Talk:Reflexivity (social theory)
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[edit] Analogy to the uncertainty principle
This article says:
- "Reflexivity is, therefore, a methodological issue in the social sciences analogous to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle in Quantum Mechanics."
The observer effect article says:
"The Heisenberg uncertainty principle is frequently, but incorrectly, confused with the "observer effect", as it relates precision in measurements related to to changes in velocity and position of certain particles relative to the perspective the observer takes on them."
I believe reflexivity is analogous to the observer effect, not to the uncertainty principle. 129.241.11.201 14:49, 4 April 2006 (UTC)
- - Fair enough. But it is analogous to what people usually think of as the critical distinction between classical and quantum mechanics, and associate with the Heisenberg uncertainty principle - the notion that the observer is inherently part of the system. I think that the way it is makes the necessary point best, even though it might be technically incorrect to QM purists. I was certainly taught the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle in such a restrictive fashion when I studied QM - the fact that making an observation affected the system was always a central aspect to the point. If you feel strongly about it though, change it to refer to the observer effect in the article. The main point is to connect it with the fundamental difference between classical mechanics and QM - that the observer is not independent of the experiment, and observations may affect the system being observed. LMackinnon 13:20, 12 April 2006 (UTC)
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- How about you this article just drops the analogy altogether? Ewlyahoocom 13:26, 12 April 2006 (UTC)
- The Uncertainty Principle as an analogy for reflexivity (as popularised by George Soros) is patently false and misleading, and betrays a profound lack of understanding of quantum physics. The uncertainty principle is not some kind of mechanical consequence of observation that affects the observed particle's momentum - quantum mechanics goes much, much deeper than this and is profoundly counter-intuitive. The observer effect is a far more correct analogy. Another possible analogy would be Godel's Incompleteness Theorem - while by no means a close analogy, at least (unlike quantum mechanics) Godel's Theorem has recursive characteristics Dorado 06:25, 4 September 2006 (UTC)
[edit] Rewrite of first sections needed.
The opening paragraph is about grammer not social theory. It needs to be deleted and an approp intro based on the stuff after the first heading. Alan Liefting 05:20, 23 October 2006 (UTC)
