[MD] Choosing Chance

[Arlo Bensinger]

[Platt to Mark]
Your challenging of popular, static beliefs is refreshing.

[Arlo]
The attempt to reduce all intellectual patterns to faith-based 
"theisms" is hardly "refreshing". Its reared its ugly here numerous 
times, typically by theistic apologists all pissy because Pirsig 
"slighted" their belief in "god", or anti-intellectuals seeking just 
another drum to beat against evil perfessers and commie acerdimics, 
or right-wing ideologues who pander to fundamentalist christians.

[Platt]
I would add to your statement  "There is no right way to believe" a 
corollary: There is no right way to think.

[Arlo]
So you too feel that geology and "plate tectonics" are simply 
"theisms", along with "angry god punishing voodoo worshipers", and 
that neither is better nor worse than each other? I never took you 
for such a total relativist.

[Platt]
We often forget (or never realize) that "critical thinking" as taught 
in academy is an ideology.

[Arlo]
It isn't, its just a sad drumbeat from right-wing anti-intellectuals 
that tries make it so. Pirsig is one of the greatest "critical 
thinkers" I've read.