Re: Philosophy underlying LO? LO322
Mariann Jelinek (mxjeli@facstaff.wm.edu)
Sat, 4 Mar 1995 08:56:24 -0500
Fred Reed's comments 3/3/95 (LO298) regarding predictability and
formal system limits are apropos; I share his discomfort at the notion of
mathematical predictability in living systems. Yet there's a problem of
levels here, and of different kinds of "predictability." IMHO, we're
contending over differences among predictability as "determinism" (wholly
accurate, no way out predictability), and "stochastic" predictability .
where we _CAN_ meaningfully talk about central tendencies and general
trends in, say, a population, even though any individual within it is
fundamentally _UNpredictable_.
Sam
MXJELI@MAIL.WM.EDU
Mariann Jelinek
Richard C. Kraemer Professor of Business
Graduate School of Business,
College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185
Tel. (804) 221-2882 FAX: (804) 229-6135