The following column was written by the Founder of Post-Science after Milton Friedman's lecture on "Chinese Economic Reform" to the Chinese students in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1988:
The following column was written by the Founder of Post-Science after Milton Friedman's lecture on "Chinese Economic Reform" to the Chinese students in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1988:
Post-Science Institute proposes that planning for a finite period be replaced by that for an infinite period of time, and Marxism, by Maximum Planning, which proposes that the central government planning should stimulate, not suffocate, the Free Market individual planning. The overall goal of Maximum Planning is to maximize value for the world as a whole. Although both are moving toward Maximum Planning, Karl Marx directly endorses planning, and Milton Friedman's Free Market might give the future generations the wrong impression of anti-planning. Friedman lived a comfortable life, and two of six children of Marx died of malnutrition, for Friedman was timely and Marx attempted to be timeless. Theirs will be lessons for future generations of intellectuals in deciding whether they want to enjoy their lives on earth or in heaven.
Post-Science Institute backs up most of its solutions with rigorous analyses. Both Friedman and Marx use a primitive method of derivation or discovery which can be roughly described as dialogue. Many past thinkers since Plato have used the method in their initial search for truth. And the method could be the most effective and, possibly, the only method for the initial discovery of a solution. The Infinite Spreadsheet is mathematically rigorous. For example, the Infinite Spreadsheet has, say, 50 variables and 50 equations. Then Friedman is dealing with 50 variables and 49 equations, and Marx, 50 variables and 48 equations. When the number of equations equals the number of variables, the system is deterministic. Friedman represents most of the current social scientists, who are allowed to work with non-deterministic problems. Marx is still in the exploratory stage of social science. Friedman must and often is able to think through all the 49 equations, using his "infinite" mind, instead of the Infinite Spreadsheet, for every problem he addresses.
By now the effect of the three types of thinking can be examine theoretically and empirically. By observing the current state of world economy, Marx has failed and Friedman has brought prosperity to many economies which follow his advice. But, most economies are still plagued by chronicle economic instabilities, such as the US Savings and Loan Crisis. With its quantitative relationship of the inflation rate, the interest rate, and the rate of return, the Infinite Spreadsheet will be needed to prevent future economic instabilities. The Infinite Spreadsheet is the only system which can calculate the rate of return based on all the factors effecting the price.
Therefore, Freidman is very accurate in his predictions. Friedman, as well as Marx, engages in almost endless verbal debates with his friends and adversaries on the non-deterministic system. While Marx can only point out the rough direction of the solution, Friedman can provide the correct qualitative solution, and the Infinite Spreadsheet the correct quantitative solution. As social science moves from Friedman to Marx to the Infinite Spreadsheet, it is gradually reaching its goal of the creation of a rational world. [CYL]