"Wholes and parts" were also discussed by Anaxagoras 2500 years ago, but it
seems the matter has not been resolved in the intervening years! Perhaps
the answer is not to be found where everyone is currently looking.
Wittgenstein would say we have been bewitched by our language (and by
implication it is not a problem for which we need to seek a solution).
Keith has said (30/3) that different contexts [and voices and methods] for
this problem (e.g. logical or psychological) result in different solutions.
The "solution" in the context of philosophy of language is to say (after
Wittgenstein) that this is a pseudo problem. My conclusion from this
plurality of possible approaches is that there is not one answer and
therefore if it is a meaningful problem to some investigators they may
legitimately pursue it even if other investigators have found solutions
with which they are satisfied.
Michael Biggs
At 01:27 30/03/2004, you wrote:
>The whole problem was discussed pretty well some fifty years ago by systems
>theorists. Why should we discover it now?
>
>LP
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Dr Michael A R Biggs
Associate Dean Research
Reader in Visual Communication
Faculty of Art and Design, University of Hertfordshire
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United Kingdom
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RESEARCH INTO PRACTICE CONFERENCE 2004
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