Saturday, January 15, 2005

THE PRINCIPLE OF FRUGALITY, "Ockam's Razor."

"Ockham’s razor" is
the law of economy, or
parsimony, or frugality
, meaning
"entities are not to be multiplied
beyond necessity."

Ref. Ency. Brit. 475, Micropedia.

. . .Principle of William of Ockham
who altho he did not invent it,
mentioned it so often that it became
known as "Ockham’s razor."

It is a a fine and perceptive principle
used in medieval Scholasticism
and science, as did Galileo in
defending the simplest hypothesis of the heavens

(Oposed at the time by all of organized religion
and suppositions of revelation based on a
literal interpretation of the bible, and there
fore he was condemned and restricted to his
home for the rest of his life by Roman Catholic authorities.)

It is applied both in biology and philosophy,
e.g., "no action should be interpreted in terms
of a higher psychical faculty when a lower
faculty suffices."

The principle can be widely applied:
Keep it simple, Stupid, KISS
Good writing is to the point, concise and clear.
Likewise good speaking, i.e., "Don't beat around the bush."
and you the reader will find other applications.

One conclusion: If quantum physics finds that the very basis of all reality, as far as one can push science to discover is "particles constantly in motion, which appear and disappear without explanation,"
therefore, the most fundamental FACT of nature is "relational aliveness,"
then why should we need further name for Ultimate Reality, than
"Relational Aliveness."

Ockham's razor!



Friday, January 14, 2005

LEARNING THEORY how we learn?

Today's challenge is to incorporate technology into the learning process while retaining the best of the Wisdom teachers of the past. The great teachers used story and metaphor, interactive dialogue and the Socratic method of questioning.

The aim was to empower the individual from the inside out. "E-ducare: (Latin) to lead out from within." The best educators have also stressed that we learn by doing, by acting.

The world has changed from Descartes' proposition, "I think, therefore I am," to our current axiom "We participate, therefore we are." Meaning "When we participate, we discover who we are and that we belong."

For the non-traditional student who already brings much life experience and some wisdom to the classroom, this is a fitting guideline for both teacher and student, to put as much emphasis on participation as the transfer of knowledge from a textbook.

How is knowledge being applied in the business world? The world is now changing so fast that no one can keep up with it. What works today will probably not work tomorrow. Therefore Knowledge Management (KM) is a new focus for organizations and business. "The blend of KM and e-learning initiatives is on every CLO (Chief Learning Officer) agenda these days."

The challenge for organizational effectiveness is "instant sharing and flow of strategic information, or knowledge, seamlessly through all channels of the organization, ensuring a well-informed workforce that can react to the vagaries of the new economy." Website www.learningpost.com

It is not coincidental that one new definition of Ultimate Reality emerging from Quantum Physics and Quantum Theology is "Relational Aliveness." This suggests that when we are inside a personal "zone" or an attitude of "Relational Aliveness," we are already inside Ultimate Reality.

A theory or a philosophy of education then becomes a theology of education and even a spirituality for living. Interesting "razor's edge" thinking today.