Gregg R Thomas

_Robert_ wrote:
I doubt today’s analytical philosophers are so rigid as if they walk around thinking like Spock or something.

It seems like a difference between North and South Europeans – between Protestant, reserved, logical “Nords” and Catholic, florid, demonstrative, warm Latins*.

* as we Nords would see it – excitable.

OK, Reg enough popcorn. This is great.

Reg the Fronkey Farmer wrote:
Continental vs Analytic Philosophy: Definitions & Differences.

This is very interesting.  Continental philosophy seems very, well, foreign, until I remember that punk “philosophy” was influenced by the Situationists who were of the French school.  I think the thrust of their argument was that we experience life as a…[Read more]

Reg the Fronkey Farmer wrote:
I still fear that Trump can win.

All that, and one has to make a binary choice in November.

I still fear that Trump can win. If Harris can keep the honeymoon going and also let the voters hear more of her actual policies, without the rhetoric, then I think she will have a much better chance.  If Trump can’t keep himself in check during the debate and Harris displays a diplomat…[Read more]

Thanks, Reg!

The complexities of one’s groups come to the fore at election time. One might have to weigh how one feels about the current administration’s policies on Israel’s handling of Hamas vs. their handling of Russia vs. Ukraine vs. China’s wanting hegemony over East Asian trade routes, but then want to rein in military spending in order to spend more on…[Read more]

Have a great week everyone!!

Christians think nothing of condemning nonbelievers to eternal suffering, but will forgive the most atrocious crimes committed by themselves.

–Ignots Pistachio

Unseen wrote:
What is the logic of in-group bias?

The logic of in-group bias is that I depend on all my group-members to help me live.  I don’t depend on out-group members, who may well be competitors.

Groups are nested and intersecting.  So, like you say, there are circles of concern and ever-larger groups that I belong to.  We can belong to ma…[Read more]

Romeo dies??? Well I guess I won’t be watching that movie then.

Since there’s no way to get rid of groups, since only groups can cooperate (internally) – there’s no way, in this competitive world, to get rid of in-group bias and out-group antipathy.  The only thing we can do is be aware of it and how it works, and then maybe it can be overcome to some extent.

A group that evolve dynamically and for the benefi…[Read more]

@ Simon and Robert

One can belong to various groups almost without limit and often with incompatible or conflicting interests. One might work for Willie’s Widgets and own Willie’s Widget’s stock as a retirement investment. So, joining in a strike for higher wages for oneself and one’s fellow union members (yet another group) could adversely…[Read more]

Simon Paynton wrote:

Unseen wrote:
Set being a useful term because a mathematical set can have just one member—or even no members, a null set.

That’s the difference. A collaborative group must have at least two members (a partnership, team, etc.).

Okay, but I asked a question which wasn’t I guess, worth answering when one might split lin…[Read more]

Reg the Fronkey Farmer wrote:
Favoring those within one’s own group lead to more cohesive and cooperative units, enhancing group survival against external threats. It allowed us to protect our territory and resources and build up trust between members as we watched out for each other. This trust relationship is likely where our ethical behavior a…

[Read more]

Unseen wrote:
Set being a useful term because a mathematical set can have just one member—or even no members, a null set.

That’s the difference.  A collaborative group must have at least two members (a partnership, team, etc.).

What is the logic of in-group bias? When the most basic group (in mathematical terms, a set*) is the self, it’s hard to distinguish it from simple narcissism.

Expand the set to one’s group (however defined, which is a problem: family? neighborhood? village? territory? nation-state? humankind?) and you have to decide to what extent do you have to…[Read more]

@jakelafort – A very good smartphone would tell you that O’Brien and Dettori score a treble tonight with Greenfinch, Mountain Bear and Chief Little Rock.