QUOTE(Rick @ Dec 21, 02:31 PM)

I agree about the evil of dogmatism. My philosophy, while considering those who went before, contains many original elements. For more on my approach, see
http://teamster.usc.edu/~fixture/Robotics/...ophy/philo.htmlDear Rick,
I have carefully considered your ontology.
Please consider the following criticism of mine:
QUOTE
The physical things include space-time and mass-energy: all of the subjects of physics, all of space, matter, and energy"
And what about virtual things (I mean the things having cybernetic nature). If the virtual things exist (even in determined chaos) then they also should be taken into account. From that point of view, the phrase "physical things" is not correct to be used in this context if not to add "virtual things" as a separate category.
QUOTE
"The mental things include thoughts, emotions, sensations, unconscious mental processes, and consciousness.2 The set of ideas includes form, mathematics, software, and what is now called intellectual property. The ideas in themselves do not exist. In order for us to know an idea it must have either a physical representation (like the text on a page) or a mental construct."
If the "virtual things" do exist, then they can be a source of ideas generation as well, thus they can be an agent modifying the "physical things" as well. From that point of view man can be viewed as an intermediate Tool who (which [I am sorry]) can be used by the "virtual things" to affect "physical things". If you remember I was writing about the "inborn ideas" of Descartes. It looks like that Descartes noted that
some ideas get born from within like they are inborn, and wrongly supposed that they are inborn indeed, in true it may turn that the
some ideas are "tuned" by the brain. Thus the "virtual things" affect "physical things". And maybe, if the brain contains necessary "keys", then the tuning process can be quite successful.
As a scientist you should not discard the possibility of existence of the "virtual things" (I mean the things having cybernetic nature), especially when there is a number of unexplained experimental studies which pose questions which stay unanswered in available to public observance refereed scientific publications. To make my point a little bit interesting for such a smart Atheist as you are, let me to bring you description of the appearance of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz (the description was provided by Leibnitz himself and his friend Eckhart). Fingers of legs and hands disproportionally long and thin, the body cold and never perspire, shoulders are wide, while walking he always keeps head a little bit down, at the top of his head he has a swelling of small egg size.
Leibnitz had an interesting project of organizing "scientific" expedition to Egypt, he wanted Ludovic IV to fund that expedition. Later his idea was realized by Napoleon Bonaparte - the small man so well being manipulated by another interesting gentleman Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, Prince de Benevente, who in his turn was acquainted with Alexander Hamilton (another artillerist) from US as well.
As far as I know, the present religious leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has very long and thin hand fingers as well. That can be extremely well observed while he was embracing in congratulations the president of Iran during his inauguration.

I guess Rick, you should not discard possibility of existence of the "virtual things" from your ontology.
Maybe the "good" tuning requires some minor structural modifications of human body. Who knows?

Or when the tuning intensifies the body gets a little bit modified itself. And who knows maybe all people tune in different extent?
Have you read my Enki’s Experiments description related with Red, Blue and Green Pillows described in one of the two mirror threads about magic mushrooms in this forum?