Friday, February 22, 2008
The Mysterious World
(1)
Got a bit weird there near the end, as usual, and reviewing the posts monday night I discovered a major screwup (#5 below) and fixed it, replacing 'coitus' with 'masturbation,' changing the piece to the intended meaning. I think I left the rest 'as is' but I'm not quite sure. I am far from this amazing fella with the great memory. If you asked me on sunday night what I wrote on friday night I would say, 'Huh?'
And #7 below needs comment too: the doo-doo metaphor doesn't quite work, because most of us actually do not seek 'the truth.' Most of us don't even seek 'the facts.' Most of us seek 'information which is emotionally satisfying.' Emotion preceeds logic. This human trait tends to stabilize cultural processes, sometimes to the point of stagnation. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are cases in point. The current era is a delicious example, pitting old and odius religious ideas against modern replacements in the form of science and technology. Thus current events (the evening news) features daily examples of this dangerous mix of old and new. Will we blow ourselves up? Will Jesus come?
'Truth' is a metaphysical term having no reality. Even 'facts' are dubious. We live in a world which is ultimately mysterious, and hence fascinating. The Scientific Method seems to be the best way forward in this mysterious world.
Got a bit weird there near the end, as usual, and reviewing the posts monday night I discovered a major screwup (#5 below) and fixed it, replacing 'coitus' with 'masturbation,' changing the piece to the intended meaning. I think I left the rest 'as is' but I'm not quite sure. I am far from this amazing fella with the great memory. If you asked me on sunday night what I wrote on friday night I would say, 'Huh?'
And #7 below needs comment too: the doo-doo metaphor doesn't quite work, because most of us actually do not seek 'the truth.' Most of us don't even seek 'the facts.' Most of us seek 'information which is emotionally satisfying.' Emotion preceeds logic. This human trait tends to stabilize cultural processes, sometimes to the point of stagnation. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are cases in point. The current era is a delicious example, pitting old and odius religious ideas against modern replacements in the form of science and technology. Thus current events (the evening news) features daily examples of this dangerous mix of old and new. Will we blow ourselves up? Will Jesus come?
'Truth' is a metaphysical term having no reality. Even 'facts' are dubious. We live in a world which is ultimately mysterious, and hence fascinating. The Scientific Method seems to be the best way forward in this mysterious world.
