- #1
coberst
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Paradigms
The study of brain is now at the same point as was the study of biology before Darwin. There is no paradigm of mind.
For anyone wishing to understand brain does this mean that we cannot go on? Does a lack of a paradigm halt all investigation by the laymen? Are we laywomen without recourse in our interest in mind? Must we fold our tent and go home until we are summoned forth with a paradigm in hand?
Let us examine the positive side of this matter. AD (after Darwin) students of biology merely go to school where a teacher will tell them all about the Theory. We will walk away from class with the knowledge of the paradigm and all of its associated algorithms. Haven’t we, who come after the paradigm, missed all the fun? Haven’t we missed the experience of learning for ourselves just how a paradigm is developed?
It seems to me that ‘brain’ is a perfect place for us to develop an understanding of how a paradigm is born. It is a perfect place because each of us has our own private laboratory. Laboratories free of charge, without the expense of technicians, wherein we can develop our own hypothesis and test empirically the validity of that hypothesis. We can apply the scientific method on our very own theory. We need not mention our hypothesis to others until we feel confident that it has some value. We need not display our foolishness until our ego forces us to pronounce to the world our discovery.
With the existence of a paradigm the didactic teaching technique, which forms the foundation of our educational system, saves us all this effort.
We do not have to understand how assumptions are made and tested. We do not have to waste time imagining theories that, when compared to reality, are proven incorrect. We do not have to waste months of intellectual effort questioning our own inner reality to ascertain the structure of mind.
We do not have to read books written by authors working in fields of study that may help us in our lonely efforts. We do not have to suffer the solitude that is necessary for intellectual contemplation. We do not have to develop an understanding of how one goes about finding the logic of discovery. We do not have to read the experiences of other intellectual explorers looking for helpful hints. We do not have to read books about such discoveries as DNA, or Newton’s discoveries, or Feynman’s work on the inner world of the atom. We do not have to read the history of the development of Relativity.
With the presence of a paradigm a teacher can easily package all the necessary paradigms and algorithms that our chosen profession demands of us. Most important we do not need to waste time studying Critical Thinking so that we will have at hand the levels and plumb-bobs which make up the logical standards of cogent thought.
The paradigm and its associated algorithms allow us to continue our intellectual slumber.
The study of brain is now at the same point as was the study of biology before Darwin. There is no paradigm of mind.
For anyone wishing to understand brain does this mean that we cannot go on? Does a lack of a paradigm halt all investigation by the laymen? Are we laywomen without recourse in our interest in mind? Must we fold our tent and go home until we are summoned forth with a paradigm in hand?
Let us examine the positive side of this matter. AD (after Darwin) students of biology merely go to school where a teacher will tell them all about the Theory. We will walk away from class with the knowledge of the paradigm and all of its associated algorithms. Haven’t we, who come after the paradigm, missed all the fun? Haven’t we missed the experience of learning for ourselves just how a paradigm is developed?
It seems to me that ‘brain’ is a perfect place for us to develop an understanding of how a paradigm is born. It is a perfect place because each of us has our own private laboratory. Laboratories free of charge, without the expense of technicians, wherein we can develop our own hypothesis and test empirically the validity of that hypothesis. We can apply the scientific method on our very own theory. We need not mention our hypothesis to others until we feel confident that it has some value. We need not display our foolishness until our ego forces us to pronounce to the world our discovery.
With the existence of a paradigm the didactic teaching technique, which forms the foundation of our educational system, saves us all this effort.
We do not have to understand how assumptions are made and tested. We do not have to waste time imagining theories that, when compared to reality, are proven incorrect. We do not have to waste months of intellectual effort questioning our own inner reality to ascertain the structure of mind.
We do not have to read books written by authors working in fields of study that may help us in our lonely efforts. We do not have to suffer the solitude that is necessary for intellectual contemplation. We do not have to develop an understanding of how one goes about finding the logic of discovery. We do not have to read the experiences of other intellectual explorers looking for helpful hints. We do not have to read books about such discoveries as DNA, or Newton’s discoveries, or Feynman’s work on the inner world of the atom. We do not have to read the history of the development of Relativity.
With the presence of a paradigm a teacher can easily package all the necessary paradigms and algorithms that our chosen profession demands of us. Most important we do not need to waste time studying Critical Thinking so that we will have at hand the levels and plumb-bobs which make up the logical standards of cogent thought.
The paradigm and its associated algorithms allow us to continue our intellectual slumber.
... but i suspect they'll dismiss it anyway...