From: Timothy Bates (tbates@karri.bhs.mq.edu.au)
Date: Thu Feb 25 1999 - 21:31:08 MST
agreed that
>> Definitions are the sine qua none of understanding: they are the only proof
>> that we have an understanding.
but thought that I should not
> be so defensive to religionists? Atheists and other idealogues (such as
> Hitler and Stalin) also do these bad things.
Well, when people advocate Stalinism I will be on their case too ;-)
Of course these two are quite like religion-leaders; they relied on
"charisma" and power, two things which for some unknown reason we respect.
In organizational psychology there are theories of leadership built around
charisma - they really are frightening to behold: arguing in effect that we
should design enterprises to run on blind faith.
My wish is that people never do Anything at the point of a gun or for which
there is no evidence.
>> Actually, the one person whom i respect most on this list (not
>> saying who) is also the person whom i would predict would be the most kind
>> and for whom I would, never having met them, do most anything.
> Why not say who it is? Can't we let people know it when we admire them? Is
> this reticense an extropian meme?
Because I was frightened of earning someone's wrath who recently criticized
me for personifying positions ;-) It is interesting I guess that those who
demand tolerance of others views often actually create fear of dissent. We
see this all the time in academia. A good antidote and tonic is reading
Thomas Sowell's book "inside American education".
If you buy a book of his, i recommend this one "The vision of the anointed:
self congratulation as a basis for social policy".
<http://www.booksamillion.com/cat/books?id=9200028393272&isbn=046508995X
tim
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