Rxman:
"Tasac"........PRN OU. |
i will admit that this discussion is out of proportion to the importance of the topic, however, i wish to comment upon my position of the inadmissibility of scientific knowledge..
any "theories" based upon observation cannot be proven mathematically.
such theories or as one would call them "empirically-based knowledge", are based upon inductive reasoning, which cannot be proven with certainty.
knowledge implies truth, implies certainty.
newton's theory of gravity is a stochastic phenomenon. there is some very small probability that some event in the future may contradict it, although, to date it has not happened.
this subject requires a semester of philosophy, so i will say no more.
i think i should have majored in philosophy and gone for a phd and then decided to teach. |
Mrtennis, it's never too late. |
Timrhu's right, Mrtennis. Never too late to pursue study of philosophy, or anything else. Change happens!
But for most people, it is probably unwise to pursue college teaching as a vocation, esp. later in life. The current economic malaise seems to have increased the (already depressing) rate at which desirable, secure, jobs in the academy are drying up. There might be some uptick with a "recovery," but I suspect things will continue to be a bit grim.
John
PS: FWIW, the standard account of knowledge as "justified true belief" does not seem to imply certainty. |
hi jdoris:
truth without certainty seems contradictory. |
truth without certainty seems contradictory Mrtennis: I might have lots of true beliefs, without being certain of them; e.g., I might make an educated guess about what floor of the garage I parked my car on, and be right. Indeed, there might be any number of true statements nobody has considered, so nobody is certain of them. The general thought is that certainty is somehow psychological, and truth is not. It's plausible that knowledge entails certainty (knowledge may be a partly psychological notion). I don't think it does, because I don't think justification requires certainty. John |
if you "know" something to be true you must be certain else, there is a probability of it being false.
regarding your example of the parked car, you don't know it is located at a particular spot, you have a recollection of where it is located.
secondly i believe that when you use your senses , no knowledge can be derived from it.
all knowledge is abstract.
for example, as silly as it sounds, you can say , i know i own a levenson amp, but you can't prove it using mathematics or logic, since it requires you to see the amp.
yes this approach is radical skepticism, but it is my concept. |
OK you two, go to your rooms until you can get along with others! |
i apologize for the discussion of what may be an arcane and irrelevant topic and perhaps boring some of the readers. my bad. |
for example, as silly as it sounds, you can say , i know i own a levenson amp, but you can't prove it using mathematics or logic, since it requires you to see the amp. Do the mathematics on my credit card bill count? |
Mrtennis,
I have no problem with philosophical discussions but this poor guy asked our opinions on TAS. |
I've subscribed to the AS and Stereophile for several years. I've read both publications since the early 80s. Both publications have changed radically over the years. Both have groups of writers/audiophiles that write fun, interesting, informative, and opinionated articles. I still miss the AS when HP held sway over his kingdom. I didn't always agree, but the writing was always witty, entertaining,and informative. Some of the best years to read all the mags was when HP was lambasting the editors of IAR or Stereophile or vice versa. Despite his critics, IMHO, HP did provide audiophiles with a vocabulary to describe what he was hearing and many of his descriptive terms have been adopted today. I also believe that many of his reviews on equipment and subsequent essays on equipment sonics both positevely and negatively influenced the industry. I'm sure at the time, many an audiophile was seduced by HP's decriptions of the mighty Infinity IRS or Tympanis or Magnepan/Infinity QRS speaker systems and even though many folks couldn't stomach HP's wit or hubris, many still wished they could own the equipment he was describing.
Today as ever, I sometimes find myself skipping the reviews on certain components on the first read, only to find myself interested at a latter date in a component still costing thousands on the used market. The afore mentioned publicatioins do/did a fine job describing the equipment and its sonic signature. Thank heavens, many of the reviews can be found on line today, otherwise I'd have a whole corner of my basement filled to the brim.
Sometimes I wonder about subscribing being a waste of money, but my friend JDoris pointed out that for $15.00 they provide cheap entertainment and exposure to equipment costing thousands of dollars that one will never view/audition in St. Louiis. The mags still provide clues (though you have to read carefully) on how to get the best sound from a particlar component or how to setup the latest trends in both digital and analog technology. I also read many of the online publications and find them helpful as well.
So I say, subscribe away! I still look forward to a good read/fantasy about equipment I'll never be able to view, purchase, or audition. I just wouldn't base my purchases on the publications opinions!
Best of luck to all.
Sgr |
I have no problem with philosophical discussions but this poor guy asked our opinions on TAS. Aww Rja, come on, both Mrtennis and I expressed views about TAS. Mrtennis is skeptical of the Mags value, while I, for the sort of reasons described in detail by Sgr, think many, if not most, hobbyists would get 30 bucks a year of value from subscribing to both TAS and Sp. So my advice, tempered by paper-consumption-guilt, is to try both. Actually, the philosophical discussion helps contextualize Mrtennis' skeptical remarks on the Mags. He doesn't think the Mags are a source of knowledge, but as he's said, he doesn't think you have knowledge of what amp you own, what country you reside in, and how many children reside in your house, either. Good to know where people are coming from! ;) John |
Lighten up its only a mag. |
My feeling is that TAS is a form of entertainment (with maybe a touch of knowledge thrown in occasionally), not philosophy, that's all.
Is it worth the price of admission @ $14.95? In my opinion it is. Pretty simple. |
French Fries has it right. If you like audio get an audio magazine, something to look at and read when bored. I never understood why people think it is OK to trash magazines and their writers, who cares it is just a magazine. Most product magazines are the same be it an auto mag or boat mag or whatever it is, reviews are positive and informative. If you want negativity go go internet websites and forums... |
I understand and agree with the ops that for the price, it's a no-brainer.
On the other hand, for those of us that were into the magazine (and all the others) 25-30 yrs ago, it's hard to reconcile today's version with what was, at the time, an extraordinary publication. It's NEVER, I repeat, NEVER, going to go back to the way it was so enjoy it for what it is today, audiophile porn! |
Chazro,
Agreed, it was much better when it was the smaller size. |
