Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!ria!cs!wsaba
From: wsaba@cscs.uwindsor.ca (Walid Saba)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: AGAINST FORMALISM?
Summary: Informal reasoning???
Keywords: REASONING (is the keyword)!
Message-ID: <553@schoenfinkel.cscs.uwindsor.ca>
Date: 17 Jun 91 17:03:01 GMT
References: <549@schoenfinkel.cscs.uwindsor.ca> <1991Jun17.032758.14030@aifh.ed.ac.uk>
Organization: School of Computer Science, Univ. of Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Lines: 40

In article <1991Jun17.032758.14030@aifh.ed.ac.uk>, cam@aifh.ed.ac.uk (Chris Malcolm) writes:
> 
> ...
> The unfortunate problem with logic is not that it is deficient as a
> system of reasoning, but that there are so few collections of english
> language propositions about the world to which it can be usefully
> applied. Usually it just gives silly results, as in the above example.

The example I gave is not the test of all tests. Of course, given that
the `alive' and `female' can not be assumed from `pregnant' (which I
take it to be your main objection), we would modify our set of inference
rules... What is the problem?

My main point was that whatever set of beliefs we have, and however 
knowledge is representd we do (WE MUST) use some kind of reasoning
when *processing* this information. Well, you seem to have no 
problem with that. Right? You do say:

> If logical reasoning had survival value we -- not to mention dogs and
> cats -- would be a lot better at it. As it is, the kinds of informal
> reasoning we naturally employ are pretty well fitted to the kind of
> world we inhabit. And what kinds of reasoning do we employ? This is an
> interesting open research topic. 

So you suggest that it is some *informal* kind of reasoning. Again you 
missed my point (I think). By "formal" I am suggesting any logic in particular.
I am also not suggesting that we do have that logic, or know anything
about. It could turn out to be the LOGIC OF CHEO WAWA... All what I am
saying is that it must be goverened by certain rules, and if it is the way we
reason, we must be able to explain certain things using this logic/language...

As for cats and dogs, well may be their logic is THE LOGIC OF WAWA CHEO. But
since most of them can expected to behave in a certian way, they sure have
some sort of WAWA CHEO reasoning system!

WALID SABA   wsaba@cs.uwindsor.ca
School of Computer Science
University of Windsor
Windsor, Canada N9B 3P4
(519) 253-4232 ext. 3003/3005