First, PoincarĂ© was careful not to accept logical, formal proofs as truth or a working model of reality. He viewed logic as an organizing structure which could grow without feedback from the real world and lead to erroneous conclusions. This (idea) not only confronts some areas of mathematics, but also questions the very earliest philosophical basis for Western thinking. Everything, including that construct which we call 'logic', is questionable. Today's logic may be tomorrow's superstition. I admire PoincarĂ© for his lack of complacency and his ability to accept conflicting facts as a means to a larger truth. He does not seek to create a neat and orderly model of the universe, but a dynamic one which has room for inconsistencies and growth. A perfectly organized, logical system of thought must be a closed system which does not allow contact with the chaotic, ultimately unpredictable real world, so a logical system then is an inherently flawed and limited model of reality. Second, Poincaré recognized that
to rely entirely on logic was to accept restrictions not only
in the accuracy of the model, but also to accept a limited number
of solutions to a problem. The range of acceptable possibilities
is always larger than the set produced by deductive reasoning. These ideas are familiar to Zen and Eastern mystical thinking, but they seem rather peculiar in the writing of a Western mathematician. Dogmatic, deterministic thinking is the basis of Western religions, governments, and institutions. In order to protect his credibility, the pastor, the politician and the teacher often become the purveyors of absolute, and thus inaccurate, truths. Deterministic, linear thinking is the hallmark of the status quo and power brokers; chaos and free thinking are the purview of revolutionaries. What does this have to do with design? Each design contains an inherent political statement about not only the designer, but also his expectations of his audience. Design can reflect the control of man over nature or it can reflect man in the context of an unpredictable universe. Design addresses not only aesthetic and utilitarian issues, but also issues of morality and world view. The progress of design theory, like the progress of scientific theories has profound political and philosophical implications. When the Nazis invaded northern Italy and Austria among the first of the intelligentsia to be eliminated were the printers and typographers. Finally, Poincaré believed in the
power of intuition. Intuition is seen as an unconscious or even
mystical phenomena. This is a philosophical issue which one either
accepts or does not accept. It is an issue separate and apart
from the limitations of logic. Chance processes should not be
confused with intuitive processes. They have different, though
not necessarily conflicting, philosophical assumptions. The use
of chance process assumes that the logical mind is not powerful
enough to encompass all possibilities. The use of intuitive process
assumes that the mind has certain abilities which cannot be defined
by logical constructs. I am willing to accept both of these assumptions
in the context of this thesis. I think, however, it is important
to distinguish between chance and intuition. If one does not
want intuition to interfere in a chance process, then one must
construct morphological systems which minimize human choice.
If one wishes to express intuition, then mechanisms may be built
into a morphological system which allow choice and preference.
The computer possesses some characteristics
which make it uniquely suited for carrying out chance procedures.
It can be precise in its ability to measure without accumulating
errors as measures are based on one another (a draftsman must
periodically cross-check his work and average the differences).
Unlike a camera, it can replicate an image indefinitely, making
changes between duplicates, with no degradation of resolution
or color. It is also possible to replicate, modify and measure
in an unstructured mode, and to allow random changes within very
precise parameters.
A computer also allows us to trace our steps and go back to previous
compositions, to look for solutions in branching patterns rather
than linear process. The drawback to this is that it is still
easy to rely on one successful solution and modify it almost
indefinitely. This tendency has resulted in a lot of flashy computer
graphics which look disturbingly similar to one another. The
desire to go in new directions is not enough, intelligence and
insight are not enough, one must eventually look for those new
directions in some place other than our own limited intellects
or the mass culture. We have compared three basic systems for
creative problem-solving: logic, intuition, and chance. A proper
problem-solving process should have room for all three components
to function and a means for controlling those functions. copyright 2006, M. Blair Ligon, all rights reserved worldwide.
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