application of logical analysis is its mechanisation. Formalisation is a prerequisite for mechanisation.

Logic:

here we consider the nature of logical necessity and the languages and tools which enable us to express, demonstrate and apply logical truths.
What is Logic?
The identification of necessary and analytic truth leads us to a sharper, if less conventional, characterisation of logic. In particular we seek a semantic characterisation, recognising that necessary truth is not completely formalisable. We therefore propose that logic be not considered essentially formal and that it be admitted to have subject matters, albeit abstract.
Logical Necessity and Contingency
In order to underpin a semantic characterisation of logical truth we need some discussion of possible worlds, which also serves to go beyond logic into metaphysics. In particular it is important to separate abstract ontology from concrete ontology if we are to avoid regarding as contingent the existence of entities for which there can be no empirical evidence (such as sets and natural numbers).

Mathematics:

an extensive body of established logical truths. We consider the relationship between logic and mathematics, and aim to ensure the adequacy of our languages methods and tools for mathematics and its applications.
Logicism
The preceding epistemology and philosophical of logic argues for a conception of logical necessity which suffices to resuscitate logicism, of which (like Russell) there have been many premature obituaries. The rehabilitation of a full blown mathematical logicism, in which the truths of mathematics are understood to be both analytic and logically necessary, is an important part of the philosophical foundations underpinning the our position on science and engineering.
The Foundations of Mathematics
Having paved the way by a reaffirmation of logicism, we next give attention to the logical foundations of mathematics. The purpose of this work is to identify formal systems within which the main body of mathematics can be derived (acknowledging that complete formalisation is not possible) and which may be suitable for the mechanisation of mathematics. Though finding adequate foundations is not difficult, realising (or even identifying) the ideal is not so easy.

Metaphysics:

we propose an analytic role for metaphysics as an intermediary between the abstract ontology which is pure logic and the applications of mathematical modelling in science and engineering.
Possible Worlds
Metaphysical Positivism is similar to logical positivism in its assertion of the analytic/synthetic dichotomy but not in the rejection of metaphysics, or in its view of the semantics of synthetic statements. The role of metaphysics in Metaphysical Positivism flows from our analysis of possible worlds in terms of mathematical models. In this scheme abstract ontology is adopted on a pragmatic basis, within the constraints of consistency, with the primary purpose of providing an adequate foundation for mathematics. The adoption of a concrete ontology takes place one stage further on, after logical necessity and mathematics is in place but before we begin to formulate empirically testable scientific models. Concrete ontology is therefore considered metaphysical.
Concrete Ontology
Concrete ontology plays a role here vaguely analogous to that of a scientific paradigm, providing a framework within which specific scientific theories can be formulated as mathematical models. It identifies a class of possible worlds with sufficient precision to provide a basis for the formulation of scientific theories, but with insufficient detail for empirical evaluation. E.g.: a naive newtonian particular concrete ontology might model a universe as a set of particles each having a fixed mass and three spatial coordinates for each moment along a real temporal axis which extends infinitely in both directions, i.e. as a set of pairs the first element of which is a positive real number and the second a function from reals into triples of reals.

Utopia:

We aims to synthesise a realistic utopian vision touching upon personal philosophy, religion, values, politics, economics, science and technology.
The Factasia Bridge
An embryonic architectural overview of our "utopia". The two ends of the bridge are the underlying value systems which determine the ultimate ends of the individual and society (on the one hand), and (on the other) the technologies which are available to us (as means) in persuing these ends. The technologies Factasia has most to say about are logic and artificial intelligence. The span of the bridge is the mediating politico-socio-economic system, which is itself both a means and an end in itself.
Factastic Epistemology
Does Utopian thinking deserve its own special epistemology? We think so.
Factastic Future Engineering
One approach we have tried to proactive thinking about the future.

Values:

Before we can design, we must understand the requirements which our design is to realise. It is our value systems which tell us what to promote and what to avoid.
The Factasia Value System The Factasia value system seeks to articulate values against which a Factasia blueprint for the future might be judged.
OpenHeart Philosophy A few words about the flavour of the synthetic philosophy we hope to see in Factasia.

Politics and Economics:

Factasia is developing a position on how a post-capitalist pluralistic market economy might function.
Value NetWe emphasise the enormous importance of consumer purchase decisions in shaping all aspects of our physical and social environment and present a polical agenda based on helping people to understand how this happens and how to turn personal spending decisions into high-bandwith high-leverage pluralistic political enfranchisement.

The Global SuperBrain:

A Factasia subtheme involving applied analytic and speculative philosophy contributing to the exploitation of emerging broadband digital computer networks
Philosophy andthe global superbrain ...an introduction to Factasia philosophy on the Global SuperBrain.
background: Dimensions of the Global SuperBrain
net-links: Conceptions of the Global SuperBrain
The Analytic Superbrain The range of potential applications for logical analysis based on modern logics, methods and tools is broad, and we're interested in them all. In particular we are interested in supporting them all through the application of analytic methods to the engineering of globally distributed artificial intelligence, the Global SuperBrain.
The Global Superbrain as Hyper-Rational AI: we make the suggestion that the SuperBrain should be hyper-rational.
Value Net The same global wideband digital networks which provide the infrastructure for the analytic power of The Global SuperBrain as an analytic intelligence also provides the infrastructure which enables the social effectiveness of the valuenet marketplace.
Hyper-Rationality: the concept defined.


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