Xref: utzoo comp.ai:2688 talk.philosophy.misc:1608
Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!husc6!rutgers!att!whuts!homxb!homxc!marty
From: marty@homxc.UUCP (M.B.BRILLIANT)
Newsgroups: comp.ai,talk.philosophy.misc
Subject: Re: Artificial Intelligence and Amateurs
Summary: Sorry.  Let me explain ``bullshit''
Message-ID: <4307@homxc.UUCP>
Date: 22 Nov 88 17:16:36 GMT
References: <496@soleil.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel
Lines: 39

In article <496@soleil.UUCP>, peru@soleil.UUCP (Dave Peru) writes:
> .....
> When I read my mail and find colorful expletives, that my views are
> "bullshit", I simply delete these messages without reading further.

``Bullshit'' is a technical term I learned decades ago in sophomore
philosophy, where I was frequently shot down for expressing objections
before I understood the logic of the exposition.  I finally learned
that sincerity is no substitute for logic.

Bullshit is a train of thought that is neither right nor wrong, because
it is imprecisely organized and expressed.  It is characterized by
statements made without supporting argument or authority, or vaguely
supported by irrelevant references.  Bullshit is hard to deal with in a
public forum because it must first be defined before it can be refuted.

Apologies to Dave Peru if he misunderstood.  I assumed he would know
what I meant by ``bullshit,'' but I guess the term is not so widely
used as I thought it was.  Dave's propositions may have merit.  But
they were put forth as logically unrelated, unsupported statements that
could be given neither approval nor rebuttal without further
definition, and his second article, intended to make his position
clearer, seemed only to add more unsupported statements.

One problem is that the original article was cross-posted to comp.ai
and talk.philosophy.misc, and all followups, regardless of where they
originated, have been going to the same two newsgroups.  I thought
comp.ai was for discussions of artificial intelligence, however you
choose to define it, while talk.philosophy.misc was more suitable for
the exposition, redefinition, and refutation of what I technically call
``bullshit.''  I hoped that by replying by mail I could keep comp.ai
from being flooded, but I was wrong.

M. B. Brilliant					Marty
AT&T-BL HO 3D-520	(201) 949-1858		Home (201) 946-8147
Holmdel, NJ 07733	att!houdi!marty1

Disclaimer: Opinions stated herein are mine unless and until my employer
	    explicitly claims them; then I lose all rights to them.