Re: memetics and knowledge

From: Robin Faichney (robin@reborntechnology.co.uk)
Date: Wed Sep 20 2000 - 09:38:51 BST

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    Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 09:38:51 +0100
    From: Robin Faichney <robin@reborntechnology.co.uk>
    To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
    Subject: Re: memetics and knowledge
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    In-Reply-To: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745A2E@inchna.stir.ac.uk>; from v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk on Wed, Sep 20, 2000 at 08:55:47AM +0100
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    On Wed, Sep 20, 2000 at 08:55:47AM +0100, Vincent Campbell wrote:
    > Where on earth did you get the idea that I "took the side" of the mystical
    > bicycle?
    >
    > I've checked my response to Wade, and see nothing in that post to suggest
    > that.

    Pity you didn't check the next line:

    > > And then
    > > Vincent's response, in which he "took the side" of the mystical bicycle,
    > > i.e. seemed to think there should be some such thing.

    > The way I interpreted Wade's initial comment was that rationalist
    > thinking has produced objects of manifest utility, and that mysticism has
    > nothing manifest to offer, i.e. there's no mystical equivalent of the bike,
    > so the analogy between walking and cycling was erroneous.

    Leaving aside that last line ("analogy between walking and cycling"?),
    that's exactly what I thought you thought.

    > Wade then pointed out that you weren't claiming that mysticism did produce
    > utilitarian objects, which I accept. My point was- where is the manifest
    > evidence that can be tested? If there's nothing more than anecdotalism then
    > what's the point?

    See my most recent reply to Wade.

    > Increasingly we find that claims of the supernatural (I know you think it's
    > not the same thing as mysticism but there's an anti-rationalist link) can be
    > explained in all sorts of ways (I refer you back to the list of examples you
    > so flatly rejected earlier).

    I flatly rejected it because it has nothing to do with mysticism. As I
    use the term, that is, of course, which is the more specific, technical
    meaning, not the common one, because I've clearly explained why I see
    that as misuse based on ignorance. You continue to insist that I'm a
    true believer in religious superstition -- I can't think of any other
    reason for that, but that your prejudice, your lack of rationality on
    this issue, is preventing you from taking in what I'm saying. Face it:
    despite your repetitive demands for a definition of experience, there is
    no difference between us on that -- while for the term on whose definition
    we do differ -- mysticism -- you pretend we don't. And that's irrational.

    I didn't mean to do any replies this morning, but I was goaded into it,
    and now I'm late for my Real World activities. I hope you're happy!
    :-)

    -- 
    Robin Faichney
    

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