From phm@a2e.de  Fri May 11 08:52:06 2001
From: phm@a2e.de (PILCH Hartmut)
Date: Fri, 11 May 2001 09:52:06 +0200 (CEST)
Subject: [Patents] Philosophers!
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.32.0105110926320.16197-100000@owl.doc.ic.ac.uk>
Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.4.31.0105110943030.32304-100000@querty.oas.a2e.de>

> >    As an antidote to some of the non-scientific thinking appearing
> >here, what follows are the abstract, and one paragraph from the
> >conclusion, of a journal article from a European philosopher that pure
> >mathematical algorithms should be patentable,

> Since when were philosophers the people to ask when deciding matters of
> economic policy?

Having read the Laat article, I can confirm that it completely lacks
economic reasoning.  It just points out some inconsistencies of patent
dogma and some possibilities of solving these.

However consistency is important and philosophers do have a role in
finding appropriate guidelines for economic policy.  Economists often miss
basic points, and some famous economists like F.J. Hayek never became
tired to point out that economics is an extension of philosophy.

> Show me a report from an economist that argues it would be beneficial,
> on balance, to grant patent monopolies on mathematical discoveries and
> algorithms.

It would not be impossible to set up this kind of economic argumentation,
especially if you, as many economists tend to do, stick to some
unrealistic assumptions about the practise of patenting and omit some
important questions due to lack of philosophical sophistication.

> Also, I don't think any set of arguments is more 'scientific' than
> another.  Matters of government policy are not usually decided in a
> 'scientific' manner; they necessarily involve compromise.

Scientific: enriched with references to advanced knowledge of natural
  	sciences or "hightech" so as to make up for logical flaws and
	create an authoritarian/religious aura that deters people from
	criticising those flaws.

Human language has such a stunning tendency to become "Orwellian", even in
the mouth of those who don't hold much power ...

-phm



