From: Jeff Mitchell <quixoticsycophant@...>
Date: 2004-06-23T13:58:50+09:00
Subject: Re: A question about Class and Object

--- "Mehr, Assaph (Assaph)" <assaph@avaya.com> wrote:
[...]
> 
> HTH. If not try books by Wittgenstein, Godel and Chomsky.
> 

I'm glad you mentioned Godel; I was going to make a Godelian remark
but restrained myself.

It reminds me of the efforts of Russel and Whitehead to formulate set
theory in a way which was complete while also being consistent -- for
example being without self-reference paradoxes.  Can a set contain
itself?  To avoid self-reference, they constructed an elaborate
hierarchy of objects, meta-objects, meta-meta-objects, and so fourth.
Objects in one level were not allowed to make reference to objects in
the level above.

It all crumbled in 1931 when Godel published his paper, proving that
such a system was impossible -- you cannot be complete and consistent
at the same time.

The book "Godel, Escher, Bach" should be really required reading for
every individual.  Just the first thirty pages are enough to alter
your brain patterns forever :)  Strange Loops exist in the very heart
of language and logic.  I like to think of Object.class == Class.class
== Class as a kind of Strange Loop.




		
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