[lbo-talk] 'American kids, dumber than dirt'

[ravi]

On 31 Oct, 2007, at 9:42 AM, Wojtek Sokolowski wrote:
>
> Finally, a thought that I believe Ravi would like.  Psychometrics,  
> like
> neo-classical economics and kindred brands of positivism/scientism  
> more
> generally - is more religion than science.  It is "science" in a  
> superficial
> way only - by ritualistic adherence to certain procedures that are  
> used by
> science.  But while real science uses these procedures as the means  
> to an
> end, scientists/positivists use them as an end in itself.
>
> That is to say, real science would use any method that can discover  
> the
> so-called "facts" or "truth" (i.e. "objectively" existing causal  
> relations -
> in a Kantian sense, of course).  Scientism/positivism, otoh, would  
> limit its
> pursuit to the application of narrowly defined set of procedures  
> that are
> considered "scientific," regardless of whether the results they  
> produce have
> any predictive value or not.
>
> In that way, they are a form of religion, where ritual is practiced
> regardless of whether it yields any practical results.  This is a  
> one way
> street indeed, where only confirmatory evidenced is allowed, and any
> contradicting evidence is explained away ("you did not pray hard  
> enough"),
> compartmentalized away (that is "humanities" not "hard science") or
> altogether banned.
>

I love it! ;-)

	--ravi