Re: infinite regresses
DON MIKULECKY (MIKULECKY@VCUVAX.BITNET)
Thu, 23 Feb 1995 09:35:02 -0400
Don Mikulecky, MCV/VCU, Mikulecky@gems.vcu.edu
Reply to Onar:
I wonder how long the denial stage will last on this one?
First, you need to get your facts straight.
Rosen is widely recognized and sought after in the scientific community.
It is THIS group which seems to keep burying its head in the sand.
Some years ago I organized a session on modeling biological complexity
at the 8th International Congress on Cybernetics and Systems. I tried to
get Rosen as keynoter for my session, but he had already been snatched up
long ago by the organizers for a major keynote adress. The same thing happened
at an ecological modeling congress in Quebec. The citation index
indicates a fairly impressive group of high-powered people who cite
him regularly. In the main, anyone who has understood the limits of the
reductionist approach and seeks ammunition for their position goes to
Rosen for that support.
Sercondly, life crawling out of a test tube is one thing, but
"Artificial Life" and "AI" have been being promoted enthusiastically
by many for some time. We have tried to point out the difficulties
with this position.
Thirdly, any resemblance between a human centered definition
of life and either the above mentioned or Rosen's (M,R) systems will
clear up your misconception about the definition being obvious.
Remeber that this round got started because PCP ONCE AGAIN began
a discussion (and a new node, I think) around the idea "let's do
a meaning of life".
I once more recommend Casti's book "Alternate Realities"
if you have doubts about Rosen being understood and recognized
in the community.
Regards, Don Mikulecky