> > Organising things into geometric spaces, mapping paths around those
> > spaces, giving names to areas, points and movements in them, carrying
> > out symbolic operations on those names.
I come clean -- these are ideas taken from Peter Gärdenfors' theory of
Conceptual Spaces. The idea that there is a geometrical level of
representation between (and complimentary to) symbolic representation
and ANN-like representation. He sees the geometrical level as the
conceptual one, where semantic meaning is represented.
> I don't know what thought is, but consider if these events fit your
> definition:
>
> - A bird flew over my head, I noticed it but didn't know what it was,
> I kept on reading my book.
You have many streams (dimensions) of input coming in, in this case you
failed to translate this high dimensional form into a low dimensional
geometrical space you can perceive things in.
> - Someone speaks to me in a language that I don't understand. I feel
> I understand.
Meaning exists in the geometrical relationships in your head and not in
the outside world. We try and harmonise with others but sometimes fail.
Sometimes it doesn't matter.
Or maybe you mean you didn't understand the symbolic language someone
was speaking but you get some understanding from their movements, etc?
> - I'm playing table tennis, my shoelace is untied and I keep thinking
> about it, but I play successfully.
I'd have thought the pre-occupation with your shoelace would have
distracted you from the movement of the ball. You are clearly a master
of thought. :)
> - When programming I have a problem. I perform some trial-error tests
> and one of them works. (I didn't know what I was doing)
Yep it seems quite a vague process... Programming does not feel like
straightforward symbol manipulation, the symbols somehow seem just what
is left behind.
> - A 6 months old lies on his/her back and searches for his/her dummy.
> She/he has a project.
S/he has far too many muscles to control, the project is relating
together all the possible muscle movements into a higher level, low
dimensional space that s/he can move and think in.
> >> * what is public thought ?
> >
> > Two or more people harmonising their geometric spaces together.
>
> Isn't that conversation?
>
> I don't know what public thought is either, but I'd say it would be
> some system like traffic rules.
Or a football team?
> >> * what is the difference between playing, acting, and thinking ?
> >
> > Tricky... Maybe playing is interacting with the world/others,
> > thinking
> > is interacting with yourself and acting is interacting with the world
> > using someone else's representation of it.
>
> Matter of definition (use) of the words, no? They are all the same to
> me atm.
Yes you're right.
alex
Received on Fri Jul 11 2008 - 00:17:38 BST