means, medians, middles, and centers vs. extremes, ranges, and spans
The ancient Greeks defined ten means in terms of the following proportions (see here): Let a > m > b > 0. Then m represents (1) the arithmetic mean of a and b if (2) the geometric mean of a and b if (3) the harmonic mean of a and b if (4) the contraharmonic […]
According to Aristotle (as noted here), the nature of virtue is to seek a mean or middle between extremes, which is an intermediate state between them. These contrary extremes are often called vices, but that implies the operation of evil, which is contradictory to the good, and should be completely rejected. It would be better
Wikipedia notes: The initial usage of the term capitalism in its modern sense has been attributed to Louis Blanc [a socialist] in 1850 and Pierre-Joseph Proudhon [an anarchist] in 1861. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels referred to the capitalistic system (kapitalistisches System) and to the capitalist mode of production (kapitalistische Produktionsform) in Das Kapital (1867).
The problems with the two extremes of government are well known. Monarchy, oligarchy, aristocracy, plutocracy, and the like are all forms of government in which one person or a small group of people have almost all the authority, land, power, wealth, etc. The problem is that either they are not necessarily wise or competent or
The contemporary world is characterized, among other things, by the cult of the expert. It is widely and officially accepted that the expert and only the expert can speak authoritatively on a given subject. So extensive is this cult that once someone has become a certified expert in one field, they are often assumed to
Evolutionists are extreme “lumpers” as far as classification goes: there is only one kind of life (or stuff) and all differences are a matter of degree. The problem for science is that differences of kind cannot be demonstrated unless one first accepts some criteria for differentiating them, which evolutionists won’t do because it would lead to the
History of Chemistry, Simplified The simplest universe has only one kind of substance, which was the first scientific theory, that of Thales (ca 585 BC) who stated that the origin of all matter is water. Then there was Anaximenes, who held that everything in the world is composed of air. Xenophanes said, It’s all Earth.
Means and extremes in classical mathematics have to do with proportions. If A is to B as C is to D, we write A : B :: C : D. This is ordered so that A is greater than or equal to B and C is greater than or equal to D. A and D are
The dialectic of extremes and means is a method of reasoning whereby one begins with extremes and reasons to means or vice versa. If one begins with means, these are considered as unanalyzed entities, attributes, propositions, etc. The goal is to work out the implications of them as principles or to analyze them into their
“Design” is one of those terms many people use but few define. Two aspects of design are: (1) to plan and (2) to make. An evolutionist might say that “nature made man” but would never say “nature planned man.” The theistic evolutionist might say “God planned man” but avoids saying “God made man” except in some
