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Foundations

Version 0.001 2020-04-16

Author:

Richard Weyhrauch (IBUKI)

Note:

This is an original personal document of Richard Weyhrauch hosted by IBUKI at http://rww.ibuki.com . This document is not in the public domain. The copyright is held by him and anyone wanting to reprint it must get his permission in writing. This document was written while he was employed by IBUKI but on his own time at at his own expense.

This note is about how to approach ideas claimed to be a new way of looking at something.

Comments by George Kreisel

When studying logic at Stanford, George Kriesal always had something insiteful to say. To paraphrase a remark of his about foundational ideas:

When trying to give a new explaination of an existing notion, remember that the previous explaination was almost right.

A consiquence is that almost everyone will try to interpret the new notions in terms of their existing understanding.

The only way to understand a new notion is to suspend belief and come to know what's implicit in the new notion