PK: A "Logical System" or "Set of Goals"

[John Gelles <jjgelles@xxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 10 Oct 1997, Louise Davidson wrote:

> ...
> So, how do we proceed? To keep working and trying
> to rally around a single consistent logical system.

> It is easy for the mainstream to ignore PKers when they
> continually squabble amongst themselves as to what is
> the basic core of PK economics.


	Granted PK does suffer if its adherents differ
	on its core.

	Yet a logical system is hostage to social
	science and its empirical requirements. Less
	so would be a system of values and goals.

	These too have their logical aspect. But the
	real advantage of mainstream over PK studies,
	is the former's acceptance of rules and
	institutions that promote a status quo game
	where economics and politics substitute for
	war in the struggle for dominance by one
	person over another -- and its echoes in one
	group over another, ad infinitum, ad nauseaum.

	Were PK to always preface its current logical
	models by its values and goals, it would find
	quite often the mainstream agreeing to many of
	its goals.

	Thereafter, PK might try to engage the
	mainstream within the limited region where
	their goals are nearly the same.  It is within
	this region that a more unified set of PK
	models might best be tested against mainstream
	models in both real and thought experiments.

	(My earlier message mentioning "cyberspace"
	was intended for the Cyberspace Society and
	sent in error by me to PKT -- I'm sorry.)

	John Gelles