I have an a priori distrust for social science theories, but only because of the heuristic, “there are far more ways to be incorrect than correct”, not because “ways to be correct don’t come in list form”.
In particular, prepending the list cardinality with “at least” shows at least a bit of self-awareness.
Yes, you lost me at planets. I don’t know which group of people it was that collected enough status to declare that Pluto is not a planet (or more precisely to alter the rules by which planets are defined) but the list is arbitrary on approximately the same level as the categories of moral values—based on something that does exists in the world but sliced into fuzzy categories based on convention or authority.
Stipulating agreement: aren’t fuzzy categories better than no categories at all? Who was the first ape classifiable as homo erectus, and how distinguishable was he from his homo habilis parents?
Stipulating agreement: aren’t fuzzy categories better than no categories at all? Who was the first ape classifiable as homo erectus, and how distinguishable was he from his homo habilis parents?
Oh, I agree with your conclusion—arbitrary categories are great. I’d go as far as to say indefensible (for us, at least).
9 Peano axioms, 3 types of radioactive decay, 8 planets (are dwarf planets “arbitrary”?)...
I have an a priori distrust for social science theories, but only because of the heuristic, “there are far more ways to be incorrect than correct”, not because “ways to be correct don’t come in list form”.
In particular, prepending the list cardinality with “at least” shows at least a bit of self-awareness.
Yes, you lost me at planets. I don’t know which group of people it was that collected enough status to declare that Pluto is not a planet (or more precisely to alter the rules by which planets are defined) but the list is arbitrary on approximately the same level as the categories of moral values—based on something that does exists in the world but sliced into fuzzy categories based on convention or authority.
Stipulating agreement: aren’t fuzzy categories better than no categories at all? Who was the first ape classifiable as homo erectus, and how distinguishable was he from his homo habilis parents?
Oh, I agree with your conclusion—arbitrary categories are great. I’d go as far as to say indefensible (for us, at least).