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Formalism as you describe it is an abstraction that we invented to help us model stuff. It's not more true, or more accurate, or strictly better than any other

Formalism as you describe it is an abstraction that we invented to help us model stuff. It's not more true, or more accurate, or strictly better than any other abstraction. The fact that design and systems and law and economics and philosophy and etc. etc. are ultimately squishy and informal is actually a reflection of the truth. Down there at the bottom of everything? It's humans. Subjective, emotional, informal humans. That's the baseline. Use formalism where it helps, absolutely, but don't trick yourself into believing it's a better way of being, of doing. It's not.

Geminidog 6y ago
It is an abstraction, that much is true. But formal languages are built on top of logic. The formal abstractions force us to stay true to logic and that is why they are effective. Hence the term "formal language" over just "language." All language is an abstraction over something. The term "formal" indicates a deep connection with logic. What this means is that formal language is developed with a set of axioms, so as long as the axioms hold true the rest of the language does as well. The same cannot be said for other abstractions. Too put it plainly... formalism is abstraction, but not all abstractions are formal, don't trick yourself into believing otherwise. >Down there at the bottom of everything? It's humans. Subjective, emotional, informal humans. The baseline is not humans. We are one part of the universe not the center. Logic is the baseline. Logic is the thing universal to not just all humans, but all living beings and all things. This fact has been repeatedly observed to be true and therefore one is more wise to hold logic as a universal truth rather than a anthropocentric view of the universe.
- sagichmal 6y ago
  > The baseline is not humans. We are one part of the universe not the center. Logic is the baseline. Logic is not the baseline of human constructs.

Geminidog 6y ago

It is an abstraction, that much is true. But formal languages are built on top of logic. The formal abstractions force us to stay true to logic and that is why they are effective. Hence the term "formal language" over just "language." All language is an abstraction over something. The term "formal" indicates a deep connection with logic. What this means is that formal language is developed with a set of axioms, so as long as the axioms hold true the rest of the language does as well. The same cannot be said for other abstractions. Too put it plainly... formalism is abstraction, but not all abstractions are formal, don't trick yourself into believing otherwise. >Down there at the bottom of everything? It's humans. Subjective, emotional, informal humans. The baseline is not humans. We are one part of the universe not the center. Logic is the baseline. Logic is the thing universal to not just all humans, but all living beings and all things. This fact has been repeatedly observed to be true and therefore one is more wise to hold logic as a universal truth rather than a anthropocentric view of the universe.

sagichmal 6y ago
> The baseline is not humans. We are one part of the universe not the center. Logic is the baseline. Logic is not the baseline of human constructs.