Re: Semantic Death Match

["L. Bird" <pkeets@hotmail.com>]

My dictionary said some things that were slightly different, but left me 
somewhat in doubt, as well.  However, today I think I have the dichotomy 
down.

Empiricists are generally scientist types and believe in reproducable 
results.  You experiment until you have the method down, and then you can 
expect that applying so-and-so force to the head of a nail will drive it so 
far into wood of such-and-such density, or that adding two and two will 
equal four.

Intuitionists are typically artists types, and believe you should always go 
by the feel of things.

So, the Empiricists here are expecting that they can recognize a song 
because it is lyrics written on a piece of paper, and that there is a 
related staff (either on the same paper or clipped to it) with notes or 
chords penned in.  The Intuitionists think they can recognize a song by the 
feel of it.

In the same way, the Empiricists are expecting that Pete Townshend sits down 
with a pencil and paper and writes out lyrics and/or music according to some 
reproducable method.  The Intuitionists think that Pete produces lyrics 
and/or music through some irreproducable means like inspiration.

BTW, has anybody heard of the formula method of writing novels?  It's done 
with file cards.  You have a stack with names, a stack with plot elements, a 
stack with ending, etc.  You shuffle the cards and pick out a few from each 
stack, and voila!--there's your story.  Great method, huh?  :)


keets


>Main Entry: in7tu7i7tion7ism
>1 a : a doctrine that objects of perception are intuitively known to be 
>real b : a doctrine that there are basic truths intuitively known
>2 : a doctrine that right or wrong or fundamental principles about what is 
>right and wrong can be intuited
>3 : a philosophical thesis that human beings have a direct intuitive
>understanding of mathematics and that rejects the principle that every 
>mathematical statement must be true or false
>
>
>Main Entry: em7pir7i7cism
>1 a : a former school of medical practice founded on experience without the 
>aid of science or theory b : QUACKERY, CHARLATANRY
>2 a : the practice of relying on observation and experiment especially in 
>the natural sciences
b : a tenet arrived at empirically
>3 : a theory that all knowledge originates in experience


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