Thursday, February 4, 2010

The 'Noble Myth'?

I am part way through a book called Bad Science by Ben Goldacre. Although not concerned at all with climate science he throws in what appear to be some appropriate statements for the state of the politics (both sides) of some of the science these days:

‘You cannot reason people out of positions they didn’t reason themselves into.’

‘... throughout the world of pseudoscience instead of addressing the criticisms, or embracing the new findings in a new model, they seem to shift the goal posts and retreat, crucially, into untestable positions.’

‘What we are offered is graphs of ‘results’. To focus on the methods is to miss the point of the experiment, they aren’t about methods, they are about positive results, the graph and appearance of science. They are superficially plausible totems.’

He also mentions Plato's 'noble myth' in which inappropriate means are used to reach a good end

Just thought I would throw these out there and see what comes back.

4 comments:

Jean-François de Ribeaucourt de Bergonceau said...

I have no idea what you are trying to say. When I was young I read Hegel's Phaenomenlogie des Geistes (several times). I did not understand much of it. But I think this beats everything that Hegel ever wrote.

Dennis Bray said...

To J-FdRdB

Could you please be more precise. Thanks.

PS - sorry about your adventure with Hegel.

TRAB said...

To JF

You might considered

http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Philosophy-Third/dp/1592573614/ref=pd_sim_b_2

http://www.amazon.com/Philosophy-Dummies-Tom-Morris/dp/0764551531/ref=pd_sim_b_1

http://www.amazon.com/Accessible-Hegel-Michael-Allen-Fox/dp/1591022584/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Jean-François de Ribeaucourt de Bergonceau said...

@Dennis Bray
When I say that I have no idea what you are trying to say, that means that I haven't understood a iota of your text. I can't be more precise than that.
Why are you sorry about my adventure with Hegel? It was very entertaining and character forming. I am still very much interested in his work. But I don't have the time to study it. That is very sad and you can be sorry about that if you like. That will certainly console me a bit.

@TRAB
Thank you for your suggestions. It is not books about Hegel that I need but more time (and possibly a brighter brain). If you can give me these I will be very thankfull.