the greatest pple in the history of mankind
manages to simplify existing logic into its simplest form....
E = MC(sq)
in nus we do the opposite....
we manage to complicate non existing logic into the most complex form...
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
simple logic
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5 comments:
i disagree. complex systems are usually ordered and reaches a state of dynamical equilibrium that is not static but rhythmic.
if you mix black and white you get grey? no. in most systems you'd get black, then white, then black, then white...the chemical effect. this is a much better system than just grey cos its adaptable, flexible and therefore has a functional advantage.
e=mc2 can answer a lot of questions but not all.
and i can think of so many examples from 'the greatest ppl in the history of mankind' that have translated simple logic into complex entities.
penrose theories like penrose tiling - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penrose_tiling
the many many many different types of basic geometries like the wide range of simple curve construction. one of my favourite curve is a cycloid - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cycloid
and erm...all the philosophers in history..
haha! MATHS IN ART AND ARCHITECTURE! (that horrible module some of us took in NUS)
depends on how u see things as simple or complex... not mathematically or rationally defined i mean...
u see... i think philosophers DO simplify existing logic into its simplest form, into readable language that somehow resonates with us.
I do not agree that philosophers in history are to be read as 'the greatest ppl in the history of mankind that have translated simple logic into complex entities.' In fact, I feel that philosophy very much does the reverse, to put the complexities of our world into simple terms. The issues that they engage in, morals, ethics, aesthetic, reason bla bla bla, are really things that arent remote to our everyday lives. The reason why philosophy often appears very "chim" is because in our times, philosophy has become relegated to the academic realm and read through remote, Greek-sounding terminologies. But actually, when we talk about say why we find something nicer than another thing or say when we evaluate the values of becoming an architect, we are really engaging ourselves in so-called philosophical thinking. Perhaps it is not the issues that are discussed in philo that are complex, but rather the very idea of philosophy that threatens one from entering that realm, hence making it remote and detached.
And I found this aphorism from Nietzsche rather potent:
"Whoever know he is deep, strives for clarity; whoever would like to appear deep to the crowd, strives for obscurity. For the crowd considers anything deep if only it cannot see to the bottom: the crowd is so timid and afraid of going into the water."
~Nietzsche
I think philosophers and thinkers can make seemingly simple things very complex to people like me. E=mc2 might be the simplification of many complex things into a simple eqn. But to me, simple it might be, I do not have any idea how to use it meaningfully, much less make any weapons of mass destruction from it. Back to the main point, these thinkers delve so deep and maybe wide in their understanding that it is sometimes (well, all the time for me) beyond my usual mode of understanding of these similar issues.
Why Shujun and Zihao might say they make complex things simple, my guess is that these unique people have ways to siphon and organize these seemingly meaningless, disconnected information into meaningful, perhaps causal knowledge.
Another point i would like to touch is why philosophies tended to sound greek and maybe french/ german, is that academic research and discourses tend to be built on top of the old. Any discussion on certain topics will definitely lead to points brought up by the usual suspects.
Anyway, to end it off. I would say read everything with an open mind. Even the most respected, most wise are still humans with a brain, a body just like you and me. They are not infallible and read everything in perspective. Do not just see one side of the coin and persist blindly.
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