Philosophy Now Forum

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 2:19 pm

Belinda wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 9:58 am Eastern quiescence will not avail against pandemic, total war, or political corruption.

Well, we certainly agree on that, B. In fact, it's not really good for anything except creating passivity and a delusion of well-being where none is actually to be had.

Dontaskme wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 3:15 pm IC, you really are as dumb as rocks when it comes to understanding 'true knowledge' and what it is, and what it's true function is.

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 3:49 pm

Dontaskme wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 3:15 pm IC, you really are as dumb as rocks when it comes to understanding 'true knowledge' and what it is, and what it's true function is.

Darn.

My whole purpose in life, up to this point, has been to prove to mystical sentimentalists that I am worthy of their "esoteric knowledge." And now you tell me I'm not?

I must go lick my wounds.

Have a nice day.

Dontaskme wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:20 pm And that is what you call dumb Christianity.

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:32 pm

Dontaskme wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:20 pm And that is what you call dumb Christianity.

Ah, the "esoteric knowledge" game.

The "esoteric knowledge" game works this way: tell people there's "knowledge" they don't have, and can't have without first giving up on their trust in their own faculties, experience or reasoning powers. Or tell them knowledge is just plain impossible. Then tell them you're the only person who really "knows" that, and that if they were smart and enlightened, they would "know" it, too.

This pricks their pride, so they try. But when they try to look for this "knowledge," they can't find it, and become confused. But they're afraid to admit they are confused, and they fear they have missed something, so they fall silent, hoping to be seen as somebody who's "getting it," or hoping that the "illuminated one" will fill them in. Then that puts them at the mercy of the "illuminated one" who told them that nonsense in the first place, since they are having to trust him that there's something to "know" there, and they are denied their own means to see whether or not it's true there's anything there at all.

It's transparent ruse. But it works, at least in the case of people who aren't very smart or who are keen to ingratiate themselves to some person who claims "esoteric knowledge."

For someone who's not those things...it really doesn't work.

Dontaskme wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:44 pm It's hard to push against the pricks...I've heard it all before IC.

You're barking up the wrong tree,

because you can't leave...Make like a tree and leave.

Show me a man who has finished with words, so that I may have a word with him.

If truth be known, I have absolutely no idea what you were attempting to say in your reply, no idea at all.

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 5:00 pm

Dontaskme wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:44 pm It's hard to push against the pricks...I've heard it all before IC.

If you've "heard it before," it's time you started wondering why people who don't even know each other are all telling you exactly the same thing.

You're barking up the wrong tree,

Got any more useful cliches for me?

because you can't leave...Make like a tree and leave.

Well, there's two more.

Show me a man who has finished with words, so that I may have a word with him.

Oooh. We're going all koany now.

If truth be known, I have absolutely no idea what you were attempting to say in your reply, no idea at all.

Yeah, you do.

Or if you really don't, you're not thinking very hard.

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:32 pm Ah, the "esoteric knowledge" game.

The "esoteric knowledge" game works this way: tell people there's "knowledge" they don't have, and can't have without first giving up on their trust in their own faculties, experience or reasoning powers. Or tell them knowledge is just plain impossible. Then tell them you're the only person who really "knows" that, and that if they were smart and enlightened, they would "know" it, too.

This pricks their pride, so they try. But when they try to look for this "knowledge," they can't find it, and become confused. But they're afraid to admit they are confused, and they fear they have missed something, so they fall silent, hoping to be seen as somebody who's "getting it," or hoping that the "illuminated one" will fill them in. Then that puts them at the mercy of the "illuminated one" who told them that nonsense in the first place, since they are having to trust him that there's something to "know" there, and they are denied their own means to see whether or not it's true there's anything there at all.

It's transparent ruse. But it works, at least in the case of people who aren't very smart or who are keen to ingratiate themselves to some person who claims "esoteric knowledge."

For someone who's not those things...it really doesn't work.

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 2:19 pm

Belinda wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 9:58 am Eastern quiescence will not avail against pandemic, total war, or political corruption.

Well, we certainly agree on that, B. In fact, it's not really good for anything except creating passivity and a delusion of well-being where none is actually to be had.

Lacewing wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 5:11 pm

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:32 pm Ah, the "esoteric knowledge" game.

The "esoteric knowledge" game works this way: tell people there's "knowledge" they don't have, and can't have without first giving up on their trust in their own faculties, experience or reasoning powers. Or tell them knowledge is just plain impossible. Then tell them you're the only person who really "knows" that, and that if they were smart and enlightened, they would "know" it, too.

This pricks their pride, so they try. But when they try to look for this "knowledge," they can't find it, and become confused. But they're afraid to admit they are confused, and they fear they have missed something, so they fall silent, hoping to be seen as somebody who's "getting it," or hoping that the "illuminated one" will fill them in. Then that puts them at the mercy of the "illuminated one" who told them that nonsense in the first place, since they are having to trust him that there's something to "know" there, and they are denied their own means to see whether or not it's true there's anything there at all.

It's transparent ruse. But it works, at least in the case of people who aren't very smart or who are keen to ingratiate themselves to some person who claims "esoteric knowledge."

For someone who's not those things...it really doesn't work.

It sounds like you've just described Christianity or any other theist platform that makes similar claims and plays similar games!

No surprise (except for your avid commitment to making such transparent claims), as you've shown you like to project your own limitations and delusions outward as if they are not yours, but that of others. So ridiculously obvious and funny. But you don't see it, do you.

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 5:00 pmThen tell them you're the only person who really "knows" that, and that if they were smart and enlightened, they would "know" it, too.

Dontaskme wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 5:03 pm If we all knew what we were talking about, then we'd stop asking questions about what we are talking about.

Dontaskme wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 5:23 pm I seriously cannot believe you could be so insecure about such knowledge being known.

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 5:24 pm

Dontaskme wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 5:03 pm If we all knew what we were talking about, then we'd stop asking questions about what we are talking about.

Nah. That's not true. Not even close to true.

You ask all kinds of questions about things you already know something about...the fact that you don't know everything is the only requirement for there being further questions.

Lacewing wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 5:11 pm

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:32 pm Ah, the "esoteric knowledge" game.

The "esoteric knowledge" game works this way: tell people there's "knowledge" they don't have, and can't have without first giving up on their trust in their own faculties, experience or reasoning powers. Or tell them knowledge is just plain impossible. Then tell them you're the only person who really "knows" that, and that if they were smart and enlightened, they would "know" it, too.

This pricks their pride, so they try. But when they try to look for this "knowledge," they can't find it, and become confused. But they're afraid to admit they are confused, and they fear they have missed something, so they fall silent, hoping to be seen as somebody who's "getting it," or hoping that the "illuminated one" will fill them in. Then that puts them at the mercy of the "illuminated one" who told them that nonsense in the first place, since they are having to trust him that there's something to "know" there, and they are denied their own means to see whether or not it's true there's anything there at all.

It's transparent ruse. But it works, at least in the case of people who aren't very smart or who are keen to ingratiate themselves to some person who claims "esoteric knowledge."

For someone who's not those things...it really doesn't work.

It sounds like you've just described Christianity...