The Triumph of Reason over Sophistry (was Re: capitalist religion)

From: J. R. Molloy (jr@shasta.com)
Date: Sat Jul 21 2001 - 08:21:43 MDT


From: "Technotranscendence" <neptune@mars.superlink.net>
> Daniel Ust
> See me singlehandedly defeat pancritical rationalism at:
> http://uweb.superlink.net/neptune/PCR.html

Part of the reason I've classified philosophy as useless has to do with the
way pancritical rationalism makes it obsolete and irrelevant. It doesn't
matter that "doctors" of philosophy have made philosophy ineffectual (not many
suffer from that particular disease anyway). Essentially, PCR goes beyond the
love of sophistry (aka, philosophy), to engage an attitude of discovery based
on critical observation and the connection of reason to empirical everyday
life. IOW, it embraces the scientific method, which allows thinkers to
supercede pure reason by opening their eyes to the infinite reality beyond
word games, to know existence directly, and to communicate that knowledge in
terms that evolve as science evolves, which means learning from experience.

http://www.extropy.org/pcr2.htm
"By replacing justificationism with fallibilism, and by encouraging the
practice of opening to, welcoming, and respecting criticism, pancritical
rationalism maximizes the pursuit of truth, accelerating the death of
poorly-supported views and ineffective practices. It immunizes against
dogmatization, fostering critical thought and an anti-fideistic culture and so
opens every area of thought and practice to unlimited, perpetual improvement.
Its critical procedures are precisely those embodied in science and, we hope,
in practicing scientists."

Stay hungry,

--J. R.

Useless hypotheses, etc.:
 consciousness, phlogiston, philosophy, vitalism, mind, free will, qualia,
analog computing, cultural relativism, GAC, CYC, and ELIZA

     Everything that can happen has already happened, not just once,
     but an infinite number of times, and will continue to do so forever.
     (Everything that can happen = more than anyone can imagine.)

We won't move into a better future until we debunk religiosity, the most
regressive force now operating in society.



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