Doug,
Let me just say that a think your questions is basically right, but perhaps a tad broad. I agree that philosophers are what philosophers do, but only when they are acting as philosophers. So a philosopher might tell us how to run the economy or what the nature of the universe is, but NOT as a philosopher. As a philosopher, s/he might tell us how our most sacredly held premises lead to (or don't lead to) ideas of how to run the economy or what the nature of the Universe is. Or what our view of the nature of the Universe might lead to in terms of how to run the economy. In this way, philosophy is broadly similar to mathematics in that it tells us about the world only what we have already told it. Nick From: friam-boun...@redfish.com [mailto:friam-boun...@redfish.com] On Behalf Of Douglas Roberts Sent: Friday, July 08, 2011 11:18 AM To: The Friday Morning Applied Complexity Coffee Group Subject: Re: [FRIAM] The Grand Design, Philosophy is Dead, and Hubris I'd be interested in hearing what others on this list think that modern-day philosophers do. I'd express my opinion now, but I'm afraid it would taint the no-doubt rich, insightful responses that I'm sure will follow. But just to be clear, the question is: what to modern-day philosophers do? Not: what did philosophers do back in the days before science had progressed to it's present state. -- Doug Roberts drobe...@rti.org d...@parrot-farm.net http://parrot-farm.net/Second-Cousins 505-455-7333 - Office 505-670-8195 - Cell
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