i Principi Astratti nella Natura &
I Principi Naturali nell'Astratto

in Italian: presentation at a conference organized by the town Dro (Trentino). November 2002.
SIZE: about 6.2 MB, download time about 5 minutes.

Abstract:

Nella natura ci sono alcuni principi che si esprimono negli eventi naturali. Questi principi non si rivelano nel modo diretto, ma solo analizzando gli eventi. Per questo motivo sono nominati astratti. Analizzando quadri cosiddetti "astratti", particolarmente quelli che non solo sono accettati dai cosiddetti esperti ma anche dal pubblico, si trovano gli stessi principi espressi in proporzioni di forme, colori e strutture. Per trovare queste strutture nei quadri astratti si devono prima conoscere i principi nella natura.
I principi si possono dividere in quelli che si esprimono
1) numeri e proporzioni numerici
2) forme geometriche
3) strutture che seguono le regole delle teorie di caos
All'inizio della relazione sono spiegati queste regole. Nell'ultimo capitolo sono analizzate alcune opere, usando le regole della prima parte.

Das Trennungsparadigma

Arbeitspapier  zum 27. Kongress von Frauen in Naturwissenschaft und Technik
Thema: "Wissen schaf(f)t Widerstand"

24. - 27. Mai 2001
Technische Universität Wien, Österreich

Abstrakt:

Die Naturwissenschaften pflegen, wie alle Organisationen die sich historisch aus patriarchalen Strukturen entwickelten (Polizei, Kirche, Militär), gewisse Dogmen. Diese Glaubensvorschriften dienen in erster Linie der Machterhaltung. Hinter diesen Dogmen liegt jedoch eine tiefere Struktur verborgen, ein Paradigma, das den Dogmen als Glaubensbasis dient. Das wirksamste davon ist das Trennungsparadigma. Es geht von der Illusion aus, dass zwei Objekte, im absoluten Sinn, hundertprozentig getrennt sein könnten. Interessanterweise widersprechen Ergebnisse moderner Naturwissenschaften dem Paradigma, das ihnen als Basis dient. Die Arbeit behandelt die Auswirkungen des Trennungsparadigmas im besonderen in den Bereichen Mathematik, Physik, Astronomie, Biologie, Psychologie, Medizin und Anthropologie.

(Literatur)

MODELL FÜR: INTER / ULTRA - SEX / GENDER
Die ökonomische Dimension von Gender

Diskussions-Papier zum Symposium  "Körper, Identität, Geschlecht"
Ethnologische Ansätze zur empirischen und theoretischen Konstruktion des Sexus

4. -6.4.1997 Institut für Éthnologie und Afrika-Studien
Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Mainz

Abstrakt:

 Theorien zur Analyse von Gender- und Sex-Konstruktionen verlangen ein mehrdimensionales Modell, um Multi-Gender Gesellschaften wissenschaftlich untersuchen zu können. Für WissenschaftlerInnen aus dem westlichen Kulturkreis, deren Primärsozialisation in dichotomen bipolaren Genderkategorien erfolgte, verlangt dieses Vorgehen besondere Sorgfalt. Die hier vorgestellten Modelle nehmen für sich in Anspruch, Kulturen mit beliebig großer Zahl an Gender-Formen (offene, geschlossene, fraktale, polare) analysieren zu können. Besonderes Augenmerk wird dabei auf die Machtfrage gestellt, da die Wertezuweisung sozialer, psychologischer und ökonomischer  Schemata weitgehend vom jeweiligen Machtblock kontrolliert wird.

NUMBERS AND GEOMETRICAL FORMS AS AN INTERCULTURAL LANGUAGE‘

Paper presented by A. C. Hofmann  for Euroseas 98 
at the University of Hamburg 3.9. – 6.9.1998

Abstract

Numbers are used in two different modes. One is for calculating, the other is symbolically. Studying different branches of sciences one comes to the conclusion that numbers as a symbol in most cases have the same values connected. Interestingly the same values show up in myths of all cultures. A similar connection can be made with geometrical forms.
The next question is, if one can be sure that in past times numbers as a symbol and geometrical forms possessed the same values as today, knowing that to the same form even opposite values can be connected as it is well known with the swastika.
As a counter-check one can use architecture in archaeology. There is a strong correlation between shapes of houses and rooms on one side and cultures based on violence or cooperation on the other side. That leads to the idea that in a certain way geometrical symbols work as an inter-cultural language. The composition of the symbols (two or three dimensional) follow an inter-cultural "grammar", reproduced in a similar way as language. In myths and in religious rites basic numeric and geometric symbols show up as configurations of action or events. Often they are used on a meta level, defining a dimension of 'deeper' meaning.
It can be shown that the same values show up in modern sciences and can be found in architecture too. As an excellent example for this statement serves art and architecture of Buddhism or Taoism.
Archaeological research in England, Ireland, Malta, Sardinia, North Africa, Middle East, or in the area of the American pre-Columbian cultures, support the statement that this theory holds international comparisons.

Theory of Symbols

NUMBERS AND GEOMETRICAL FORMS AS AN INTERCULTURAL 'LANGUAGE'

Paper presented by A. C. Hofmann 
for the 98 NIC Symposium on Intercultural Communication 
at the University of Göteborg 25.11. – 27.11.1998

Abstract

As a generalization it can be said that numbers are used in two different modes: 1) for calculating, 2) symbolically. In studying different branches of sciences one comes to the conclusion that numbers as symbols, in most cases, are connected to the same values and. Interestingly the same values show up in the myths of all cultures. A similar connection can be made with geometrical forms. 
The next question is, to determine if one can be sure that in past times numbers as symbols and geometrical forms possessed the same values as today, knowing that even opposite values can be connected to the same form as it is well known with the swastika. 
As a counter-check one can use architecture in archaeology. There is a strong correlation between the shapes of houses and rooms on the one hand and cultures based on violence or cooperation on the other side. This will be explained in this paper.
This leads to the idea that in a certain way, geometrical symbols can work as an inter-cultural language. 
The composition of the symbols (in two or three dimensions) follow an inter-cultural "grammar", reproduced in a way similar to language. In myths and in religious rites, basic numeric and geometric symbols show up as configurations of action or events. Often they are used on a meta level, defining a dimension of 'deeper' meaning. 
It can be shown that the same values show up in modern sciences and can be found in architecture too. An excellent example to support this statement is to be found in the art and architecture in Buddhism or Taoism. 
Archaeological research in England, Ireland, Malta, Sardinia, North Africa, the Middle East, or in the area of the American pre-Columbian cultures, supports the contention that this theory holds under international comparison.

A BOOTSTRAP THEORY OF NORM & DEVIANCE

PAPER FOR THE CONFERENCE:
NORMALITY AND PSYCHOPATHOLOGY IN THE LATE 20^th CENTURY

University of the Witwatersrand, Gauteng, South Africa. 
September 6^th - 9^th 1999

Conference paper for the chapter:
The philosophical underpinnings of 'the problem of pathology' in modernity; a general introductory section for more broad and theoretically-based critiques of the notion of pathology.

Abstract

"Norm" and "deviance" are defining each other, thus for an analysis one needs an outside agency to clear the context of these words. As a useful measure the contrast "natural" and "unnatural" will be used, as these concepts can be defined without any social, racial, political or economical bias.
Any individual acts as an unit. Most actions are based on choice. The number of choices vary from case to case and person to person.
Some actions will be new and unpredictable, some will be cyclic repetition of learned pattern. Both are necessary parts of daily life.
The above named characteristics fit the prerequisites for the Parity Transformation, the Theory of Catastrophe by Renè Thom, and the Baker Theory by Ilya Prigogine. Bound together in a bootstrap theory, they are useful to determine "natural" behaviour of cyclic systems, enclosing discrete and finite elements. The behaviour of the single element is not determined but still there will be a generalized conduct of the whole. In case of elements that are not human beings, this conduct can be defined as "natural", and one has a useful tool to measure "norm" and "deviance" in human behaviour independent of social bias.

Conflict Management

A BOOTSTRAP THEORY OF CONFLICTING VALUES: AN ANALYSIS OF NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL VALUES

Paper for the Symposium on Intercultural Communication. "Conflicting Values: An Intercultural Challenge" 18-20 November 1999, Oslo, Norway
NIC, Nordic Network for Intercultural Communication
Hosted by The Department of Intercultural Communication and Languages and The Norwegian School of Management BI

Abstract

Value conflict arises in case that two persons or groups insist on their opinion that a particular value given to a process, structure or object is the only one possible and the "right" one.
This theory states that there are two entirely different processes possible. One is called "natural", the other "normal" or "artificial" process. Values can be assigned to both. The contrast to it are "un-natural" and "deviate" processes.
Common values of natural processes can be deducted by observation of natural cycles. Features of natural processes can be defined without any social, racial, political or economical bias with the help of certain mathematical tools as there are: the Theory of Chaos, the Theory of Catastrophe by Renè Thom, and the Baker Theory by Ilya Prigogine. These theories are useful to determine "natural" behaviour of cyclic systems enclosing discrete and finite elements and they are selected because they fit also the requisites for social sciences. The behaviour of the single element (person, individual) is not determined, there is free choice, but still there will be a generalized conduct of the whole (culture, society, group).

In case of value conflict, the theory offers several models to determine if the assigned values are given to natural or artificial processes or structures. In the first case one can state that there will be a solution for the conflict, following this direction.

In general there are three proportions possible

1)
2)
 3)

 3)

In general, the probability of a value conflict is low in case a high number of value choices is given. The less choices are offered, the more a system is prone to create problems and value conflicts.

Definition von ‚Zeit‘ und ‚Raum‘ auf axiomatischer Basis.
Konsequenzen und Schlussfolgerungen.

Arbeitspapier für die "Deutsche Physikerinnentagung"
11.11.-14.11.1999 in Heidelberg

Abstract:

Mit drei einfachen Axiomen lässt sich eine Definition von ‚Zeit‘ aufstellen, die nicht nur in der Physik Gültigkeit hat, sondern auch in den Humanwissenschaften anwendbar ist.  Mit Hilfe dieser Definition und mit der von EINSTEIN und MINKOWSKY vorgeschlagenen Formel läßt sich ‚Raum‘ jeder Dimensionsgröße ableiten. Führt man diesen Algorithmus konsequent aus, so führt dies zur Konstruktion von Hyperräumen die andere Eigenschaften aufweisen als die bisher postulierten, die aber diejenigen Widersprüche vermeiden, welche bisher zwischen Experiment und Theorie aufgetreten sind, besonders im Bereich der Quantenoptik.

Diese Konstruktion erlaubt auch einen neuen Ansatz zur Erklärung der Gravitation. Der Fehler bisheriger Theorien lag in einer irrigen Vorstellung der geometrischen Form eines vier-dimensionalen Hyperraums. Zur Untermauerung der Aussage lässt sich mit obigem Ansatz die Formel für die Gravitation direkt ableiten, ohne dass man sich dabei auf Experimente bezieht. Als weitere Nebeneffekte dieser alternativen Zeit-Raum-Konstruktion erhält man Antwort auf die Fragen:
·        Warum findet man keine freien Quarks?
·        Unterschiedliche Rotverschiebung bei Doppelsternsystemen?
·        Scheinbar supraluminale Effekte (Versuche von Kwiat, Chiao und Steinberg)?
·       Warum gibt es die Wechselwirkung des neutralen Stroms?
·        Wie entsteht der Tunneleffekt?
·        Was bedeutet die Zahl 137?