ontology vs epistemology

["Roberto Poli" <***>]

Tim,
I discovered and read your web page a couple of days ago. I really enjoyed
your presentation of Rosen's ideas. I nevertheless run into a problem and
would like to discuss it with you (and the other participants to the list).
Since the question is of a general nature, I think it is proper to discuss
it publicly on the list.
The last line of the table explaining the differences between simple and
complex systems ( in the section "Complexity in a nutshell" ) claims that:
for simple systems "Epistemology subsumes ontology"
for complex systems: "Epistemology (is) generally distinct from ontology"
The subsequent "inverted" table claims that
For simple systems "Epistemology must coincide with ontology"
for complex systems "Epistemology can vary from ontology"

The first apparent problem is that the two descriptions/definitions regarding
simple systems are not equivalent (being coincident and being subsumed by
are not the same relation). As a matter of fact, this is not a deep problem
and can be easily remedied.

The real problem concerns the connection between epistemology and ontology
as far as complex systems are concerned. It seems to me that two major options
are possible: either epistemology and ontology are simply different or ontology
subsumes epistemology (as I tend to believe). The third possibility, that
epistemology subsumes ontology, will transform complex systems into simple
ones and is therefore comparable to the definition you have given. Which
of the two is better remains to be seen.

The whole matter is rather difficult and different thinkers have seen the
problem in opposite ways. As far as I know Rosen never discussed in great
details the connections between epistemology and ontology. It would therefore
be helpful to collect the passages in which he analyzed/discussed the problem.
Do you remember where the evidence for the claims you have made in your
tables came from?

Cheers, r
*************************************
Dr Roberto Poli, PhD
Editor-in-chief of Axiomathes, Kluwer:
http://www.kluweronline.com/issn/1122-1151
Papers and other information
http://www.mitteleuropafoundation.it
preferred e-mail: ***