Accounting for Human Activity Through Physics

Accounting for human activity through physics does not require anything more than a switch of mind. Objectivity needs first to be recognized as an epistemological principle that should mostly be ignored when modelling human activity, lest it is decided that methods from physics should not apply to man out of principle. Secondly, it needs to be understood that two dimensions of human activity are specific at coordinating behaviour and should be regarded in earnest as of a physical nature. The notion of field is appropriate when referring to both language and the economy. Language needs to be analyzed as a field allowing "action at distance"; the way it provides the economy with its structuring process needs to be fully acknowledged and explained. After all why should the way mathematics is used to talk about people differ from the way it's used to talk about planets. (Sneed 1979: xxiii) Aristotle was a thorough-paced scientific man such as we see nowadays, except for thi...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2004
• Where: CAS
• Authors: Paul Jorion
• Keywords: CAS 2004, Epistemological Principle, Human Activity, Physics