Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19991004135623.01a6f194@popmail.mcs.net>
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1999 13:56:23 -0500
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
From: Aaron Lynch <aaron@mcs.net>
Subject: RE: Scholarly credibility
In-Reply-To: <000b01bf0e89$e7b3ec60$fdb606d1@sbosmr.ma.cable.rcn.com>
At 01:00 PM 10/4/99 -0400, Aaron Agassi wrote:
>Okay, to my relief, I definitely am not the Aaron in question.
Indeed, you are not.
Perhaps the Paul in question could further repair his scholarly credibility
by looking up the word "argumeny" while he is in the library. I do not find
it in the Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, or in any other
dictionary I have tried. Under the circumstances, a definition and a source
for the word should be given when saying that my book contains "argumeny."
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk [mailto:fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk]On Behalf
>> Of Aaron Lynch
>> Sent: Monday, October 04, 1999 11:49 AM
>> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>> Subject: Re: Scholarly credibility
>>
>>
>> At 12:57 PM 10/4/99 +0200, Gatherer, D. (Derek) wrote:
>> >Aaron:
>> >It occurs to me that my silence on this article [by Paul
>> Marsden] may have
>> >been mistaken by
>> >some as indicating tacit agreement, or even that you [Paul] Marsden] have
>> >restored
>> >scholarly credibility after the JASSS "review."
>> >
>> >Derek:
>> >As far as I'm concerned, and as far as anyone else is concerned,
>> Paul has no
>> >problems with scholarly credibility.
>>
>> Really? Anyone who can give a cursory read of his references section can
>> start finding errors quite quickly. Start by looking for the book whose
>> title is mutated into inflated language. If Marsden wants to improve his
>> scholarly reputation, then perhaps he could start by going to the library
>> and actually reading the titles of the works he cites directly and report
>> back the correct titles and other information. I am not going to do the
>> work for him: he should have already done it himself. Nor am I going to
>> assume that he has actually seen, let alone read, all the works he cites.
>> The misquotations and falsifications of my own work are a main subject of
>> my upcoming rebuttal.
>>
>> >What are your credentials to decide on this matter, anyway?
>> Have you held
>> >an academic position? Do you have a higher degree?
>> >
>> >If someone who is qualified to judge on matters of scholarly credibility
>> >were to tell me that Paul is discredited as a scholar, then I might be
>> >prepared to listen - but so far no one has.
>> >
>> >So, Aaron, I suggest you either put up or shut up.
>>
>> More foul language from Gatherer.
>>
>> He has previously published unscientific (if caustically amusing) terms
>> like "damned lies," etc. that should never have made the scientific
>> literature. He has announced "mouthfoaming anger."
>>
>> For those who are honestly wondering why I do not hold certain
>> conventional
>> academic in memetics, it is because the paradigm I use was too new when I
>> started in the 1970's. Still, famous professors have endorsed my thesis on
>> a less formal basis, and while acclaimed professors have invited me to
>> contribute to their publications. Are my credentials a big problem? If so,
>> then why back someone who cites Le Bon, another honest and serious author
>> who does not have conventional credentials?
>>
>>
>> Incidentally, the present (October 4,1999) issue of _Forbes ASAP_ sheds a
>> bit of light on the conflict between Dawkins and the lucrative "religion
>> and science" enterprise. The article is called "Snake Oil and Holy Water,"
>> (p. 235-238) but I would not be surprised if that Dawkins has criticiced
>> "religion and science" subjects long before this. Given the money involved
>> and the audiences Dawkins reaches, I would also not be surprised to find
>> many people angry about it.
>>
>>
>> --Aaron Lynch
>>
>http://www.mcs.net/~aaron/thoughtcontagion.html
>
>===============================================================
>This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
>Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
>For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
>see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
>
>
>===============================================================
>This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
>Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
>For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
>see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
>
>
--Aaron Lynch
http://www.mcs.net/~aaron/thoughtcontagion.html
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit