Dear All,
Since I replied to Terry earlier today, someone sent me a reasonable question. “What,” she asked, “is a reasonable argument?” For those who are interested, I attach a short note on the nature of reasoned argumentation.
This document is titled “Ten Commandments of Philosophical Writing.” While it was written as a guide for philosophy students, it works equally well for the sciences and the humanities. We often send it to authors who are developing articles for She Ji.
The author is Adrian Piper. Like many members of this list, Prof. Piper has had several careers. She is a professor of philosophy, with the unique distinction of being awarded the title of Professor Emeritus by the American Philosophical Association. She is also a distinguished artist, active in conceptual art. She won the Golden Lion Award for Best Artist in the 56th Venice Biennale of 2015, and the Museum of Modern Art gave her a solo exhibition in 2018.
If some of the ideas presented here were subject to direct empirical evidence, one might not ask for a careful argument. In that case, of course, we expect to see the evidence, either directly, or through reference to credible sources.
But there is no evidence for some claims. These claims therefore require a careful definition and a reasoned argument. The claim that computerised systems make decisions is such a claim. That’s why I asked for a responsible argument to support the claim, as contrasted with a personal statement of beliefs. I know that Terry Love believes what he says when he claims that “computers and mathematically automated decisions undertake most design activity.” What I do not know is why he expects anyone else to share his belief. That requires a responsible argument.
Since it is possible that some people may not know what I mean by the term “responsible argument,” I am sharing Adrian Piper’s paper. This is a neat and useful summary of responsible argumentation as a distinguished philosopher sees it. People in many fields use Piper’s Ten Commandments, as I do. It’s also an excellent teaching tool for research students, and a useful guide for the authors of journal articles. In this context, I put it forward to suggest to Terry that this kind of discussion would clarify his position for many of us who disagree with him.
Yours,
Ken
Ken Friedman, Ph.D., D.Sc. (hc), FDRS | Editor-in-Chief | 设计 She Ji. The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation | Published by Tongji University in Cooperation with Elsevier | URL: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/she-ji-the-journal-of-design-economics-and-innovation/ <http://www.journals.elsevier.com/she-ji-the-journal-of-design-economics-and-innovation/>
Chair Professor of Design Innovation Studies | College of Design and Innovation | Tongji University | Shanghai, China ||| Eminent Scholar | College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning | University of Cincinnati ||| Email [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> | Academia https://tongji.academia.edu/KenFriedman <https://tongji.academia.edu/KenFriedman> | D&I http://tjdi.tongji.edu.cn <http://tjdi.tongji.edu.cn/>
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