In a recent essay, the polymath philosopher Ian Hacking, as
the first and most fundamental of his list of “applications” of mathematics, puts
“App 0: Math Applied to Math”.
Why should there be so much
ultimate connectedness …? If we
follow the cognitive scientists who think that there are distinct mental
modules for arithmetical reasoning and for spacial reasoning, Descartes’ Geometry
of 1637 is all the more astonishing.
This question needs a lot of philosophical work, right now.
-- Ian Hacking, “Why is there
Philosophy of Mathematics at All?”, repr. in Mircea Pitici, ed., The Best
Writing on Mathematics 2012, p. 248
Well, here’s a tidbit towards that.
Hacking is right, that the Idols of the Neuroscientists make
the success of Descartes’ breakthrough the more astonishing, as indeed they do
any of the insights of mathematicians.
But that simply redounds to the discredit of the Neuroscientists.
Hacking happens to have chosen an instance of Consilience
that neatly matches two pre-posited “modules” of the CogSci crowd. (Such “modules” can be had for the
asking, according to fancy; there
is no net, in that tennis-game. --
Table-tennis, rather. -- Right
now, my “Stuff and Nonsense!” module is blinking red.) But they would be rather more
hard-pressed to come up with a separate “point-set topology module”, “abelian group
theory module”, “number-theory module”, “operator theory modules”, “ring theory
module”, ET cetera ET cetera, to attempt
to account all the sundry other intersubdisciplinary interilluminations which
keep arising within mathematical practice -- deep connections among concepts
that never fell within human ken, back when our geometry module, in
collaboration with the arithmetical module, was calculating the angle and
distance to the rampaging mastodon, yet which now yield such fruits as the
beans Jack received in barter for a cow.
Perhaps the explanation lies well apart from the contingent
biochemicalisms of the grey-matter blancmange in our brainpan, modular or
otherwise. Mayhap there is
an actual unity -- a unity in variety, which we do but discover --
in bits and glimpses,
in pieces and snatches,
by dint of much study,
and by grace of Grace.
~
We are making a New Year’s Resolution, not to be so darned
snarky. (Having successfully shed
nearly twenty pounds this past calendar year, we are ready to take on even
greater challenges.)
Accordingly, so as to redeem our good standing among our
Cognitive Scientist brethren (with whom we used to rub elbow-patches daily,
back at UC Berkeley, in the permanent “temporary building” T-2), we herewith
offer an extra-virgin olive branch:
preliminary results from a massive structural-neuro-longitudinal study
undertaking by the Pataphysical Department of the World of Dr Justice
(headquarters: Geneva), abundantly
funded by the grateful taxpayer.
With this we obtain direct insights into the child’s developing
mind. As our investigations
prove, this comes pre-compartmented into the following empirically buttressed
cubby-holes:
(1) The “Everything is What it is and Not Another Thing” foodstuff module.
The vegetables are bad enough, but
when they touch the mashed potatoes -- Eeewwww.
(2) The “Mine and Thine” module.
Though discernable in outline
already in the early embryo, this module does not become activated until much
later in development; and in some
specimens (B. Madoff, D. Trump) never.
Prior to activation -- much like
the notocord that serves the embryo until the spinal column takes its place --
behavior is governed by the following, non-modular (“opportunist”) pragmatic
maxim:
“My bear. My toy. Mine.”
(3) The “Girls Have Cooties” module.
For reasons not yet well
understood, this module is activated only in immature males; some genetic link to the Y chromosome
is suspeced. In any event, it is
normally de-activated at puberty.
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