Re: [Phys-L] The Poincare version? of Hypotheses non fingo

["John Clement" <clement@hal-pc.org>]

All of the arguments against a causality interpretation ignore the way that
people actually think.  While matematically speaking the equation does not
imply causality, it can be helpful to students to think in terms of
causality.  They already have a causal link between force and velociy that
must be moved over to a causal link between force and acceleration.  Changes
in thinking work by taking existing paradigms and modifying them to fit new
situations.  Overlaying them with different abstract representations does
not change the existing underlying structure.  There is a developmental
process that needs to be followed.

I suggest that treating equations as just a math game produces weak
understanding of the physical processes.  Unfortunately that is what most
math and physics courses currently do.  There is also the factor that
students who test below formal operational can not understand the fine
distinctions involved in causality and equations.  I would suggest that
metaphysics can be useful.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


> This quote is very similar comments from a regular on PHYS-L 
> over the years (JD) who has argued forcefully against 
> interpreting an equality as l.h.s. causes r.h.s or 
> vice-versa; e.g. against interpreting   F=ma  as F causes a.
>
> JR
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Phys-l [mailto:phys-l-bounces@phys-l.org] On Behalf Of 
> Bernard Cleyet
> Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2014 4:04 PM
> To: Forum Physics Educators
> Subject: [Phys-L] The Poincare version? of Hypotheses non fingo
>
> "When we say force is the cause of motion we talk 
> metaphysics, and this definition, if we were content with it, 
> would be absolutely sterile. For a definition to be of any 
> use, it must teach us to *measure* force; moreover, that 
> suffices; it is not at all necessary that it teach us what 
> force is *in itself*, nor whether it is the cause or the 
> effect of motion."
>     - Henri Poincare (1905)
>
>
> bc,  doesn't know where he found it.  
>
> Translation of the included paragraph:
>
> Hypotheses non fingo - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypotheses_non_fingo
>
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