Philosophical thought: Humans are model builders. When we perceive the world around us, we build models to explain the instances occurring. Some people are content to make a model and apply it without testing its value regularly. This can lead to many issues of prejudice as one has prejudged future situations and individuals based on this untested model. Modeling can also lead to prejudice if one only test the model on the limited, readily available data. For instance, a black slave owner would believe that black people were less intelligent by their nature simply by examining the black people around them who worked on plantations and only served in menial labor tasks. Looking at only that evidence, one would feel safe about having vetted ones opinion against the real world and thus having a well informed opinion. Taking it a step further, if one opens ones model up to all data and then throws out data that disagrees with ones assessment, the result will be an opinion that other can latch on to because it contains truth, but it will be incomplete. Some would refer to this as a simplistic model, since it explains some issues, but not all. Finally, one could get to the kind of modeling that is able to account for any data thrown at it (a complete model, in mathematical terms), one that has something to say on any situation it can be applied to. The model may still get incorrect results based on a faulty axiom or assumption that was made along the way, but at the very least, it will appear highly logical in nature. If one wishes to test the merit of a model, one only need to examine the predictions made by the model and compare real world examination (made in as unbiased of a fashion as possible) against these predictions. If the model and real world observation match, then it is safe to trust the model a bit more, and if they disagree then the model needs some form of alteration in order to be able to make predictions that are more accurate.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 19:18:30 +0000
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