From: Ian Goddard (igoddard@erols.com)
Date: Tue Aug 01 2000 - 22:03:42 MDT
At 10:48 PM 08/01/2000 -0500, altamira wrote:
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: owner-extropians@extropy.org
> you seem to be answering the question,
> > "Toward what goal do all humans aim?"
>...
>But this is based on
> > a logical fallacy called petitio principii (better
> > known as "begging the question"), a circular argument
> > in which the conclusion also appears as an assumption.
> >
> > I can't find any other defense of your answer, so I
> > can't agree with it.
> >
> > IAN: It seems to follow from Savant's answer that
> > the goal toward which all humans aim is NOT selfish
> > endeavor to make oneself happy.
>
>This is not a particularly powerful statement, though. All you'd have to do
>to prove it true is find ONE human who doesn't have the goal of making
>herself happy.
IAN: Have you found one?
>This doesn't mean one cannot adopt the assumption for various
>purposes such as economic models; it DOES mean that when one draws
>conclusions based on the model, one should keep in mind the fact that the
>model is based on an unproven assumption.
IAN: Which model is based on an unproven assumption?
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Asking the "wrong questions," challenging the Official Story
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