Scientism = dumb dogmatism

[G L Wilson]

Checking Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hume, I see he lived in the 18th century. If he did not believe in chance, I think that would make him a determinist, but didn't you mention that he promoted free will? Perhaps I missed the point you were making.

Anyway, I think I'll see if I can find something in the library by him this evening.

He is very good, I assure you.

Which one of you will be Alpha male? I can't wait to see!

Albert Einstein was brilliant. Emotionally, he was nearly crushed and devastated by the society he was born into. I'm surprised you don't feel you can relate to that, G L.

I am not saying that he wasn't a human being. I am saying that his thinking was poor overall.

[BienvenuJDC]

GL...I'm seeing a part of you that I haven't seen before...
Good thread...

[Varenne Rodin]

G L, what gives? Are you trying to fly under the radar of dominionism? You have BienvenuJDC in your corner. Um...mission accomplished?

[MarkBastable]

In retaliation for the wounding of your sense of justice or pride? I see you as having no stake in anything of great importance, hence why the rage?

Nah - in direct retaliation to having been annoyed. You're annoying.

[G L Wilson]

Nah - in direct retaliation to having been annoyed. You're annoying.

And you're vain.

[Calidore]

You know, G.L., I've admired (and mentioned this elsewhere) the fact that you always went your own way and never responded to the attacks. Don't change that philosophy. People may question the value of some of your postings, but why give them postings that there's no question about?

Mark, unless I haven't been paying attention (no reason I should be, I guess), this isn't typical of you either.

[BienvenuJDC]

G L, what gives? Are you trying to fly under the radar of dominionism? You have BienvenuJDC in your corner. Um...mission accomplished?

I'm reasonable.

[Varenne Rodin]

I'm reasonable.

I didn't mean to imply otherwise, Bien. It's just that your type of Christian philosophy tends to be in line with dominionism. You and G L have often been at odds. Now that he has taken to bashing Einstein, you're having a change of heart, it seems. Correct me if I'm wrong. It's tough for me to wrap my head around the idea of an atheist like G L disliking a man who has made great scientific contributions. Ridiculing Einstein is like a goal of dominionism. It just seems counterproductive, and I wonder what the motivation is.

For the record, I don't think anyone in this debate sucks. You're all super sweethearts and I thank you for the dynamic conversation.

[BienvenuJDC]

I didn't mean to imply otherwise, Bien. It's just that your type of Christian philosophy tends to be in line with dominionism. You and G L have often been at odds. Now that he has taken to bashing Einstein, you're having a change of heart, it seems. Correct me if I'm wrong. It's tough for me to wrap my head around the idea of an atheist like G L disliking a man who has made great scientific contributions. Ridiculing Einstein is like a goal of dominionism. It just seems counterproductive, and I wonder what the motivation is.

For the record, I don't think anyone in this debate sucks. You're all super sweethearts and I thank you for the dynamic conversation.

I've discovered that GL doesn't reside in any particular camp. I don't either.

[MystyrMystyry]

Thankyou Varenne

I've met many an over-philosophising type, and have learnt to avoid them - they all aggravate at minimum exposure (in my first hand experience), and I'm sure they're very clever in their loopy way, but genuine laughter's lost on them and socially they're mere experts of the superior smirk

Philosophy is only a single aspect of a full life, and will lead to defeatism quicker than anything else, and forget the argument that philosophy is a language to be studied - it should be, but not to the exclusion of everything else

That's my philosophy anyway

[Varenne Rodin]

"...and if you don't like that one, I've got others." - Groucho Marx, I think.

People want to speak authoritatively on matters. I'm reminded of a Jack Handey quote: “Probably the saddest thing you'll ever see is a mosquito sucking on a mummy. Forget it, little friend."

[BienvenuJDC]

"...and if you don't like that one, I've got others." - Groucho Marx, I think.

"Last night I shot an elephant in my pajamas...what he was doing in my pajamas, I don't know.." Groucho

[Varenne Rodin]

"Last night I shot an elephant in my pajamas...what he was doing in my pajamas, I don't know.." Groucho

Hahaha. Gotta love Groucho!

[G L Wilson]

I don't see how the knocking of Einstein, for the zealot that he obviously was, is somehow a threat to the security of secularism. In actual fact I thought that it would somewhat reverse the slow decline into dumb tyranny that is so evident in America and other places.

Einstein is not an obvious target of the religious right. At any rate, the religious right is virtually toothless in the face of severe opposition.

Also, I love Groucho too.

[YesNo]

I didn't mean to imply otherwise, Bien. It's just that your type of Christian philosophy tends to be in line with dominionism. You and G L have often been at odds. Now that he has taken to bashing Einstein, you're having a change of heart, it seems. Correct me if I'm wrong. It's tough for me to wrap my head around the idea of an atheist like G L disliking a man who has made great scientific contributions. Ridiculing Einstein is like a goal of dominionism. It just seems counterproductive, and I wonder what the motivation is.

For the record, I don't think anyone in this debate sucks. You're all super sweethearts and I thank you for the dynamic conversation.

I've known at least one person in my life who disliked Einstein because he was Jewish. I don't know if this is why G L Wilson dislikes him, but without more specific information, anti-semitism is as good an explanation as any other.

What is "dominionism"?