03/18/07 Sunday 7:17pm EST

     THE PROCESS OF LOGIC

     The process of logic can be diagrammed as follows read from
left to right.


                   UNCERTAIN THEORY
                       MODEL or
                    GENERALIZATION
       Inductive    /            \    Deductive
       Inference  /                \  Inference
                /                    \
              /                        \
           Certain                   Certain
           Observation               Observation

     One starts at the bottom left with certain observations.

     These then lead through inductive inference (logic) to an
uncertain theory, model or generalization (all the same thing) at the
top of the diagram.

     The theory then leads through deductive inference (logic) to
certain predictions (if the theory is true) which are then either
certainly observed or not.

     Observation takes rank over theory because one observation to the
contrary can disprove a theory.

     However observations can take rank over other observations,
particularly when they contradict each other.

     This does not mean that the outranked observations were uncertain
or even untrue, but that one's theoretical interpretation of how they
came about is incorrect.

     Thus it is certainly true that the moon looks bigger on the
horizon, but the interpretations (theory) that this is so because the
moon IS bigger, or that the atmosphere is distorting the shape, or
that the mind is producing an illusion may be false.

     Only theories can be false, observations can only be true.

     That's a big statement and involves uncollapsing the conscious
observation from the implied theoretical referent.

     We see a moon, that's for sure.

     That there IS a moon is theory, and that it is bigger when on the
horizon is yet another theory, either or both of which can be false.

     A theory can never be true, but can always be false.

     An observation can never be false and must always be true.

     Homer

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Homer Wilson Smith     The Paths of Lovers    Art Matrix - Lightlink
(607) 277-0959 KC2ITF        Cross            Internet Access, Ithaca NY
homer@lightlink.com    In the Line of Duty    http://www.lightlink.com

Sun Mar 18 19:18:08 EST 2007