Tom Storm

Hollywood (when it existed) shredded history with almost everything it touched - war stories; gangster films, detective stories. In the mid 20th centu...

Probably also the case that western movies aren't really about cowboys in general. They are mythic settler stories.

Well said. The Italians, to my eye perfected the Western and at least these 'cowboys' were caked in dirt.

As I said, a stylized cartoon... a myth.

Well, it's the perfect stylised cartoon of mid-century male identity - a rugged individualist who keeps his mouth shut most of the time, can handle hi...

Orson Welles put it like this and I am paraphrasing, "A warthog can be happy. Joy is a great big electrical experience."

My old boss used to say this too. The issue with political positions is that most people assume theirs is rational or common sense and the other side ...

Down here we also have the expression, the lunar right. Both sides sling shit at each other.

Interesting. Do religious teachings need updating-or do you mean a re-imagining-or perhaps they could be circumvented and a more appropriate substitut...

:up:

None. You're probably correct. Try as I might, I use words here with cavalier imprecision (and without any philosophical education) so I was just plac...

I hear you and I get it. And I can only imagine that you must find it somewhat frustrating to keep articulating a position that seems to be circumvent...

Very nice. The important questions are often the ones we think we have provided good answers to.

:up:

I know. No idea about the latter part.

:100:

I think it does and I have seen this many times too. The healthy person often doesn't realise how much more rewarding life can be. For the self-orient...

I get that and understand what you say. But none of it suggests that human beings do not have altruism. It simply suggest that some struggle to manife...

I didn't say society was perfect - hierarchies and power are seperate matters. Nevertheless I would suggest that many of those in the top 1% do have e...

Untrue. That's something an apologist would argue. Altruism has significant survival advantages for tribal creatures like human beings.

My sight and physical strength are good, but for whatever reason, I have also never been hunting, diving, fishing, have never taken an interest in any...

My bias is not to invade countries or have military action celebrated in ways that do not interact with history, so no. You?

Not sure, Banno. In 1974 I went to a dawn service. There was a small group of onlookers and the conversation there was how many more years do you thin...

I think a concomitant fear of evolutionary naturalism and atheism propels Nagel and many others. Aesthetically and emotionally the notion of there not...

In fairness to Dawkins I suspect he is more sophisticated than this. But he has become immersed and besmirched in an anti fundamentalist warrior groov...

Doing something meaningful for others often provides purpose and healing for the helper. People dealing with depression, trauma and substance issues, ...

I don't really. All I am doing is reporting what my memory and impressions tell me. It may well be wrong but it is all we can do.

Those arguments are regularly made but I think it would be a mistake to adopt such a reductive view of today's secular humanism. It's a well establish...

I think evolution is a fact too but I don't consider it capital T truth.

Don't know about scientism as opposed to privileging science. But there are many secular humanists - advocates of science who would argue that science...

I've actually found that by saving someone else people save themselves.

I am heading into late middle age. I don't think I have learned anything much from the passing of time or experience. I'm not sure how I would test th...

I know almost as much about what it's like to be a bat as what it's like to be a man. It sounds like the kind of question to pose to a focus group in ...

Nicely put on all counts. Penrose is English and aloof and mysterious compared to garrulous, amiable American Tyson. Age and culture aside, I figure t...

I'll check it out.

Yes, it's deeply unsatisfying but it may be better than ignorance. I say this as someone who knows very little about philosophy. I'm here largely to l...

The ordinary people I've known are not all much interested in science to be honest. Sure, they recognize its efficacy, but they also think it gave us ...

Well, yes kind of, but it's not just a case of making up whatever you think is right or wrong. Having some personal views isn't the same thing as doin...

Thank you Tom. I was purposely being non-specific because I didn't want to believe that doing the right thing is situational. So is it true in Philoso...

If an action is right it could be argued the system it is in is immaterial. Unless you can demonstrate that the right thing will lead to direct harm t...

We seem to keep getting stuck on this. If the assertion is that higher truth that can only be apprehended by non-rational means, the notion of demonst...

He is saying that it is a personal position but it should not be implemented as a Stalinist social directive.

We are not in a position to know if any sage really 'has it' as we don't know what 'it' is and presumably, following the logic of higher consciousness...

On Sages. How do we tell bogus from bonne fide? An old associate of mine worked for L Ron Hubbard back in the 1960's when he was at Saint Hill Manor. ...

Sure. Of course there are those 'sages' who carefully orchestrate for others to testify on their behalf. Perhaps the origins of marketing. The figure ...

If Tenzin Gyatso, Fourteenth Dalai Lama of Tibet can claim to be a Marxist then yes.

There are numerous interpretations of quantum field theory which is still a physicalist scientific view of reality. Considering this work is still in ...

It is a simple declaration that almost matches the Christian ideal that you shouldn't do good for the bragging rights. If good acts are done for show ...

People wouldn't necessarily question their morality, just their training, practice and assumptions. No doubt they are often well-meaning.

Can you think of a sage today who is not part of an immense industry and organised merchandising?