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From: colonel@sunybcs.UUCP (Col. G. L. Sicherman)
Newsgroups: talk.philosophy.misc
Subject: Re: poetry and philosophy, beauty and truth
Message-ID: <981@sunybcs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 23-Sep-86 12:07:57 EDT
Article-I.D.: sunybcs.981
Posted: Tue Sep 23 12:07:57 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 29-Sep-86 00:44:45 EDT
References: <11700119@inmet> <11700416@inmet>
Organization: Save the Dodoes Foundation
Lines: 55

> >Yep, emotion is discredited, not "as such", but as basis for  in-
> >quiry.
> 
> "Basis" is unclear. Emotion *may* sometimes hinder  inquiry.   In
> other  situations, it may *help* inquiry .  Wishful thinking is a
> vice; but it is not the only way thought and feeling interact.

I'd go farther than this!  The basis of inquiry is curiosity, and
curiosity is an emotion.

> >but my point was just that when  evaluating  factuality  of  some
> >claim  (e.g.  I  have  $5), I should not let my emotions (want to
> >have $7) fool me. That simple, despite the profound  phrasing.  I
> >presume agreement on this point.
> 
> Agreed. One should be on one's guard against wishful thinking.
> If your conclusions look too good, check again.

Now you're talking like a scientist, in terms of "claims" and "con-
clusions." What about statements like "I feel good," or "I'd like to
think wishfully today"?  Or even Mike's example: "My cat's name is
Arctos"?  Would you judge the "factuality" of whether you love somebody
by "observing" your actions?

> >... but how about this assertion: "humans have
> >evolved from lower animals" (no tricks with word "lower", please).
> >True or false? Beautiful or ugly? Can one still say "both, yes and no"?
> 
> True and beautiful. It harmonizes an awful lot of  seemingly
> independent facts. 

Or false, ugly, and insulting.  Re-phrase it as "your great-grandmother
a million times removed was an ape" and you'll see why people reject it.

I have enough scientific training to appreciate the beauty of Darwinian
evolution--have you enough human feeling to appreciate its ugliness?
You were ready enough to reject the idea that you are going to die as
false, ugly, and insulting!

You can destroy beauty, but the living truth lives with your every breath.


   POZZO:  He used to dance the farandole, the fling, the brawl, the jig,
	   the fandango and even the hornpipe.  He capered.  For joy.  Now
	   that's the best he can do.  Do you know what he calls it?
ESTRAGON:  The Scapegoat's Agony.
VLADIMIR:  The Hard Stool.
   POZZO:  The Net.  He thinks he's entangled in a net.

				--S. Beckett, _Waiting for Godot_
-- 
Col. G. L. Sicherman
UU: ...{rocksvax|decvax}!sunybcs!colonel
CS: colonel@buffalo-cs
BI: colonel@sunybcs, csdsiche@sunyabvc