From: Michael M. Butler (butler@comp-lib.org)
Date: Thu Sep 27 2001 - 14:31:05 MDT
I disagree with the notion that these are simple matters. I think that principles are important,
and I think that expediency is important. I agree that slippery slopes abound.
Classical example: from an atheist's perspective, was the work of Galileo, Kepler and Newton
invalidated by their religious faith? Did they do it "for the wrong reason"?
What if the rumor that Newton cooked Brahe's data is true?
I think there's a transfer function here, and I think that Newton is at least slightly to one side
of the inflection point--call it the "fact" side.
The transplant researcher who took a black Magic Marker to his white mice, IMO, is on the other side
of that curve. Blondlot's N-Ray work is on the "fiction" side, too, but closer to the point of inflection.
But that's just me talking...
MMB
PS: one of the thorniest problems in this area, for me, is that of raising the young.
See previous comments here and elsewhere on children as chattels.
"Eliezer S. Yudkowsky" wrote:
>
> John Clark wrote:
> >
> > Usamah Bin Laden is not a fraud either, I think he believes in every word he says, and
> > I'm certain he's not in it for the money. Sincerity is a vastly overrated virtue. If a person
> > does the right thing for the wrong reason it's still the right thing, and if somebody does
> > an evil thing for a sincere reason it's still an evil thing.
>
> I disagree. You have to do the right thing for the right reasons. Doing
> the right thing for the wrong reasons is very dangerous and is bound to go
> wrong sooner or later. The idea that it's okay to convince someone of a
> true conclusion using an invalid argument is the excuse used by
> propagandists from environmentalists to rabbis whenever they have to remix
> the facts a little (or a lot) in support of their arguments.
>
> -- -- -- -- --
> Eliezer S. Yudkowsky http://singinst.org/
> Research Fellow, Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence
-- Job One: MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL. If you're not part of the solution, what are you doing scumming up the bottom of our beaker? --MMB 02001.09.21
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