This kind of thing gets even worse in a large organization. In my days as a policy wonk in the Canadian public servant I spent very little time wondering what I believed and a great deal of time wondering what the Minister, his Deputy and his Assistant Deputy believed, and whether they all believed the same thing.
Ed Weick > Stephen Straker wrote: > > [snip] > > When a pollster surveying scientific literacy asks one of us > > whether the earth moves or not, do we not say, "It moves"? > > Does that mean that we *believe* that it moves? Could we > > advance good reasons why someone who thinks it rests should > > change his mind? Do we actually *care* whether it moves or > > not? Would not the *right* answer be "I don't *know* > > anything about it and I don't care"? Do we not say we > > believe it moves because the priests say that it moves and > > we don't want to be thought of as pitifully ignorant of what > > the priests say? Is "belief" really the proper term for > > talking about what we say most of the time? Or should we > > change radically what we *mean* by the word "believe"?? > > I've written about this in past. I have proposed that > people today believe the earth is round and moves > in prety much the same way they believed it was > flat and did not move, in past. > > I wholeheartedly agree that the right answer to > the question is something like: "I don't *know* > anything about it and I don't care" -- But can > you imagine the posible social/political consequences > of "people" (i.e., the 6 billions, or even just > the U.S.A. 250-300 millions of them) actually > thinking this? "I don't know anything about Iraq > and I don't care, so I'm not going to go there > to get shot at, breathe toxic materials and > maybe get kiled or maimed or disabled." > > Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori! And of > course we are not ignorant people who think the > earth is the cener of the universe and the > bowl of the stars whizzes around us once each > day.... > > But let's not forget the *shame* factor: People > do a lot of things they don't at least initially > believe in, but due to fear of being ostracized, > they "come around".... > > \brad mccormick > > > > > Does GW Bush really believe that Jesus is his personal > > Saviour and favourite philosopher? Does Dr Wolfowitz believe > > what he says? Does Henry Kissinger? > > > > And so, in just the sense that Prof Latour intended it, > > > >>(We have never yet really been modern.) > > > > > > best wishes, > > > > Stephen Straker > > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Vancouver, B.C. > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Futurework mailing list > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework > > > > > -- > Let your light so shine before men, > that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16) > > Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21) > > <![%THINK;[SGML+APL]]> Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > Visit my website ==> http://www.users.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/ > > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
