Jake

Such statements always disqualify any commentator in my eyes. If Stalin and Mao had been ardent Catholics leading explicitly Catholic regimes (or Isla...

Forgive me, but I suggest the entire immigration debate be replaced with this question... How many human beings do we want living in America? The popu...

Every species on Earth is largely blind to what's going on over it's head. Millions of species over a billion years, each and every one blind to what'...

Hi Rank! Glad to see you here.

Yes, and we fear others because we perceive ourselves to be divided from reality, separate and alone, and thus vulnerable. "Me" is perceived to be ver...

Forgive the repetition please, but it seems useful to make a clear distinction between 1) science and 2) our relationship with science. If our relatio...

Ah, I see now. It's ok for us to proceed with "more is better" because Karl is here to manage whatever might happen. Ok, so it's just one person, but ...

Yup, that's what I mean. If you can't identify a single person who meets your standard of "accepting a scientific understanding of reality" then you h...

Who exactly are you suggesting to be capable of responsible management? Who exactly has this scientific understanding of reality you can never stop ta...

Um, what exactly is a "scientific understanding of reality"? Chanting the phrase is not an explanation. To your knowledge, does anyone on Earth curren...

Ok, so who is it exactly that you are referring to regarding "a scientific understanding of reality"? Imaginary people as yet to be born? The larger p...

Ok, here's an example. Why did a scientific understanding of reality not prevent Los Alamos scientists from CHOOSING to build the bomb? Wait, stop, no...

Yes, sooner or later the level of pain will reach a point where we'll get serious about such things. Ok, could you perhaps expand on "accepting a scie...

Right. You don't have a plan. Nobody does. Which is what makes your thesis unrealistic. Imagine I said that all these problems would be solved if huma...

What is your plan for persuading our culture to make the philosophical shift you deem to be necessary? Without such a plan, your ideas are just a utop...

Please quote where I used the expression "followers of science". I may have, just don't remember where.

We typically seek knowledge for the power it provides us. In the past this wasn't a problem because we had so little knowledge and power that whatever...

Yes, and it's clear this is the first time you've thought about our "more is better" relationship with knowledge, which is completely normal. Oh my, w...

Won't matter a bit once the bombs start flying. Knowledge, and thus science, does produce very many benefits. In the past, that was good enough. Nucle...

In other words, a utopian vision with no basis in reality. But then me trying to address these topics on forums is the same thing.

https://media1.fdncms.com/eastbayexpress/imager/u/original/13673659/feature-1-b26d8afd359dc3b3.jpg

Echarmion, apologies, I had written a full reply to your post but the forum ate it. More later, after a nap.

Note your use of the phrase "followers of science". Speaks for itself, I need say no more. Correct. And yet you are fighting tooth and nail for the gr...

The man in the street 12th century Catholic believed in his Church much in the same way the man in the street 21st century person believes in the "mor...

Expand on what you're referring to here please. Thanks.

How do you suggest we sell this theory of yours to the scientific community, the politicians who fund them, and the public at large? I understand your...

As I said, you're confusing science itself with our relationship with science. Which scientists have publicly declared in front of their peers that we...

Ok, good question. I'm not sure I have an answer to your "what to do" question, but I'm willing to explore it, here or in another thread of your choos...

I would counter that those most expert in the techniques of science may be those most likely to treat it like a religion, that is, a "one true way" be...

Good point. One explanation is that all definitions are inherently flawed given that they are built upon a process of division which doesn't exist in ...

Speaking of addictions, "one more thing before I forget" was one of my Dad's trademark phrases. You'd go visit him and he'd talk non-stop over everyon...

The illusion of division generated by thought, and all that flows from that illusion.

I heard a story on NPR claiming that poor people benefit from the big name schools because of the connections that they make while attending. Accordin...

I was delighted to see that Roger Stone has been arrested. TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IPyv4KgTAA MOVIE: https://www.netflix.com/title/8...

"The last thread on abortion". I didn't need to read the thread, the title alone was sufficiently entertaining. :smile:

Imho, consciousness is a symptom of the divisive nature of thought. So, we experience "me" and "my thoughts" as if they were two different things. Con...

I dunno... I claim no detailed knowledge of Rand or Objectivism, so this is more of an instinct reaction. First, for any philosopher selling any philo...

Another encounter with death which happened many years ago as a teen. Some friends and I thought it would be brilliant to get really stoned and explor...

Bingo! :smile: Seriously, I've been addicted to philosophy forums longer than you've been alive, so I hear you. I'm so addicted to forums that I spent...

This would seem difficult to do when one insists on ignoring readily available evidence from the real world.

The small tribes were either absorbed by the larger tribes, or annihilated by the larger tribes. Please look at the history of North America, a well d...

How the coming together happened is that the smaller tribes were vulnerable, so they joined bigger tribes to be safer.

Gotta be honest here Karl, I'm growing weary of reading this in every post you share. Everything in all of time and space can not be shoehorned in to ...

The question I'm trying to get to is, how far beyond the laws of nature can human beings go? It's simply indisputable that in nature the big fish eat ...

I'm sorry, I don't have time for a full response at the moment, so just this for now... Well, brutal, selfish and violent behavior is normal. That's h...

If we focus on right now, the question doesn't arise.

Good points Karl! Ok, so those humans who came together in larger groups out competed the smaller groups, and we saw tribes become villages become cit...

Hi Karl, Technologically this is of course true. Morally the situation seems more complicated. As example, nuclear weapons are essentially a cave man'...

Just finished first season. Finding it entirely watchable, but not a classic. As TV shows go, pretty good.

There are two issues involved. One is the issue of moderation in general, which is essential to any forum worth reading. And then there is the issue o...