Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id TAA18055 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Sun, 17 Mar 2002 19:34:48 GMT X-Originating-IP: [199.35.202.27] From: "Grant Callaghan" <grantc4@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: FW: MD Dawkins on quantum/mysticism convergence Date: Sun, 17 Mar 2002 11:28:55 -0800 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <LAW2-F99zPanFb3J7iH00015d7a@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 17 Mar 2002 19:28:55.0804 (UTC) FILETIME=[FA9223C0:01C1CDE9] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>Subject: Re: FW: MD Dawkins on quantum/mysticism convergence
>Date: Sun, 17 Mar 2002 11:21:36 -0500
>
>On Sunday, March 17, 2002, at 10:38 , Grant Callaghan wrote:
>
>>To attack such usages for a lack of narrowness is to misunderstand the
>>why and how of what the author was doing with his words. For subjects
>>like mysticism or religion, we have to resort to metaphor in an attempt
>>to explain ideas that are too abstract to be understood through
>>language.
>
>I think you're looking at this from the wrong perspective-
>
>What is resorted to in these instances by the con men of mysticism is
>obfuscation and charlatanism, in an attempt to extort monies from marks
>by fabricating ideas that are too abstract to be either understood or
>explained through common language and thus are elucidated with jargon
>undecipherable by either party, but that sounds damn impressive, and
>might even, from time to time, touch upon some real sense.
>
>The inane prattle of such quacks as Andrew Weil and Deepak Chopra come
>to mind.
>
>- Wade
Like I said, they used the words to do the job THEY were trying to do. They
were not using the words to do the job a scientist is trying to do. You may
not like what they were trying to do, but what has that got to do with
observing the way words are used? It just inserts your personal bias into
the process and destroys your objectivity. Which is fine, if that's what
you're trying to do.
Grant
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