Who is this interloper? Where is my man? I don’t like change.
Open Thread
Talk about whatever.
Modernism And Postmodernism
Here is a nutshell reaction to the book I am reading right now. Objectivism (not the Rand kind, but the general principle that we can measure a reality external to us) fails when we mistakenly assume that the fact that an objective reality exists automatically means that we know it. False certainty on subjects like race, class and gender have led to large and small atrocities in the name of science.
In response to that, relativist thinking proposed that people only perceive reality in light of what they expect to see. Psychologists long ago learned that they’re right – most of the time we all, scientists included, fail to perceive something if it falls too far outside of our expectations. Other timeswe see an appealing artifact and call it real. ‘Soft’ relativism has served us well by defying unjust assumptions about race and gender that permeated both science and society. However, as an academic discipline postmodern thinkers almost always slide into ‘hard’ relativism sillytown where people deny the existence of any reality that is not created de novo by language and culture (here’s a test: try banging your head on the desk. whatever culture you come from, it hurts).
Both perspectives have a compelling point and both have an obvious downside. On the one hand you have scientific progress followed by scientifially sanctioned racism, eugenics and worse. On the other you have a necessary check on sclerotic paternalism followed by a slide down the rabbit hole of denying reality itself. If everyone listened to me, like they should, I’d propose that we keep the best of both in an approach that I’ll call ‘objective humility.’ People who followed my plan would acknowledge that an objective reality exists while also acknowledging that knowing reality is a hard process that often, due to our cultural and biological limitations, leads us to the wrong conclusions.
Professional scientists reading this will most likely shrug because, more or less, that’s what we do. People like me have a job because society already assumes that (a) objective reality exists, and (b) illuminating reality is a tough business lined with appealing falsehoods. Half of the job of any scientist X is correcting the many things that scientist Y got wrong. Scientific paternalism is less of a problem due to the sensible (an ongoing) corrections from socially engaged postmodern thinkers. Meanwhile ‘hard’ relativist scholars have become about as relevant to ordinary people as theologians arguing angels on a pin.
Naturally a principle can organize western society and be misunderstood at the same time. Practically every time I hear someone taking on evolution or global warming I hear someone presenting himself as a brave crusader against scientific paternalism, as if we were Soviets promoting Lysenko or the army keeping black men out of planes due to ‘poor night vision.’ It’s fun when conservatives become brave defenders of postmodern thought, but it’s less entertaining to see how well the tactic works.
Maybe I’m noodling here, but it strikes me that the country is fertile ground for creationists crying scientific paternalism because outside of upper level college electives, that is the way most of us are taught. That certainly described my pre-college experience, with the single exception of, Dr. Sayles, who asked my 9th grade class a question about the growth of tree branches on day 1, never answered it, and put the question on the final after we’d figured it out for ourselves.
That NCLB rules leave even less room for a teacher like Dr. Sayles to operate thus strikes me as even more of a loss. Facts are an important part of understanding science, but they’re not such an important part that we can afford to leave the rest out altogether.
Brave New World
I am watching an ad for pole dancing as a weight-loss program.
Discuss.
Another Unfortunate Christmas-Birthday Nexus
A bit late since I am not much on the internets lately, but congrats to Fester and Mrs. Fester. Make sure the family sends two gifts each year!
Another Unfortunate Christmas-Birthday NexusPost + Comments (23)
The Winners, And The Next Competition
The winners from our competition for the dumbest thing said by a politician in 2008:
#3: Sarah Palin- “Ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health care reform that is needed to help shore up the economy- Oh, it’s got to be about job creation too. So health care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions.”
#2: John McCain- “The fundamentals of our economy are strong.”
#1: Sarah Palin- “We have trade missions back and forth, we do. It’s very important when you consider even national security issues with Russia. As Putin rears his head and comes into the air space of the United States of America, where do they go? It’s Alaska. It’s just right over the border. It is from Alaska that we send those out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this very powerful nation, Russia, because they are right there, they are right next to our state.”
Overall, not very surprising results, especially considering the partisan nature of this crowd. Having said that, there really is a reason McCain/Palin lost, and it wasn’t media bias. You can see the entire poll here.
Now for the inside baseball stuff. Since we are fond of backslapping and self-congratulatory wanking here, I present to you the poll of the funniest thing said by commenters in 2008. The entries are:
Krista:
You can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska.
And when I look out my window I can see the moon. Doesn’t make me a fucking astronaut now, does it?
Ahmmm, I’m a ghey, and I wouldn’t do anything with the words “Cruise” and “Hugh Hewitt” in it.
Of course, with all those social conservatives in one place, it’ll probably sound like Riverdance in the bathrooms.
JasonF, with the Auto Industry as a Play. A sample (and really, read the whole thing):
ACT THREE
UAW: I have fulfilled my end of the deal by building the automobiles that you have asked me to build.
BIG THREE: Oh no! I am undone! My automobiles are no longer competitive due to my years of poor planning and poor judgment!
MITT ROMNEY: This is all UAW’s fault!
And, our final entry, Tbone with Hillary Clinton’s Tuzla War Journal, a fictionalized version of the sniper fire incident (and again, click the link for the whole comment):
[poll id = 6]It was a simple mission, they had told me – get in, shake a few hands and mouth a few platitudes, get out. Simple. Yeah.
Things had started going wrong while we were still in the air, and only gotten worse from there. So here we were, pinned down, choking on the acrid tang of cordite and the heady scent of human blood. The mission was even simpler now: survive. Whatever the cost, survive.
There was a grunt and a clatter of equipment as Sinbad threw himself down at my side. Sweat glistened on his bare arms, and I could see tendons contracting and relaxing as he squeezed off bursts from his M14. The motion was hypnotic, like a snake about to strike. Perhaps, when all this was over-
No. Concentrate. Focus on the mission. Survive.
A shout from my left drew my head around. Sheryl Crow, guitar still strapped to her back, had taken cover behind a pile of decaying corpses. Her once-lustrous hair, now limp and stringy, was held back from her eyes by a dirty red headband, and her slim nostrils flared, seeking air free of the funeral taint permeating the airfield. Still, I saw a fierce exultation in her expression that I knew mirrored my own.
Have fun.
Whatever Is Fastest
There is your answer, Democrats:
Thwarted by President Bush in their efforts to expand federal spending on embryonic stem cell research, Democrats are now debating whether to overturn federal restrictions through executive order or by legislation when they assume full control of the government this month.
Both President-elect Barack Obama and Democratic Congressional leaders have made repealing Bush administration restrictions announced in 2001 a top priority. But they have yet to determine if Mr. Obama should quickly put his stamp on the issue by way of presidential directive, or if Congress should write a permanent policy into statute.
The debate is not academic. Democrats who oppose abortion say such a legislative fight holds the potential to get the year off to a difficult beginning, even though the outcome is certain given solid majorities in both the House and the Senate for expanded embryonic stem cell research.
Executive order. Just get it done.