© Roger M Tagg 2009 revised 2010
Welcome to FROLIO – a new attempt to merge philosophy and the "semantic web" . This website is under continuing development.
Whatever we think is almost entirely aligned with one or more models. I define a model (in this context) as a pattern of thought that a) enables us to communicate our ideas with other people and b) simplifies the more complex situation that we observe.
| Type of model | Examples |
|---|---|
| Fashion models – representing what you might ideally hope to look like | Human models, mannequins in shop windows |
| Physical models - for experiment or play | Model airplanes and ships, wind tunnels, molecule models, toys |
| Maps | Geographical, geological, navigational, astronomical, economic |
| Schematic drawings | Architectural, machinery, self-assembly, maintenance |
| Hierarchies | Organisation charts (who theoretically reports to whom) |
| Diagrams in general | Many gome good examples in the Penguin Atlas of World History |
| Financial accounts, statistics, tabulations, forecasts | Double entry book-keeping |
| Economics environment | Keynes, Adam Smith, supply and demand, neo-liberalism |
| Process models | Critical path networks, business process models, flowcharts, computer programs, the "method" part of cooking recipes |
| Mathematics | Simple arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, calculus, logic |
| Statistics | Probability theory, sampling |
| Scientific theories | Newton, Einstein, Darwin, medicine, astronomy, Quantum theory |
| Models of the natural environment | Ecology theories, climate change theories |
| Languages (putting whatever we sense or think into a pattern of vocal sounds or written characters) | Spoken and written languages of human groups; computer programming languages; Morse code; naval flag (semaphore) code |
| Dictionaries, thesauri, ontologies (expressing structures of meaning) | Dictionary terms and their related phrases; thesaurus terms and their synonyms; ontology concepts and relationships |
| Religious orthodoxies | Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism - together with their creeds and doctrines |
| Mythologies, fairy stories, fables, sagas | Greek, Roman, Hindu or Teutonic pantheons; Aesop's fables, Norse sagas, mediaeval bestiaries, nursery rhymes, Alice in Wonderland, Narnia, Middle Earth, Da Vinci Code |
| Philosophical systems | Leibniz's monads; Hegel's dialectical materialism; Pragmatism; Existentialism, Rationalism (the idea that everything can be explained by logic) |
| Sociological theories and systems | Utilitarianism, Marxism |
Psychological theories |
Freud, Jung, Adler, Cognitive theories |
Most of us don’t need to spend time thinking about these models. But we usually have a need to find some simple models that we can go along with. For many people, simple arithmetic and simple religion are enough. Inevitably, we all have to trust that some authority is not deceiving us for their own ends.
Of course, different models will sometimes clash. One cannot simultaneously believe both Darwin and a literal reading of the Bible’s book of Genesis. Einstein clashes with Newton, but maybe not by enough to worry about for most purposes.
Is any one model just as good as any other? I would say no, because one can eventually get good enough evidence to say that either one model can’t possibly be right (e.g. that the earth is flat), or that one model accords much better with human experience than another.
There are times when cultures experience a reaction against some of the more complex models. In the 1980s and 1990s there was a backlash against science and mathematical models, with some groups preferring traditional folk wisdom, alternative medicine and religious fundamentalism.
It is a feature of models that, because they only partially represent what we can observe or experience, we can never say that they are ever 100% accurate.
We can also think of models in terms of how we operate our lives. Some examples are:
| Nickname | Explanation | Slogan, club song |
|---|---|---|
| “Chicken Little” | The world is a pretty frightening place, so let’s keep our heads down and avoid all the dangers | Avoid all risks |
| “Fast lane” | There are lots of things to enjoy, get out and do them, even if we occasionally fall off the rails | “There’s such a lot of living to do” |
| “Ongoing struggle” | Nothing comes easy, we have to grit our teeth and get on with it | “Keep right on to the end of the road” |
| “Laid back” | Why give ourselves a hard time, let's sit back and take things as they come | Effort gets you nowhere; “Lazybones” |
| "No problem" | Pretending that the risks do not exist | "She'll be right" |
| “Headless chicken | If we are not flat out, we are not pulling our weight | Don’t stop me, I’m too busy |
| “Look after no. 1" | It’s no use relying on anyone else, we have to look after ourselves first | “Self-preservation society”, “You have to pick a pocket or two” |
Some peoples' models, while simple, may have their down sides.
| Slogan | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| Take our views from the media (TV, Women's magazines etc) | The media get most of their revenue from advertising, and they want to put us in the mood to buy things. They may also be influenced by big business interests, governments etc. |
| Life is a matter of what material things we have, or can buy | Advertisers and vendors are not there for our benefit; what will we do if a serious financial crisis hits us? |
| We can always throw more work onto other people | Even if they are willing, as they near the limit, their quality of life suffers, and usually the quality of the work done; resentment increases |
| More money = more happiness | More money may ease difficulties, but once you have enough it makes less difference, and you have to find other people to impress |
| “Growth” is always good | Infinite growth isn’t sustainable – we eventually hit limits or downturns. Even cancer cells eventually kill their host |
| It’s best if we all recognise a common enemy | We are fooled into avoiding recognising our own shortcomings. Remember the Nazis and Jews. |
| A quick fix is best | It usually means putting off until later what really needs to be fixed |
| It’s all a matter of luck | Chance certainly comes into play, but good luck is often due to good management and effort, and having a “Plan B”. It's the other way round for bad luck. |
| Never dob in our mates | There has to be a limit to staunchness if our mates are really doing bad things |
| Pyramid schemes, chain letters | Like unlimited growth, the population gets exhausted, and the people later in the chain resent those that got them into it |
| Pretend there isn’t a problem, bluffing through crises | It's better to be pretty sure that we will succeed, otherwise the result is far worse than if we had come clean and admitted the problems or risks |
| Gossip never did anyone any harm | Magazines who deal in gossip about the stars often damage the stars’ private lives. Gossiping about people we know can harm them and can rebound on us. |
In any life model, it's the motivation that is often what’s most important. Here are a few examples:
| Usually laudable motives | Not so laudable motives |
|---|---|
| Business continuity | Government/party/individual re-election |
| National security | My career |
| Cultural identity, difference from “the other lot” | Our profits |
| Peace, a quiet life | Our lifestyle |
| Business confidence | National ambitions (e.g. Lebensraum, Greater Serbia, British Empire) |
| Public trust | Personal ambitions |
| Smooth the ups and downs (sometimes keeping 2 sets of accounts) |
However it is not usually that simple – institutions often manipulate motives so that they seem laudable.
In my opinion, appreciation of the models we commonly use should be taught as an essential life skill. Obviously, simpler folk may be happier with simpler models. But multiple models not necessarily bad - they help us make the best of life
Index to more of these diatribes
Some of these links may be under construction – or re-construction.
This version updated on 25th May 2010
If you have constructive suggestions or comments, please contact the author rogertag@tpg.com.au .