Prototypes (re: Categories and Calculus)

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Ruby Rohrlich writes,

"Seeing the world in prototypes? That's what I'm working on right now --
the Inquisition and Martin Luther as prototypes for Nazism. But they're
not particularly"nice" would you say?" Not a bit. Anybody but me
remember a book by a sociologist that came out in the '60s and was
titled _Heroes, Villians and Fools_?

Seriously, what's important about prototypes is that the allow us to
structure discussions without getting hung up on categorical boundaries.
So much discussion on this and other lists still seems to assume that
Aristotle was the last word in logic. :-( and theory consists in sticking
things in categorical boxes,like two-year olds sorting toys. :-((.
(The man is in a grumpy mood.)

Vance Geiger, do tell us something substantive about what the simulating
societies people are up to. Pretty please with sugar on top. (Grumpiness
leads to regression. :-))

John McCreery

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