RE: MD "linear causality"

From: Erin N. (enoonan@kent.edu)
Date: Thu Dec 19 2002 - 20:38:21 GMT

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    >===== Original Message From moq_discuss@moq.org =====
    >>ERIN 1:
    >>"Well I put it as acausal because something way
    >>out there in the universe is supposedly affecting
    >>my behavior. Acausality is not the opposite of causality.
    >> +
    >>ERIN 2:
    >>"Acausal there is a connection, relationsip but its not A -B causality."
    >>
    >>not =s
    >>
    >>GLENN's rephrasing:
    >>'In other words "acausal" is causal, except when it's A -B causal.'
    >>
    >
    >OH! You are right. I said it wrong. I should have said
    >'In other words "acausal" is causal, except it's not A -B causal.'
    >Which is what I meant to say but it came out, er, backwards. Sorry,
    >my mistake.

    Erin: just because i use words like affecting, relationship,
    connected it doesn't automatically mean causal.
    Acausal is the idea there is a relationship but you don't know how they are
    related.
    Plus I sent a post correcting myself about the putting astrology
    as acausal only. After reading a few chapters I see Jung
    would use I Ching to be the best example.

    >When you describe acausal as something way out there in the universe,
    >supposedly affecting behavior, I take this to mean that you think
    >the behavior is caused, but just by unknown agents. As far as I'm
    >concerned you are still postulating causality, and so a separate
    >category seems superfluous. This is why you need a limited kind of
    >causality called AB or linear causality to make room for acausality.
    >

    I don't think so. Causal with unknown agents does not equal
    unknown relationship.

    >The acausal cases you sited are probably false-positives. That is,
    >they can be simply understood as non-causal chance happenings. The
    >thing that compels you to believe in meaningful but unknown
    >causes is a surprising effect, but once you realize that surprises
    >are to be *expected* on a statistically random basis, many of the
    >stories proffered as acausal lose their punch.
    >

    >
    >LOL. So I didn't coin "linear causality" afterall? Now my
    >day is really ruined.
    >
    >You say you don't like "linear causality" because it
    >sounds like some special kind of causality, but when you
    >try to pass off a plain old vanilla definition of causality,
    >you find one by searching on the web for "linear causality".
    >Isn't that special :)

    No because I was searching to see if anybody used the word linear
    to describe causality (linear + causality not "linear causality")
    Most of the sites that came up distinguished linear and nonlinear causality.
    But I have no idea if nonlinear causality is the same as acausal because
    I didn't read the 40,000+ sites that came up.

    >>I thought the quote made sense but the title
    >>even alerted my crap detector so you can imagine
    >>how silly it was..
    >
    >There's hope for you?

    Oh don't worry.. my crap detector goes is working fine. It goes off
    all the time reading posts from scientific cult members:-P
    As the quote I just didn't want to throw out the baby with the
    bathwater.

    >>So can you give me the opinion without knowing
    >>the source first then i will go try and find it.
    >
    >The definition has to serve what *you* mean by
    >causality and has to provide room for a notion of
    >acausality as you've described it, and I guess it does,
    >but it's really up-in-the-air. The unknown causes may
    >not be on the same chain as the one the definition allows,
    >but this begs the question, "how do you know which chain
    >they're on if you don't know the cause?".
    >
    >If you allow the second paragraph into the definition (as
    >the author seems to admit should be done, but doesn't), it
    >closes the gap by allowing multiple chains, and chains
    >linked to other chains, and now your unknown causes have no
    >place to run and have to be considered causal.
    >
    >I have a few other problems with the definition but
    >they are a little off topic. Anyway are we on the same page now?
    >And again I apologize for my gaffe.

    "Chain" sounds linear to me buddy.

    erin

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