tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post2785951896980204857..comments2024-03-14T14:41:17.663-04:00Comments on Triablogue: Minds and brainsRyanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17809283662428917799noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-42618182050571760902012-06-15T00:50:26.607-04:002012-06-15T00:50:26.607-04:00In addition to syntactic simplicity and ontologica...In addition to syntactic simplicity and ontological simplicity, there's functional simplicity. Something could be ontological or part-wise simple but functionally complex. An electric razor is mechanically more complex than a straight razor, but the latter is functionally more complex in that I could use it to perform more tasks than shaving.<br /><br />Moreoever, there's serious debate about whether simplicity as a factor in choosing which theory to believe is truth-apt. Bas van Fraassen and others have raised serious challenges to it. Pragmatic vs. epistemic virtues. But does this just mean that the one who opts for simplicity is simply expressing some aesthetic preference? They just happen to like simpler theories? It makes things nice and easy to work with and manage? This is a debate about the pragmatics of theory choice.rockingwithhawkinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10550503108269371174noreply@blogger.com