Philosophy Now Forum

In practice, the goal of skepticism is not the discovery of truth, but the exposure of other people's errors. It plays a useful role in science, religion, scholarship, and common sense. But we need to remember that it is a weapon serving belief or self-interest; we need to be skeptical of skeptics. The more militant the skeptic, the stronger the belief.

Walker wrote: ↑Sat Oct 29, 2022 10:30 am

iambiguous wrote: ↑Tue Oct 18, 2022 5:21 pm Since some have been complaining that I have "fouled" the other "Quote of the day" thread ...

Question: How is Rhino like a quotation?

Answer: You can hide a Rhino in plain sight by putting it in a herd of Rhinos, and you can hide a good Quote by hiding it in a herd of Quotes, however, a Quote is a much stranger animal than a Rhino, but you have to give it to Rhinos. Even though we know that Rhinos do conjugate, do they even congregate?

iambiguous wrote: ↑Sat Oct 29, 2022 6:22 pm
Let's call it, say, The Super Bowl Syndrome. Where the commercials themselves are actually worshipped and adored!!

Iwannaplato wrote: ↑Sat Oct 29, 2022 3:58 pm

In practice, the goal of skepticism is not the discovery of truth, but the exposure of other people's errors. It plays a useful role in science, religion, scholarship, and common sense. But we need to remember that it is a weapon serving belief or self-interest; we need to be skeptical of skeptics. The more militant the skeptic, the stronger the belief.

Rupert Sheldrake

iambiguous wrote: ↑Sat Oct 29, 2022 6:22 pm

Sculptor wrote: ↑Sat Oct 29, 2022 11:15 am So I rang up my local swimming baths. I said 'Is that the local swimming baths?' He said 'It depends where you're calling from.'

Tim Vine

Walker wrote: ↑Sun Oct 30, 2022 11:17 am

Iwannaplato wrote: ↑Sat Oct 29, 2022 3:58 pm

In practice, the goal of skepticism is not the discovery of truth, but the exposure of other people's errors. It plays a useful role in science, religion, scholarship, and common sense. But we need to remember that it is a weapon serving belief or self-interest; we need to be skeptical of skeptics. The more militant the skeptic, the stronger the belief.

Rupert Sheldrake

Commentary:

Rupert ... Rupert. What EXACTLY do you mean? Do you mean militancy expressed with the sword, or with the word? Certainly not with the unexpressed thought. I only ask because your preference just may reveal the one you think is most effective.

adjective
aggressively active or combative in support of a cause:

Iwannaplato wrote: ↑Sun Oct 30, 2022 11:47 am

Walker wrote: ↑Sun Oct 30, 2022 11:17 am

Iwannaplato wrote: ↑Sat Oct 29, 2022 3:58 pm
Rupert Sheldrake

Commentary:

Rupert ... Rupert. What EXACTLY do you mean? Do you mean militancy expressed with the sword, or with the word? Certainly not with the unexpressed thought. I only ask because your preference just may reveal the one you think is most effective.

I think he means it mainly, but not only in the more metaphorical sense.

adjective
aggressively active or combative in support of a cause:

So, not necessarily with weapons.

Walker wrote: ↑Sun Oct 30, 2022 11:45 am

Sculptor wrote: ↑Sat Oct 29, 2022 11:15 am So I rang up my local swimming baths. I said 'Is that the local swimming baths?' He said 'It depends where you're calling from.'

Tim Vine

Commentary:
Interesting. We recently traveled to a seaside resort for an event welcoming a new extension to our ever-expanding family. In the late afternoon after the official event some folks had lounged in the hot sun by the main pool complex. When the sun went down all the generations packed in close around the in-ground hot tubs and some still swimming, but this was after they and others had gathered at the connected multi-plex of sports monitors situated over the giant Tiki Bar, all talking their talks at varying volumes including silence because of so many, while down at the hot tubs and pools later so many, so many but not nearly all of the family engrossed in one another within their family relationships, old and budding ... I saw this while fetching things now and then* when anyone said yes, and I looked and realized, out of so many, I was third in line and so close to the oldest one there out of dozens, and so connected to the guests of honor who to me still look children but not as connected as my children, all of whom are wise in their specialities.



* with so many directly connected, one can never rest, you know.


And to this, skeptic that you are, you may ask what is the relevance? The relevance is: philosophy is to always, choicelessly practice, which brings to mind a joke.

“Like arsenic, toxic people will slowly kill you. They kill your positive spirit and play with your mind and emotions. The only cure is to let them go.” –

Walker wrote: ↑Sun Oct 30, 2022 12:00 pm I predict that in one week, you will understand what it says, and if you're a man you'll admit it when you do.

Iwannaplato wrote: ↑Sun Oct 30, 2022 12:01 pm

“Like arsenic, toxic people will slowly kill you. They kill your positive spirit and play with your mind and emotions. The only cure is to let them go.” –

Denisse Lisseth

Sculptor wrote: ↑Sun Oct 30, 2022 12:07 pm

Walker wrote: ↑Sun Oct 30, 2022 12:00 pm I predict that in one week, you will understand what it says, and if you're a man you'll admit it when you do.

I'm not going to re read that.
Please add some punctuation and relevance.