Quoting Ant McWatt June 11th: What I'm saying is that the opinions of talk radio DJs whether from the left or right have little place in serious philosophy debate. They do for intellectual quality what McDonald's does for nutrition and employment rights.
>Well, I guess one man's philosophy is another man's propaganda and >vice-versa. That sounds like pluralism to me where truth is relative which again puts you outside the MOQ (where various opinions and statements are graded on their intellectual quality). For instance, I highly doubt the intellectual quality of the opinions of someone such as Rush Limbaugh is on a par with philosophers such as F.S.C. Northrop or even Richard Rorty. Platt then asked: How do you "grade" intellectual quality other than subjectively, like paintings in an art gallery? Ant McWatt replied: Ideally, in the same way you deal with the accused in a court of law. Platt then asked June 11th: What's the charge? Ant McWatt comments: Whatever you like. It's the establishing of facts (i.e. the highest quality truths) on the basis of evidence and evaluating them by applying strict mathematical logic which is the critical concern here. So if you're dealing with a "witness" (to the truth of a matter) such as Rush Limbaugh, I would highly doubt he has the same concern of world peace and understanding as F.S.C. Northrop did or an equally thorough research background to underpin his opinions. As William James once (supposedly) said: "A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices." Platt commented June 12th: Equally true of philosophers, scientists and political commentators. All marshal their arguments to support their premises, as indeed you did in your MOQ thesis. Ant McWatt replies: No, I don't think so. This sounds just like more post-modernist pluralism (a.k.a. bullshit?) to me. If this is the case, why did _you_ think that Pirsig has a better grasp of reality than other philosophers? It wouldn't be because he "marshalled" better and more well thought out "arguments to support" his "premises" by any chance? In another post, in response to the "post-modernist charge", Platt then quoted from LILA, Chapter 8: "One can then examine intellectual realities the same way he examines paintings in an art gallery, not to find which one is the 'real' painting, but simply to enjoy and keep those that are of value. There are many sets of intellectual reality in existence and we can perceive some to have more quality than others, but that we do so is, in part, the result of our history and current patterns of values." Ant McWatt comments: This painting illustration is an analogy and not to be taken literally. Best wishes, Anthony . _________________________________________________________________ The next generation of Hotmail is here! http://www.newhotmail.co.uk 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/
