31.8.07

hanged by Plato's rope.

Society, it seems to me, has a very effective mechanism for keeping people in line; if you say something people don't want to hear, then you're excluded from the conversation. I find that the more I study philosophy, the less possible it is to meaningfully discuss anything I care about with anyone else. I could say I feel like Benito Cereno, but you haven't read that either. The problem is that Socrate's message is a negative one. He is the wisest man alive because at least he realises his ignorance, which is to say if you think you know anything then you're wrong. It is a message that people don't want to hear, and once they had killed the messenger, it is a message which is largely ignored.

14 comments:

Matt said...

The thing is, sometimes it seems right to 'exclude the crazies.' Those who don't believe that the climate is changing, those who believe that intelligent design or creationism are true and/or good science... the problem is, as you've seen, what happens when you're the one on the outside?

I guess the correct answer is that we should give everyone a fair hearing, and evaluate all arguments purely on their (carefully pondered upon) merits. That's not something I'm particularly good at.

Maybe living it is the best way to converse? It's more difficult to ignore something when it's obviously working.

Rebel Heart said...

ironic though that those who do believe that the climate is changing are often the biggest hypocrites

http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2007/09/so_much_for_carbon_neutrality.html#comments

era said...

Ironic though that everything stan says is false because his only rhetoric device is the argumentum ad hominem fallacy.

Anonymous said...

read for yourself fool:

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0610/S00539.htm

compare with:

http://ca.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-08-30T191919Z_01_L30699785_RTRIDST_0_NEWS-CLIMATE-COL.XML&archived=False

era said...

Will I discover anything beyond the commonly known fact that all politicians are hypocrites?

Anonymous said...

you: everything stan says is false

me: those who do believe that the climate is changing are often the biggest hypocrites

you: the commonly known fact that all politicians are hypocrites

era said...

Irony!

Anonymous said...

interesting to note also, Matt:

SURVEY: LESS THAN HALF OF ALL PUBLISHED SCIENTISTS ENDORSE GLOBAL WARMING THEORY [6% to be exact]; COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY OF PUBLISHED CLIMATE RESEARCH REVEALS CHANGING VIEWPOINTS

http://epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Minority.Blogs&ContentRecord_id=b35c36a3-802a-23ad-46ec-6880767e7966

AJ said...

oh stanley...

Rebel Heart said...

oh AJ...

http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=7020

era said...

Stan, do you ever actually construct reasoned arguments, or do you just link propaganda and call people names?

Anonymous said...

ha you haven't posted a single original thought in your blog

era said...

I originally thought you might actually be intelligent, but like most original thoughts these days it was proven wrong.

Anonymous said...

what's up dumb fuck?