[lbo-talk] No Evidence ...

Miles Jackson cqmv at pdx.edu
Fri Sep 19 14:57:06 PDT 2003


On Fri, 19 Sep 2003, Brian Siano wrote:


> Well, I didn't assert anything like this; humans did get along, and
> continue to get along, without using the most formally logical analyses.
> But it does _help_ to be more careful in one's reasoning-- to follow rules
> of inquiry, to weigh evidence carefully, and to remember that one's
> conclusions are provisional.

Yes, this is true in many social settings (say, civil engineering, legal proceedings, literature classes). Why do you assume this is univerally helpful, though?

A brief example: if I'm a shaman in a nonindustrial society, and I'm trying to exorcise a malign spirit, what good is your formal logic? It's completely irrelevant to my social reality as a shaman; in fact, thinking that way would get in the way of my exorcism!

Miles



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