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Mikie

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Contact action, like object permanence, is a “common sense” notion. Same with the moon illusion or any other optical illusion— it’s simply how we see ...
January 21, 2022 at 04:29
This is going to be a bit long-winded, but hopefully valuable in getting on the same wavelength. Capitalism is only one system among others throughout...
January 20, 2022 at 00:55
People are actually voting that an infinite past is more "far-fetched" than something coming from nothing? Jesus...
January 20, 2022 at 00:32
That the human capacity for language is genetically determined, yes. Is that really still "controversial"? He's looking at human beings like we look a...
January 20, 2022 at 00:30
It's not that -- it's that no alternative has been proposed since. As a technical notion. Common-sense notions in everyday discourse is a different ma...
January 20, 2022 at 00:21
Imagine using this argument in defense of the system of slavery. Would this satisfy you regarding slavery?
January 19, 2022 at 20:56
That contact action is a human property, or that it was the common sense basis for the mechanical philosophy? Your citation seems to be addressing the...
January 18, 2022 at 21:34
Nuclear war? Nevermind.
January 18, 2022 at 20:50
Why what’s wrong? The implication being that China doing more in fighting climate change will result in a nuclear war?
January 18, 2022 at 16:05
I didn’t make any claim about whether science works or not. The idea of contact action, which was the common sense basis for mechanical philosophy, is...
January 18, 2022 at 16:02
Neoliberalism is hardly the same as free markets — which don’t exist, anywhere. I have no doubt China will handle this better than the US, which is a ...
January 18, 2022 at 15:51
I suppose we can argue that science is just a Western invention— and there’s something to that. But I’d argue it’s a better example of possible human ...
January 18, 2022 at 15:44
When it comes to the mind/body problem, he argues that there hasn’t been a conception of “body” since this time. So ideas about the “physical world” i...
January 18, 2022 at 15:00
Where does Chomsky say the world is incomprehensible? He's saying we have a much different understanding today, one not confined solely to mechanistic...
January 18, 2022 at 02:21
In: Drugs  — view comment
It really depends on what we deem "good" or "bad." What many may call "clean and clear" is actually an amalgam of unquestioned beliefs, values, and ha...
January 17, 2022 at 17:38
Interesting stuff. Thanks for the reference.
January 17, 2022 at 17:27
For anyone not willing to read: https://youtu.be/D5in5EdjhD0 See in particular the question and answer section.
January 17, 2022 at 17:22
What part of the article don't you understand? It's not offering "new" definitions for the words "understanding" or "mystery" -- and asking for such i...
January 16, 2022 at 23:52
I, and others, have addressed your issues. But your requests are based on misunderstandings and arrogant presumptions. Human beings have scope and lim...
January 16, 2022 at 19:12
No, that's not his sense. What Newton believed isn't what Chomsky believes. The passage you cite is a description of what Newton meant. Chomsky is not...
January 15, 2022 at 23:32
An odd remark. What’s the relevance? That you’ve read a lot of Chomsky? That’s great— but what about the text in question?
January 15, 2022 at 16:42
Chomsky isn’t saying we don’t have knowledge about how the world works. He’s saying, at least in my reading, that our ideas of intelligibility have ch...
January 15, 2022 at 16:39
Strange that you go around resurrecting all my old threads. But thanks!
January 15, 2022 at 04:42
Neither is Chomsky. Try engaging with texts instead of labeling with an “ism.” Or send him an e-mail about his “ramblings” and teach him a thing or tw...
January 15, 2022 at 04:38
Just wanted to say that I think you’ve understood Chomsky very well. That’s pretty rare, in my experience, despite him usually pointing out fairy stra...
January 15, 2022 at 04:34
Exactly right. It’s perfectly fine to use in normal everyday discourse, but it has no technical notion. Really? I’ve never heard him say so, so I welc...
January 15, 2022 at 04:29
An important essay indeed. Chomsky's been saying this for years, and too few listen. He demonstrates, quite clearly, how there is no mind/body problem...
January 15, 2022 at 01:06
Not sure if anyone saw this, but worth a read, and interested in reactions: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-american-polity-is-cra...
January 13, 2022 at 20:19
I think this is exactly right, chronologically— with one important caveat: that the words themselves are being used in modern terms. Otherwise, all th...
January 13, 2022 at 15:36
There is a lot of evidence about it, actually. It's not a matter of not sleeping -- of course we all sleep. But the quality of sleep and the length of...
January 12, 2022 at 19:04
I have no idea what that is supposed to mean.
January 12, 2022 at 19:01
I think so, yes. It's similar to fear of the dark, in kids and adults. But it's even more superficial than that: it's the discomfort associated with s...
January 12, 2022 at 18:02
"Real" is meaningless until it's explained, so the rest is also pointless.
January 12, 2022 at 17:57
I couldn't open the article for some reason, but this is the same thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7eAbbVMr_4
January 10, 2022 at 20:52
In: Thinking  — view comment
But isn't that like saying that everything we say is also not ours? Regarding chess: I see mastery a little differently. I think the chess master is a...
January 09, 2022 at 23:54
In: Thinking  — view comment
I think there's a meaningful difference between more abstract thought and what's going on generally when we're talking to ourselves. To me, general th...
January 09, 2022 at 16:44
I'm not advocating a policy. The article I cited was advocating a policy of incentives, which I was examining. I think I've made it quite clear that I...
January 09, 2022 at 16:00
Both symptoms of the same problem. Irrationality.
January 09, 2022 at 04:38
Nor do I need to, since you already agree with it. Unless you want to take back your statement that vaccines are safe and effective. That's the consen...
January 08, 2022 at 20:58
Which is just nonsense. It’s like saying it’s rational to base your decisions on facts and math, but we should be able to choose what facts and what m...
January 08, 2022 at 17:44
The vaccines are safe and effective. That’s what they’re not wrong about. Whatever you’re referring to is your own fabrication. Maybe they’re wrong ab...
January 08, 2022 at 17:32
I’m not getting into this again. I trust the consensus of experts. The reasons I trust them I’ve been over multiple times. We can question anything at...
January 08, 2022 at 17:17
It's a mistake to characterize it in this way. The conflicts of interest should be hammered over and over again, and they aren't. I've heard more abou...
January 07, 2022 at 17:50
The same thing I hear from Alex Jones followers, creationists, and election fraud enthusiasts. They'll gladly point out how everyone once thought the ...
January 07, 2022 at 16:19
The Republicans are not persuading their constituents to be anti-vaccine. Many of their constituents were already anti-vaccine. Many of their constitu...
January 07, 2022 at 16:12
Science is an institution. Of course it's an activity. You're saying it's untrustworthy, apparently as both. That's like asking what they have to gain...
January 06, 2022 at 17:42
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/05/opinion/republicans-trump-lies.html
January 06, 2022 at 05:52
There's two separate points I'm making. #1. Capitalism itself, based on the definition I prefer and explained, should be dismantled. I don't think the...
January 06, 2022 at 05:41
No.
January 05, 2022 at 17:09
So science is untrustworthy. Yes, I do disagree with this. I think science is, in fact, trustworthy— and the best enterprise we have for determining w...
January 05, 2022 at 17:05