Seems to me inflammatory is in the eye of the beholder. One man's inflammatory writing is another man's truth. Take the Koran, for example.
On 3 Jun 2009 at 8:20, X Acto wrote: > inflammitory: the willful attempt to incite hostility , anger or tumult. > > > > > > ________________________________ > From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Wednesday, June 3, 2009 11:09:27 AM > Subject: Re: [MD] Reductionism > > Define "inflammatory." On the surface it appears to mean opinions you > don't like. > > On 3 Jun 2009 at 7:25, X Acto wrote: > > > > > Platt, > > Just to refresh your memory your original inflammitory post direct > > from the archives: > > [MD] Reductionismplattholden at gmail.com plattholden at gmail.com > > Mon Jun 1 07:46:08 PDT 2009 > > * Previous message: [MD] Reductionism > > * Next message: [MD] Reductionism > > * Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ] [ subject ] [ author ] > > ________________________________ > > > > On 1 Jun 2009 at 9:42, Krimel wrote: > > > > > [Marsha] > > > Systems thinking: > > > > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NCpdLKhY04&feature=related > > > > > > [Krimel] > > > Thanks Marsha, that really was a simple and concise explanation. I hope > > > you > > > will notice that I am almost always talking about systems. Platt has > > > explicitly criticized me and Ian for that at least as often as Dave has > > > accused me of be a reductionist. Notice what the guy says about engines > > > and > > > spark plugs. He says, "What would you say if I told you I knew all about > > > spark plugs but nothing about engines?" This I think is what Dave is > > > accusing me of; focusing on spark plugs. But I don't see how anyone can > > > claim to know about engines if they know nothing about spark plugs. We can > > > know a lot about engines and what they do and how to operate them without > > > mentioning the parts involved. But to gain a deeper understand not only of > > > how to operate an engine but how it works and how to fix it we are going > > > to > > > have to look at the parts. > > > > > > Engines are pluralistic. From the point of view of the engine operator the > > > parts are irrelevant, as long as the engine runs. When it stops running we > > > have to look for another point of view. It seems wrong to me to claim that > > > the operator's point of view is "better" because it is holistic and a > > > mechanics view is wrong because it is reductionistic and riddled with > > > philosophical error. After all mechanics can run the equipment too. There > > > is > > > nothing about their knowledge of engine detail that stands in the way of > > > their holistic understanding of the value of engines. In fact the holist > > > view of the engine helps them tune the parts to make it function and > > > function better. > > > > > > This, I think, is the whole point of ZMM and Pirsig's take on the > > > romantic/classic split. The romantic may enjoy driving an elegantly > > > designed > > > motorcycle but they will always be dependent on someone else to keep it > > > running. The classist can not only keep his cycle running but can write a > > > book about how all those motorcycle parts relate to everything from the > > > open > > > road to western philosophy. > > > > Human beings are not spark plugs. That's the problem with systems > > thinking. Another word for it is collectivist thinking. It killed millions > > of > > human beings in the 20th century under fascist and communist regimes. > > Another example: eco-systems thinking banned DDT, killing millions in > > Africa. > > > > When you think of people as motors, jellyfish or state waves instead of > > individuals capable of responding to DQ, you not only get murderous > > governments, you get ideas like Bohm's that social "fragmentation" is > > bad. By contrast, it's believing that individual differences are good that > > provides the foundation of liberty. > > > > Systems thinking applied to human society is a recipe for disaster. > > We're witnessing its negative effects in the U.S. today as we are > > marched by egomaniacs down the road to serfdom. > > > > Platt > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > > > > > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > > Archives: > > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ > > > > > Moq_Discuss mailing list > Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. > http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org > Archives: > http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ > http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/ Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
