[MD] Food for Thought

[pholden at davtv.com]

Quoting gav <gav_gc at yahoo.com.au>:

> platt: 
> > The fact that Einstein's theory is something that is
> > taught to students
> > puts it in the social pattern category. Lots of
> > people don't understand
> > our government and many of our laws, but they are
> > still social patterns.
> > Anyway, I don't see how social patterns like the
> > governments, churches,
> > and universities are "unconscious forces." But, I
> > could be wrong.
> 
> gav: a lot is taught at school and at uni but how much
>   is truly incorporated by the student....? i would
> say a fraction.  the most general legacy is the
> unconscious stuff - the structure and method:
> hierarchy, discipline, conformity etc. free thinking
> and original development are not really encouraged.
> 
> so i would say that the social stuff we get from
> education is less to do with the abstract ideas and
> artistic subtleties we may be exposed, clumsily, to,
> and more to do with the *atmosphere* of the
> institutions...a gradual 'osmotic' transfer of the
> underlying logic of the 'system'.
> 
> however, i would say that an erroneous simplification
> of relativity theory and its implications has infected
> our educational foundations, even if not always
> explicitly obvious. what i am getting at is the
> postmodern paradigm that sees a nihilistic relativity
> as the *true* nature of things (and is this a
> contradiction?).
> 
> so perhaps this metaphysical cynicism could be said to
> be a social pattern of sorts (academically speaking at
> least) because it seems to be assumed  (ie
> unconsciously adopted) by so many, and evidenced in
> how they think and see the world.
> 
> but to return to your reply...i think most of us are
> aware of the logic behind the need for government and
> law, irrespective of the quality of that logic. and
> because of this general comprehension these patterns
> can then move into the realm of the social. it seems
> general comprehension, if not concensus, is required
> for an intellectual pattern to become socially
> transmittable.
> 
> what do you think?

I'm not sure about the specifics, but if my "general comprehension" is
correct, we agree. :-)




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