D

Simon Paynton wrote:
@davis – what’s your view of the mess that the modern Left seem to have got themselves into?

There are three different questions in your text, so let me adress them separately:

The mess that we have gotten ourselves into, is turning political conversations into “the left” and “the right”. It’s mostly the fault of pol…[Read more]

@davis – what’s your view of the mess that the modern Left seem to have got themselves into?  Everyone seems to be locked down and afraid to move in case they get accused of being sexist, racist and homophobic.  Jordan Peterson apparently believes they’ve been abusing a distorted version of Post Modernism.  To me, it just looks like an awful pi…[Read more]

I’ll eventually respond to @Davis‘ question about my Critical Thinking class, but want to mention that in that class today we watched a Frontline (PBS) production on the conviction and execution of a man in Texas who (in hindsight) shouldn’t have been convicted, much less executed. The hysteria in that town extended (imo) as far up the legal…[Read more]

@davis – “anti terrorists hawks, radical free market small government capitalists, rational atheist college boy rapey behaviour, woman hating pick up artists, spouse abusers”

– I agree, all of that crappy stuff we get instead of religion, sucks.  Religious people mock atheists (and so do other atheists) as soon as anything religion-like…[Read more]

Reg the Fronkey Farmer wrote:
@davis – while a “Like” button does not exist I have conceptualized one and press it regarding your recent responses.

Now the real question is: are like buttons entities that can exist without humans?

@Davis – while a “Like” button does not exist I have conceptualized one and press it regarding your recent responses.

@davis – I agree with your point, that is, genuine discrimination and aggression exist.  But also, on top of that, there are professional provocateurs (e.g. Antifa, the alt-right) who spend all day, every day, winding the situation up for their own benefit.  So, the sad thing is that people’s genuine voices get lost and ignored.

@Davis – It is about as likely as a building keeping its essence all its bricks have been knocked down.

I am sure you were thinking of the Ship of Theseus when you wrote that line.

Also @davis I get your point about the difference between criticising and insulting.  The first is valid, necessary, and has to be done respectfully, without doing the second, but a lot of people conveniently don’t recognise the difference.

I think that everyone thinks their own way of doing things is sacred – actually God-divined.  The extent o…[Read more]

@davis – I feel it’s an interesting point that you make, that shows up a connection between culture and religion.  People within an entrenched culture don’t like insiders criticising that culture, because it rocks the boat.  Many cultures are very conservative, and when under threat from outside, just get more conservative.  When the culture wa…[Read more]

Daniel W. wrote:
@davis, nicely thought out and composed response. Im very liberal, I think, and fearful about the current US and world political paradigm shifts. But I cant handle the politically correct and academic left in the US. I don’t know where that leaves me.

I call that being liberal but not to the point of stupidity.

@davis – “The ethical reasons why we do things”

– that subgroup of reasons for doing something, that can be called “ethical reasons”.  This depends what we mean by ethical.

I would say that all of those other situations you list would come under either “instincts” or “how to get something done” or both.  I think that as with moral philosophy i…[Read more]

@davis Their frustration should not be simply dismissed as silly. +1

@davis – “What is the difference between a model created from empirical observation vs. a model presented as a hypothetical thought experiment? How can you validate a hypothetical model in a way that “appears” to be correct?”

– you could say that empirical observation, factual knowledge, and model-building go together to make a complex exp…[Read more]