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<div style="font-family:sans-serif"><div style="white-space:normal"><p dir="auto">That is one of the nicest obituaries I’ve seen.</p>
<p dir="auto">—Barry</p>
<p dir="auto">On 24 Mar 2021, at 19:24, jon zingale wrote:</p>
<blockquote style="border-left:2px solid #777; color:#777; margin:0 0 5px; padding-left:5px"><p dir="auto">From time to time, I find myself reflecting on the wisdom of my old friend<br>
Hywel, and this time in particular, on the anti-representational nature of<br>
his epistemology. Hywel was well known for his aphorisms and most famously<br>
the declaration that:<br>
<br>
"Mathematics is fine, but it is better to know what you are doing".<br>
<br>
Occasionally, I would hear this as a staunch refutation of math envy. Upon<br>
more gracious reflection it occurs to me that there is much to be gained<br>
from substituting, in the aphorism, "Mathematics" for "Representation".<br>
Perhaps, even better would be the declaration that:<br>
<br>
"Representation is fine, but it is better to know directly".<br>
<br>
Hywel would often decry the existence of numbers, to which Frank would<br>
playfully reply, "Hywel, how many mothers do you have"? Hywel's response was<br>
a tacit smile, his wisdom would need to wait for a more amenable moment.<br>
<br>
Hywel's thought was radically empirical. The *world* itself was the thing to<br>
know and everything else an, often convenient, illusion. To proceed with the<br>
discussion, granting mothers, was to already concede a denotational<br>
worldview that was not his own.<br>
<br>
It is perhaps more insightful to reflect on his views on non-units. Hywelian<br>
epistemology admits no two things the *same*. To discuss neutrinos with him,<br>
the area of his expertise, was to discuss the experiments themselves, the<br>
blips of particle detectors, and the tubs of baby oil. Relations always<br>
between direct perceptions. To ask him about the exchangeability of protons<br>
was to have a discussion about particle decay. All symmetries, illusory.<br>
<br>
While representationalists find themselves in paradox pondering the source,<br>
whence objects come? Hywel's epistemology finds no such concern and<br>
continues to find purchase out there among the stars.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
--<br>
Sent from: <a href="http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/" style="color:#777">http://friam.471366.n2.nabble.com/</a><br>
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</blockquote></div>
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