It is the scale of observation which creates the phenomenon
"In other words, one can say that from the standpoint of man it is the scale of observation which creates the phenomenon. Every time we change the scale of observation we encounter new phenomena."
This fascinating quotation comes from Lecomte du Nouy's "Human Destiny." It can be used to elucidate the concept of relativism; however, it puts a more optimistic spin on relativism than is typical.
Relativism maintains that there is no absolute truth. Every culture has its own agreed upon codes of morality. This is because there is no absolute truth: only cultural mores. Durkheim used several models to explain this phenomenon. One is the idea that if you look at a portrait in newspaper print, you see a portrait--at a normal scale of observation. If, however, you examine the print with a microscope, you will see black, white, and grey dots. At that scale of observation, there is no portarit. The existence of the portrait is depedent on one's scale of observation.
Here's another useful quote:
"On our scale of human observation, as pointed out before, the edge of a razor blade is a continuous line. On the microscopic scale, it is a broken but solid line. On the chemical scale we have atoms of iron and carbon. On the sub-atomic scale we have electrons in perpetual motion which travel at the rate of several thousand miles per second. All these phenomena are in reality the manifestations of the same basic phenomenon, the motions of the electrons. The only difference which exists between them is the scale of observation."
I like this analogy because it shows how, ultimately, there is a "true" scale of observation: the motion of electrons. (Wait a minute, isn't there Heidegger's Principle, which states that we can't pinpoint the location of electrons? I guess that would mess up my theory. I'll do a little more research.) Well, assuming that the motion of electrons is constant, the idea of stripping away incomplete scales of observation to finally arrive at the right one is interesting.
This fascinating quotation comes from Lecomte du Nouy's "Human Destiny." It can be used to elucidate the concept of relativism; however, it puts a more optimistic spin on relativism than is typical.
Relativism maintains that there is no absolute truth. Every culture has its own agreed upon codes of morality. This is because there is no absolute truth: only cultural mores. Durkheim used several models to explain this phenomenon. One is the idea that if you look at a portrait in newspaper print, you see a portrait--at a normal scale of observation. If, however, you examine the print with a microscope, you will see black, white, and grey dots. At that scale of observation, there is no portarit. The existence of the portrait is depedent on one's scale of observation.
Here's another useful quote:
"On our scale of human observation, as pointed out before, the edge of a razor blade is a continuous line. On the microscopic scale, it is a broken but solid line. On the chemical scale we have atoms of iron and carbon. On the sub-atomic scale we have electrons in perpetual motion which travel at the rate of several thousand miles per second. All these phenomena are in reality the manifestations of the same basic phenomenon, the motions of the electrons. The only difference which exists between them is the scale of observation."
I like this analogy because it shows how, ultimately, there is a "true" scale of observation: the motion of electrons. (Wait a minute, isn't there Heidegger's Principle, which states that we can't pinpoint the location of electrons? I guess that would mess up my theory. I'll do a little more research.) Well, assuming that the motion of electrons is constant, the idea of stripping away incomplete scales of observation to finally arrive at the right one is interesting.
posted by Kristin @ 1:42 PM
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