On Fri, 19 Jan 2001 14:49:18 -0600 Tom Pearson <pearson@panam1.panam.edu>
writes:
> At 01:19 PM 01/19/2001 -0700, David F. Siemens wrote:
>
> >All this, of course, merely adds to the confusion, which fits
> what
> >I often told my classes: when the confusion becomes total, you
> have become
> >a philosopher.
>
> Hey, hey, watch it -- some of my best friends' best friends are
> philosophers. Besides, I haven't noticed any philosophers
> contributing to
> the confusing array of claims on this thread, just a bunch of
> thoughtful
> scientists doing what scientists do best -- speculating like crazy.
> Nonetheless, I'll forgive you your trespass here, Dave; that's what
> philosophers do best.
>
> Tom Pearson
> ________________________________________________________________
> ________________________________________________________________
>
> Thomas D. Pearson
> Department of History & Philosophy
> The University of Texas-Pan American
> Edinburg, Texas
> e-mail: pearson@panam1.panam.edu
>
Tom,
Are you suggesting that I need forgiveness for being a philosopher?
Remember that ASA is an eclectic organization. They have let in
theologians and philosophers in addition to the ones who have scientific
credentials.
As to achieving total confusion, I think I can give an illustration. I
was in grad school when Carnap was accused of being a covert Plationist.
As a logical positivist, this was the worst thing that could be said of
him, for it claimed that he was a metaphysician, the dirtiest word in the
positivist vocabulary. I recall one of my professors saying that he had
read Carnap's response very carefully, and still did not know whether
Carnap was a Platonist or was so subtle that he could not follow the
argument. At the time, Carnap was arguably the most highly esteemed
philosopher in the country. He achieved a level of confusion beyond the
capability of most mortals.
Dave
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