Re: more uncertainty

["Alan G. Isaac" <aisaac@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, 18 Dec 2000, Forstater, Mathew wrote:
> Alan, commenting on Paul, wrote:

> it is ontological uncertainty rather than computational limitations which
> underlie the epistemological uncertainty that humans encounter in their every
> day actions.




Just to be clear, I argued that such a statement
would be a more natural claim for Paul to make.
I did not make this claim myself.
As I have stressed, I do not think PKs should
spend their time seeking accord on their ontological
(i.e., religious) stances.  Instead we should
simply ``point to'' (if you will) the epistemological
uncertainty that humans encounter in their every day actions,
especially when making ``crucial'' decisions.

I take the term ``ontological uncertainty'' not to
imply merely that uncertainty has ``ontological roots''
(if you will) but rather that it has a certain kind
of ontological roots, described in my previous post.
In response to David's point, I am certainly not
denying that epistemological uncertainty must have
``ontological roots'': There is no knowing without being.
My point is rather that it is pointless (in a
specific sense, indicated by Kant's antinomies)
to spend our time investigating those roots.
Fortunately, we do not need to.

One other point raised by David might be: why
refer even to epistemological uncertainty?
To go beyond what he has said, one might ask
(along lines hinted at by Bruce): isn't the
relevant factor for economists what we might
call ``psychological uncertainty''?
However, unlike ontological investigations which
I find hold only entertainment value, I think
epistemological reflections occasionally have
value. (Unless they lead to Methodlogy, with a
capital M.) Nevertheless it is true that the term
epistemological uncertainty might mean
many things, and it would be useful to be more
specific about what we get out of the term
aside from a buzz-phrase for referring to certain
radical limitations on our ability to link our
present actions to future outcomes.

Alan