tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526479.post114039570702798551..comments2023-10-21T11:07:31.849-04:00Comments on Silly Humans: Daniel C. Dennett: "Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon" / The New York Times Book ReviewMichael Bainshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13734972725056899460noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526479.post-1140444697060795662006-02-20T09:11:00.000-05:002006-02-20T09:11:00.000-05:00Very cool link Anon. Thanks. Right off the bat, ...<A HREF="http://www.blog.mindandreality.org/articles/2006/01/25/breaking-the-godspell" REL="nofollow">Very cool link</A> Anon. Thanks. Right off the bat, I saw 3 or 4 different links I'm going back now to follow.<BR/><BR/>And it's interesting what Kelley mentions 'bout the Dalai Llama. I heard the latter speak about it on NPR late last year and found his comments both encouraging and humorous. He said that, where religious belief refutes scientifically determined fact, science must be given the nod: Except in regards to reincarnation. <BR/><BR/>Heh heh.. I wonder if he was smiling when he said it... {-;Michael Bainshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13734972725056899460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526479.post-1140443617171655072006-02-20T08:53:00.000-05:002006-02-20T08:53:00.000-05:00You might find Owen Flanagan's response to Wieselt...You might find Owen Flanagan's response to Wieseltier of interest. See also Dennett's conversation with Robert Thurman.<BR/><BR/>http://www.blog.mindandreality.org/articles/2006/01/25/breaking-the-godspellAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526479.post-1140400044424200212006-02-19T20:47:00.000-05:002006-02-19T20:47:00.000-05:00Oy... Good catch Jay.Ya know, I first wrote that ...Oy... Good catch Jay.<BR/><BR/>Ya know, I first wrote that philosophy is "<I>proto</I>scientific". S'pose I shoulda stuck with that cuz you're right. It has rules though and, sometimes in my effort to find balance; to avoid an extreme POV, I miss the fact that there really isn't any balance in certain assertions.<BR/><BR/>Philosophy is more deliberate than belief and more reasoned than faith. In that respect, I think it comes closer to objectivity than either of those.<BR/><BR/>But it's still far more similar to religion than it is to science.Michael Bainshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13734972725056899460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10526479.post-1140398119668095072006-02-19T20:15:00.000-05:002006-02-19T20:15:00.000-05:00Hi, Michael,I'm not sure I'd describe philosophy a...Hi, Michael,<BR/><BR/>I'm not sure I'd describe philosophy as even "quasi-" scientific. It can be used to argue the existence of things that are patently impossible, to argue that what we SEE doesn't exist, and that what is obviously cruel and wrong is acceptable (see Machiavelli). Generally, I find formal philosophy to be a load of malarkey, more akin to religion than science.Jay Denarihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12074661450189718921noreply@blogger.com