virus: Belief and Knowledge (was: The truth about faith)

Reed Konsler (konsler@ascat.harvard.edu)
Sat, 5 Jul 1997 14:06:00 -0400 (EDT)


Date: Fri, 4 Jul 1997 01:27:35 -0600
From: "David McFadzean" <morpheus@lucifer.com>

> From: Tim Rhodes <proftim@speakeasy.org>
> Date: Thursday, July 03, 1997 4:25 PM

> But, having noted a sphere of non-logic, logic itself falls silent,
> offering little else than a pointing finger.

I hope the thousands of scientists that work in the field of
abnormal psychology don't find out that their work is
imaginary!
----------------------------------------
Foucault argues in his masterpiece: "Madness and Civilization"
that since the end of the classical period, during which the "insane" were
removed from common intercourse and confined to asylums that
there has been (and can be) no productive dialectic between <reason>
and <madness>. Madness is, by definition (as David stated earlier)
that which reason is not; a Hell for every Heaven...if you will allow the
cliche.

But, David, I am surprised:

[reference: I highly recommend this logic gallery:
http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies]

Fallacy: Appeal to Authority, designated as meme <a>
Fallacy: Appeal to Popularity, designated as meme <b>
Fallacy: Ridicule, designated as meme <c>
Fallacy: Appeal to Consequences of a Belief, designated as meme <d>

"I hope the thousands <b> of scientists <a> that work in the field of
abnormal psychology don't find out that their work is
imaginary<c,d>!" -David McFadzean

The fact is, of course, that language is riddled with logical fallacies,
indeed they are the core of communication. However, I am simply
deconstructing that sentence in order that I might replace it with
the following, which is much more in line with memetic thinking:

"I hope the people that work in the field of abnormal psychology
find out that their work is imaginary!"

Your move.

Reed

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Reed Konsler konsler@ascat.harvard.edu
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