[Platt] Perhaps the key sentence in the article is the premise that scientists "don't seem to realize that the scientific method is limited by paradox, even in Physics -- science's backyard."
[Arlo] "Paradox" is at the core of any sufficiently strong self-referential symbolic system. While some "scientists" miss this, so to do theists, who forget Pirsig's strongest admonition: All this is just an analogy. Interesting point, though, it was "critical thinking" that uncovered this inherent paradoxical core. And it was "critical thinking" that developed the Metaphysics of Quality from its initial peyote-inspired revelation. "Language", our preferred system of symbolic encoding and means of sharing experience, is no different than the most carefully crafted mathematical structures. The more powerful it became, the more explanatory power it amassed, the more it opened its doors for the unavoidable encroachment of paradox. Hell, Zeno figured that out thousands of years ago. Why are so many still "shocked" that this is so. I mean, when a 1960's scifi sitcom brings an updated Zeno to the masses to demonstrate that language is paradoxical, you would think it would be old news for most people. The author of this webpage writes, "We are all at the mercy of the Fates." Are we? Is medical research then a flawed and wasted endeavor? Would we all be better served by adopting the "Gottes Wille" doctrine of the Amish? Is sciences tinkering with "medicines" and "surgeries" and the like an afront to the more appropriate voodoo witchdoctors and faith-healers? Nay, this is simply another droll apologist essay for submitting to to the will of god, and since we as mortals can never understand that, like Job we must just choose to suffer and know that our suffering is "part of the plan". And this guy is in management? How apropos. We wouldn't want our workers thinking they deserved better, would we? How controllable we are when we don't question our "fate", but accept it and keep chugging along like the good slaves "god" wants us to be. In the end, I am not surprised that those whose entire raison d'etre is condemning the evil "intellectual level" champion a piece that suggests subjugating intellect to the social forces of "religion". Big shocker there. Having said this, do I think "science" in its GOF SOM sense is the end-all to the human equation. Not by any stretch. But the solution is not to subjugate intellect to social forces, but to evolve intellect, to expand rationality's grasp. Pirsig was looking in the right direction. Of course, being the brilliant critical thinker he is, that's unsurprising. 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/md/archives.html
