------------------------------------------------------------Fidelity vs content... From: "Jim Devine" --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
me: > obviously, this ["conspiracy theory" as a politically motivated put-down] is a major usage, but it is not the only one. > > Another usage is to say that a conspiracy theory is simply one species > of poorly-reasoned theories, in the same genus as structural > functionalism, belief in astrology, and the like. > ^^^ > CB: Geez, structural functional explanation is not quite as bad as > astrology , is it.? Vulgar materialist explanations are not always > wrong. Nor is structural functional anthropology just a nothing. > Structural-functionalism is still valid physiology, no ? Yeah, it's valid in physiology (though I don't know that subject well at all). It doesn't work in social theory. I wasn't _equating_ structural functionalism with astrology, excepts different species of the same genus. I don't know how vulgar materialism got into the mix. ^^^^ CB: Vulgar materialism is pretty much identical with vulgar functionalism. Vulgar materialist explanations reduce to material functions. "Function" is somewhat synonymous with "purpose". Say explaining a religious idea ( superstructure) by the way it serves an economic ruling class (base) purpose. How some religious or other superstructure functions for the economic base. Say the idea that the more one suffers materially in this world the more ecstasy and happiness one has in the after life , pie in the sky in the bye and bye; So, it persuades the poor to accept their poverty as a virtue, functioning for the ruling class. That's a valid vulgar materialist or structural functional explanation of a religious idea. I'm curious how you say astrology and structural functionalism are even the same genus. Astrology does explain by reduction to some material function. This message has been scanned for malware by SurfControl plc. www.surfcontrol.com _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
