[MD] Media As Epistemology and what it means for Truth

[david buchanan]

John said to dmb:
 Whatever we personally accept is the only real criterion for anything anymore.  Truth is relative, ideas are dime and dozen and if you don't like the religious outlook you were raised in, well there's about a billion more to choose from. It's all personal preference anyway, with no real meaning to any of it.

dmb says:
So then your personal preference is to view life as cynical, sad, and meaningless? The only real criterion is personal preference and THAT is your choice? Jeez. If your taste in food is anything like your taste in philosophy I'm gonna have to decline all future dinner invitations. 


John said:

Well Dave, I'm sure it's fashionable in some circles to praise Marx, just as in other circles it's the fashion to sneer at him.  But I'm in favor of evaluating ideas on their merit rather than dismissing or affirming just because it's "marxist".



dmb says:

Did I say we ought to affirm or dismiss Postman? No, of course not. And, if fact, I already stated by own view which was neither an affirmation nor a dismissal. (It's not a crazy idea but it's overplayed and out of proportion, I'd said.) But don't you think that your ability to evaluate his ideas would only be improved and enhanced by also understanding the background and context of those ideas? Yes, of course it will. But instead of saying "thanks, dave", you just seem to resent it. I don't get that.


I think you're just angry at me because you're an anti-intellectual theist while I am an anti-theistic intellectual. (This only refers to my point of view, not my intelligence, status or achievements.) I'm everything you hate, huh? The case against theism ruffles your feathers big time, doesn't it? That's okay. It's only natural. I'd probably feel the same way if the situation were reversed. 


Generally speaking, I like to think that anger is just the initial reaction but later, when things calm down and we have a chance to do some pondering, we might actually change our views as a result of such challenges. That's how it works for me, anyway. Takes time to change your mind. It's a process. And I suppose a lot of the time this process never gets off the ground because the challenged beliefs are just too central, too firmly entrenched so that an alteration in them is very expensive. Altering such a central belief is too costly in the sense that it supports a whole series of other beliefs in such a way that they would come tumbling down too. Sometimes this is so dramatic that one's whole world seems to be threatened. "No pain, no gain" is a slogan that applies to more than just muscles, you know? A change of perspective is often experienced as a crisis when you're in the middle of it but later, when you can look back at it you can see that it was all quite worthwhile. You've probably heard people say things like, "Getting fired from my job was the best thing that every happened to me". Times like that have a way of forcing us to hit the reset button, changes who we think we are and sends life in a new direction. 


I'm not saying this describes your situation. I'm not saying that you're more challenged by me than I am by you. This is about anybody and everybody. But I do get the sense that you're mighty pissed and that your new personality won't allow you to properly vent about it, so it's sort of leaking out from the cracks. I'm afraid you're gonna blow a gasket or something. Go ahead and vent. Let me have it. It's alright. I'll get over it eventually. Besides, in cyberspace no one can hear me cry. 















 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
Your E-mail and More On-the-Go. Get Windows Live Hotmail Free.
http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/201469229/direct/01/