Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!yale!mintaka!bloom-beacon!eru!luth!sunic!mcsun!ukc!icdoc!syma!aarons From: aarons@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Aaron Sloman) Newsgroups: comp.ai Subject: Re: Chess, Reductionism, Probablistic Determinism. Keywords: reductionism, arithmetic, logic, probablistic determinism Message-ID: <2362@syma.sussex.ac.uk> Date: 15 Mar 90 23:40:33 GMT References: <491fffd5.1a4d7@cicada.engin.umich.edu> <2080@aipna.ed.ac.uk> <492e6ff2.1a4d7@cicada.engin.umich.edu> <49331604.1285f@maize.engin.umich.edu> Organization: School of Cognitive & Computing Sciences, Sussex Univ. UK Lines: 25 zarnuk@caen.engin.umich.edu (Paul Steven Mccarthy) writes: > >>>>(Paul Steven Mccarthy) writes: [Everything is a consequence > >>>> of the laws of physics...] > ..... > >>>(Chris Malcolm) asks: [...How is {some property of chess} the > >>> consequence of the laws of physics?...] > ...... > >>(Paul Steven Mccarthy) answered: [...reductionism...] > >> The given property is a consequence of the rules of the game. > ..... > >(Ken Presting) objects: [...] ..... Just to stir things up a little: Chess would have existed even if the whole physical universe hadn't, just like all those infinitely many other games that nobody ever has or ever will invent, and just like all those infinitely many languages that nobody ever has learnt or ever will learn, and all those infinitely many valid proofs in axiom systems that nobody will ever formulate, and all those infinitely many thoughts that nobody will ever think.... Aaron