[Inquiry] Re: Peirce's Logic Of Information

[Jon Awbrey]

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PLOI.  Note 17

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We have of course just opened up a whole new can of worms --
like they say, a single picture is worth a thousand worms:

` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` Celestial Body` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` * ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `/`\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` / ` \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `/` ` `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` / ` ` ` \ ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `/` ` ` ` `\` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
` ` ` ` ` Morning Star` * ` ` ` ` ` * ` Evening Star` ` ` ` `
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `.`.` ` ` ` `.`.` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` . ` . ` ` ` . ` . ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `.` ` `.` ` `.` ` `.` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` . ` ` ` . ` . ` ` ` . ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `.` ` ` ` `.`.` ` ` ` `.` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` * ` ` ` ` ` * ` ` ` ` ` * ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ? ` ` ` ` ` ? ` ` ` ` ` ? ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `
` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `

Here's the thousand worms part.  Peirce exploits the literary device
of a blind man's knowledge of color in order to rule out knowledge by
acquaintance, leaving open only the channel of knowledge by being told.
The real reason for doing this is of course that it forces us observers
of the information process involved to make all the information explicit.
In a more reflective moment we might also think to question our customary
supposition that the putatively distinct modes of information acquisition
are really all that different, logically analyzed, but save that for later.

Now taking this tack raises the spectre of "intension sans extension" (ISE),
that is to say, the idea that one can have information about comprehensions
in the absence of being acquainted with any real-live experiential examples
of the concepts or terms in question.  This in turn forces us to re-examine
the very idea of a symbol's extension, and to explicate in more exact terms
what's involved in saying that the extension of "Red" is 'A', 'B', 'C', etc.

Jon Awbrey

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inquiry e-lab: http://stderr.org/pipermail/inquiry/
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