Ernie:
Aha ! ! ! I finally see the light. You're a Manichaean. ;-)
It also gets back to the question of "who gets to decide". In my
understanding, there are only two primary sources of authority: power
and love -- and power without love leads to tyranny.
Actually, at least IMHO, there are a minimum of 4 sources of authority
-- control, cie vous plait--
besides power and love, also market advantage ( who gives you advantage,
you
tend to go along with, and sapiential authority. This was the late Robert
Theobald's
coinage, to stand for the leadership of "knowers," viz, professionals like
scientists,
doctors, professors, and so forth. Granted no-one has pure motives, no-one,
we all fall short of the glory of God, but as a general principle.
So, my own model of "preferred autoirity," is some version of sapiential
authority.
Since experts may well screw up and make mistakes, I seek to gain as
much expertise as possible for myself.
I try to always be mindful of legitimate imperatives for love, its just
that
I don't think this applies in all cases, and in some cases it really
doesn't figure in
except maybe indirectly. As for power, don't take this literally, but my
attitude
is "to hell with it." I'm my own man and no-one who seeks to control me
with power can possibly do so. Maybe it is necessary to make compromises
to survive or gain marginal utility along the way, but you surely get the
idea.
How would you *you* answer the question about who gets to decide
whether Pluto is a planet?
Established and useful tradition.
Similarly a brontosaur is the best name, not aptiosaur.
Therefore , Pluto is a planet. Case closed.
You can still say that it is a special case -technically-- and is similar
to a
dwarf planet, and that it is good that Ceres is now classified as a dwarf
planet,
but how people learn science is also very important, and we all ( or 99%
of us )
learned astronomy using the Pluto-the-planet model, and , since this model
is more-or-less OK even given the new definition of "planet," keep the
classification, just add a footnote.
And whaddaya mean it doesn't clear its orbit ? Sure it ( mostly ) does.
Sincerely
Kepler
=============================================
In a message dated 4/9/2009 2:18:15 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
[email protected] writes:
Hi Billy,
On Apr 9, 2009, at 12:50 PM, [email protected] wrote:
> Is Pluto a planet ? I'd like to know, but where love enters the
> picture
> eludes me completely. Finding a method to predict earthquakes would
> really be great, I'm all for it. But what does love have to do with
> it ?
> And so forth, for a lengthy list of similar concerns.
What's love got to do with it? Haven't you seen the protests!?!
http://cruftbox.com/blog/archives/001332.html
Clearly, these are people who love the idea of Pluto being a planet,
and hate the fact that it isn't. If not for love, there would be no
issue at all.
It also gets back to the question of "who gets to decide". In my
understanding, there are only two primary sources of authority: power
and love -- and power without love leads to tyranny.
I believe the IAU had the right to decide whether or not Pluto is a
planet because they are the ones who "love" planets the most.
How would you *you* answer the question about who gets to decide
whether Pluto is a planet?
-- Ernie P.
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