[Xmca-l] Re: Leontyev's activities

[Martin Packer]

Bridgman, yes. But what are defined operationally are variables - defined in terms of their measurement operations - not entities, such as a molecule. In Einsteinian physics durations and lengths are precisely defined in terms of observations of clocks and rulers.

Martin

On Aug 8, 2013, at 8:59 PM, Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net> wrote:

> So far as I know we are indebted to Percy Bridgman for the idea of the requirement of "opeational definition" of concepts.
> http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/us/bridgman.htm
> If you search for "operation" in Einstein's reply to criticisms (from Bridgman):
> http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/einstein/works/1940s/reply.htm
> I think this is a view which the Marxist Leontyev would agree with.
> Molecules existed in chemical and physical theory long before one could speak of an "operational definition" of a molecule.
> 
> Andy
> 
> Huw Lloyd wrote:
>> On 9 August 2013 00:26, Martin Packer <mpacker@uniandes.edu.co> wrote:
>> 
>>  
>>> Huw,
>>> 
>>> I dont know how literally you're using the term, but the notion of
>>> "operational definition" is very much part of theory of science of logical
>>> positivism. I don't think you're going to find much of that in Leontyev.
>>> 
>>> Martin
>> I mean simply how the experimental paradigm(s) reflects the concept.
>> 
>> Seems odd to eschew a phrase that yields additional ways of knowing, e.g.
>> a working definition, a test based definition, conceptual, etc.
>> 
>> Best,
>> Huw
> 
> 
>