Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Separation of bullshit from fact

Separation of bullshit from fact is a difficult thing to do.

There is even a book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0691122946

 Christianity is full of it, the nutrition industry is full of it. According to Stranton Peele the Recovery industry, psychology and philosophy is full of it. I know the construction engineering, testing industry is full of it. We have a heath industry that does not care about nutrition and a food industry that does not care about health. That suggests that the health care is full of it.

"Suspend judgement", the skeptics cry. 

So how should we humans decide what is real food and what is not? If it is natural, it might be food. If it is processed, it is likely not good food, but may be eatable to prevent starvation. Since we are a long way from that, I will suggest that processed stuff should stay on the grocers shelves. 

Buddha nails it:
Believe nothing on the faith of traditions, even though they have been held in honor for many generations and in diverse places. Do not believe a thing because many people speak of it. Do not believe on the faith of the sages of the past. Do not believe what you yourself have imagined, persuading yourself that a God inspires you. Believe nothing on the sole authority of your masters and priests. After examination, believe what you yourself have tested and found to be reasonable, and conform your conduct thereto.

Note that Buddha never defined what he meant by god; but from the contest I will suggest that it was the product of a dream like state, or random generation mental state. This is not like the Christian supernatural all knowing all seeing concept, nor the late stoic nature, reason concept. The truth is likely closer to the skeptic void without purpose, empty, meaningless; we need to impose a purpose on it, so we invented philosophy and religion.

So I know nothing, and silence is the easy way of maintaining virtue.

Testing of the separation cravings from hunger and ignore cravings is underway.

4 comments :

  1. but ... but ... i agree with this discussion, ergo i believe ... does that make it wrong? ;-)

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  2. Believe or do not..there is no try...paraphrased Yoda.

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  3. Hi all:

    Ah, but what do you believe? Nature is difficult to argue with. If god is another word for nature, there is nothing but the reality of a circular argument. If not, what is it?

    So the word might be specious, or not. So what can be wrong? If it is all fiction, is there a wrong or right? The prime directive still applies. No interference with the development of other societies. They can believe whatever they like.

    The purpose of philosophy is to bring to our own consciousness our own "philosophy of life", from the unconscious, and perhaps clean it up a bit.

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  4. "Separation of bullshit from fact is a difficult thing to do"


    But we do our best

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete

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