[MD] Babylonian intellectuals

[david buchanan]

Andy said:
I have no position on whether this gets them the "intellect" distinction. I'm not going to get into what you two are doing, which is arguing over which algorithm is best for sorting sand. You aren't proposing to do anything with the piles except stamp your name on them. It just squeezes all the value out of the metaphysics to treat it this way. ... To properly condemn what you're doing I feel I should name it. So I'll call it Definism. I don't know what to call my position.


dmb says:

I disagree. The levels aren't supposed to be some undefined mystery. They're part of the structure of the MOQ and they're supposed to be used as an explanatory tool and moral compass. The difference between social and intellectual levels, which is what Arlo and have been talking about, is supposed to help in explaining the present social and political conflicts as well as the conflicts of the 20th century. I mean, I think this is how we're supposed to treat a metaphysics. "Definism" gets you into trouble when you're dealing with dynamic areas like art, mysticism and the like but doing metaphysics or any other philosophy requires the use of concepts and definitions. Intellectual "static patterns" are called that because they're "stable" and "structured". Concepts and definitions are supposed to be stable and structured, but hopefully not stale or rigid or brittle. A whole metaphysical system is like a motorcycle and so some of the parts need to be very precisely defined if you want the whole thing to get you down the road. 

Mumbling in a puddle of Andy's piss,

dmb






 		 	   		  
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