Disgust With Philosophy
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* [http://www.academia.edu/1636420/Why_Do_Philosophers_Talk_so_Much_and_Read_so_Little_About_the_Stone_Age Why Do Philosophers Talk so Much and Read so Little About the Stone Age? False factual claims in appropriation-based property theory] | * [http://www.academia.edu/1636420/Why_Do_Philosophers_Talk_so_Much_and_Read_so_Little_About_the_Stone_Age Why Do Philosophers Talk so Much and Read so Little About the Stone Age? False factual claims in appropriation-based property theory] | ||
* [http://bleedingheartlibertarians.com/2016/03/does-science-need-philosophy-why-the-gotcha-argument-fails/ Does Science Need Philosophy? Why the “Gotcha” Argument Fails] | * [http://bleedingheartlibertarians.com/2016/03/does-science-need-philosophy-why-the-gotcha-argument-fails/ Does Science Need Philosophy? Why the “Gotcha” Argument Fails] | ||
+ | * [https://philosophynow.org/issues/46/Newtons_Flaming_Laser_Sword Newton’s Flaming Laser Sword] | ||
Philosopher: "What color is the sky?" <br>Student: "Blue." <br>Philosopher: "Let us then proceed from the fact that the sky is blue to reason thusly...." <br>If only the student would observe that the sky is not always blue: it can be gray on a cloudy day, it can be black at night, and sun, moon, stars, clouds, birds, etc. can all make it different than plain, solid blue. If we say the sky is blue, that is not a fact: it is a vague observation or generalization, ignoring the many exceptions, ignoring the scientific explanation of scattering of sunlight and privileging daytime over nighttime conditions. It is not a valid premise that philosophy can be built upon. Most philosophy actually starts with such invalid premises, and it is not too difficult to spot them. | Philosopher: "What color is the sky?" <br>Student: "Blue." <br>Philosopher: "Let us then proceed from the fact that the sky is blue to reason thusly...." <br>If only the student would observe that the sky is not always blue: it can be gray on a cloudy day, it can be black at night, and sun, moon, stars, clouds, birds, etc. can all make it different than plain, solid blue. If we say the sky is blue, that is not a fact: it is a vague observation or generalization, ignoring the many exceptions, ignoring the scientific explanation of scattering of sunlight and privileging daytime over nighttime conditions. It is not a valid premise that philosophy can be built upon. Most philosophy actually starts with such invalid premises, and it is not too difficult to spot them. | ||
If you must study philosophy, I recommend Daniel Dennet as the philosopher I would criticize least. | If you must study philosophy, I recommend Daniel Dennet as the philosopher I would criticize least. |