The Logic of Four-World Pluralism
Davin C. Enigl
Four-World Pluralism:
Davin Enigl's Four-World Pluralism:
Objective Subjective
_____| W 4 ^ v . . |_______|W4|_______
| Popper World 3a || Popper World 2a | W
Non-Physical | Theories of Math, Art || Understanding | o
| Science, Metaphysics || Decode |R
|____ ^ . . . v _____ || ^ v . . . ________|L
| Popper World 1 . Popper World 2b | D
Physical | Physical world > Perception | 4
| Popper World 3b . Encoding |
| Human Artifacts, Art < Action signals |
|__ . . . ________._______________|
| < v ^ > |
World 4
**********************************************************************
Notes on Enigl's Four-World Pluralism (2002)
------------------------
General Legend:
Disclaimer and Acknowledgement:
1) This chart is much more complex that Popper's three-world pluralism
(see appendix, below). I have used four worlds (and incorporated
Popper's worlds) into the framework inspired by Bill Taylor's
"Bi-Dichotomy" quadrant system.
Interactions with World 4:
2) World 4 -- the transcendental world -- surrounds the outside of
the box of quadrants, see details below.
[Metaphysically this is similar to Kantian Transendental Realism but
is more like Eddington's Super-Realism.]
3) The ventilated top denotes large expansion of World 3a into World
4 and large leakage of World 4 into World 3a. Interaction is active
between World 3a and World 4. Interaction is not humanly
controllable, but may be humanly detectable via metaphysical research
programmes especially those pertaining to science and art.
4) There is smaller leakage between (and smaller expansion) of World
2a, with World 4. Interaction is not humanly controllable, but may be
humanly detectable by Cognitive Science via Wolrd 3a, by probing in
World 1 through World 2b.
5) World 4 may or may not interact with World 1 and World 3b. This
interaction may or may not be humanly detectable or humanly
controllable. [Metaphysical research programme pertaining to science
is possible, but so far, unsuccessful.]
Wall Description:
6) Note the double wall separating World 3a from World 2a. No
leakage and no interaction directly from World 3a and World 2a. All
communications are via World 2b's interaction with World 1 and World
2a. So, each world can change the others dynamically either directly
or indirectly (see World 4 interaction limitations below).
7) There is no solid wall between ~ World 1/W3b and World 2b, ~ World
1/W3b and ~ World 3a or, World 2a and 2b.
Overlap:
8) World 1 and World 3b inhabit the same quadrant. World 3a has
physical theories that explain W1 by mathematics, metric theories,
manifolds, General Relativity, Quantum Theory, over 40 theories of
(ten dimensionless parameters, parameterized post-Newtonian) gravity,
etc.
[Again, one world can change the other by interaction and overlap.]
------------------------
Abbreviations and Descriptions:
9) World 1 = W1 = part of the Real world = the physical (but not
materially " substantive") world of both observables (e.g. light,
wind, sound, odors, water, rock) and also, unobservables as described
(or explained) by World 3a such as gravity, eyesight,
electromagnetism, quantum gravity, H sub2O, atoms, electrons, General
Relativity theory.
10) World 2a = W2a = part of the Real world = The world of human
consciousness, "the human mind", decoding understanding of W2b's
encoded subjective data. Decoding mechanism is unknown, but may be
part of W4. Understanding mechanism of decoded data is unknown, but
may be part of W4. Mental objects are real and are manipulated here.
11) World 2b = W2b = part of the Real world = How the human mind
(W2a) links to the physical World. Qualia-Red, blue, green.
Appearance, perceptions, encoding of appearance and mental objects.
Mental object are encoded here.
12) World 3a = W3a = part of the Real world = Human intellectual
"abstract" inventions are non-physically in World 3a but also
physically encoded in World 1 and can be retrieved via translation and
re-encoding in World 2b passed into World 2a's mechanism of
understanding.
13) World 3b = part of the Real world = Human physical artifacts,
human objects of invention.
14) World 4 = W4 = part of the Real world = But is non-physical,
non-objective, non-subjective, and may or may not be unknowable. W4
is the "transcendental" part of Reality. Leakage probably occurs as
previously speculated.
------------------------
Appendix:
+ W3a objects enter by creation in W2a, translation into subjective
mental encoded data in W2b and physically stored objectively in W1 as
a W3b object and non-physically objectively stored in W3a.
+ A.I. Note: Strong Artificial Intelligence programmes hope to
incorporate W3a's theoretical attempts at a "Theory of Everything" and
Cognitive Science's W3a theories, into one unified philosophy of mind
in the physical world W1 (e.g., materialism, physicalism, behaviorism,
Identity theory, parallelism). Then, there would be no barriers
between W2a, W2b, W3b and W1. W3a barrier would also be opened
further but not eliminated since W3a theories are fallible and
therefore might be wrong. It is unknown if this W3a programme will
result in a unified mind conjectural explanatory theory. [My guess is
it will not work due to limits of probing W4.]
+ Observables vs. Unobservables:
Observables (entities or properties or W3b artifacts) are in World 1.
So, World 2b uses observable terms for encoding descriptions of
observations of World 1 (and World 3b artifacts) . . . vs. World 2b
uses theoretical terms of World 3a explanations of World 1, plus
theoretical terms of how World 3b artifacts work.
Examples: [Observable term vs. Unobservable term]
1) Wet stuff observed in World 1 is encoded by W2b as "water" vs.
"water" is explained by W2b's encoding of W3a's explanatory theory,
Hsub2O, molecules, atoms, charges, electrons, molecular bonds. That
is, W2b encodes according to World 3a's explanation of reality and
then this is decoded by W2a to get understanding.
2) Light with blue color in W1 (encoded by W2b) vs. photons,
frequency, biological eyesight theory (W3a's explanation)
3) A white line (W1) or water (W1) in a Wilson cloud chamber (W3b in
W1) vs. electron track (W3a)
4) Oblateness of Saturn (W1) vs. centrifugal force, inertia, gravity,
energy (W3a)
5) Wooden table (W1) vs. electromagnetism, atoms, biological cell
structure (W3a)
6) Bent light (W1) vs. warped spacetime moved a star's photons (W3a)
7) Water formed on the plants last night (W1) vs. condensation (W3a)
8) Picture (W3b) of long dark shadows on a lighter background (W1)
vs. X-ray image of biological bone structure (W3a)
9) Sound (W1), music (W3b) coming out of radio (W3b) vs. photons of a
frequency modulated "radio-wave" (W3a)
10) Things floating in what looks like water (W1) under a microscope
(W3b) vs. bacteria, yeast, biological cells, organelles, Brownian
motion, Einstein's classical explanation of Brownian motion, (W3a).
----------------------------------
Popper's Three Worlds:
World 1 Physical world ( matter and fields of force, human artifacts)
World 2 Mental world (interaction from W1 to W3)
World 3 Human knowledge, artifacts.
Each world changes the others dynamically.
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On Wed, 30 Jan 2002 04:55:31 +0000 (UTC),
mat...@math.canterbury.ac.nz (Bill Taylor) wrote:
Bill Taylor's Bi-Dichotomy
> objective subjective
> ,------------------------------------------.
> | | Popper-2 |
>abstract | MATH | |
> | | consciousness |
> |------------------+-----------------------|
> | | Popper-3 |
>physical | SCIENCE | |
> | | culturals |
> `------------------------------------------'
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