24 Mar 15
1 edit
Originally posted by normbenignThat is an idiotic reply. Atoms are not human. Individuals live as social beings, not solitary and isolated beings, and it seems to me that you are the one who wants to reduce individuals to atoms, cut off from their neighbours.
Your analogy is faulty. Humans are rational individual beings. Atoms are not.
Your claim that humans are rational is idealistic at best. We can be rational of course, but most of our behaviour takes place without awareness, never mind reason. We are rational, we are emotional and we are many other things too. Your posts, however, are only rarely rational and that also disproves your point. They are usually ideological.
24 Mar 15
Originally posted by normbenignIf you have to point out the analogy is faulty, then you are talking to a person who cares not for freedom. Take what they say as information. Such people just want us back on the Manor. It's safer there.
Your analogy is faulty. Humans are rational individual beings. Atoms are not.
24 Mar 15
Originally posted by normbenignWho is pushing silly analogies here? Not me. Even atoms are social.
Your analogy is faulty. Humans are rational individual beings. Atoms are not.
In the standard model of chemistry, everything in our universe is built up from atoms. However, I think you will find that atoms by their very nature form bonds with other atoms. The concept of an atomistic universe in which we only encounter individuals is not valid. We are unlikely to encounter atoms other than as constituents of larger combinations. Furthermore, we are not going to describe the properties of matter by relying on our knowledge of its atoms, since many properties emerge from their combinations and cannot be explained otherwise.
Scientists have suggested that being social leads to intelligence, and point to the intelligence of many birds and animals in this context. Being social is logically prior and biologically prior to being rational. Rational behaviour is only one facet of our psychology. A lot of what we do is not inherently rational. Even in physiological / neurological terms, we cannot make sense of human behaviour, feelings or even human thinking by referring only to the cortex, the seat of reasoning.
Humans are feeling, often irrational, habit forming, risk avoiding, error making, security needing, social beings who live of necessity and by our nature with other humans in a vast complex of relationships and dependencies.
You are skulking in a cave staring at shadows.
24 Mar 15
race
1
[ rās ]
NOUN
a competition between runners, horses, vehicles, boats, etc., to see which is the fastest in covering a set course:
"I won the first 50-lap race"
synonyms: contest · competition · More
VERB
compete with another or others to see who is fastest at covering a set course or achieving an objective:
"the vet took blood samples from the horses before they raced"
synonyms: compete · contend · More
24 Mar 15
Racy
rac·y
ˈrāsē/Submit
adjective
(of speech, writing, or behavior) lively, entertaining, and typically mildly titillating sexually.
"the novel was considered rather racy at the time"
synonyms: risqué, suggestive, naughty, sexy, spicy, ribald; More
antonyms: prim
(of a person or thing) showing vigor or spirit.
"a racy fiddle"
(of a wine, flavor, etc.) having a characteristic quality in a high degree.
26 Mar 15
Originally posted by finneganYou made the atoms to humans comparison, and it is an inappropriate analogy on any number of basis. Most individuals live as social critters, but not all. The size and scope of societies differs greatly, from great nations to nomadic tribes.
That is an idiotic reply. Atoms are not human. Individuals live as social beings, not solitary and isolated beings, and it seems to me that you are the one who wants to reduce individuals to atoms, cut off from their neighbours.
Your claim that humans are rational is idealistic at best. We can be rational of course, but most of our behaviour takes place ...[text shortened]... ever, are only rarely rational and that also disproves your point. They are usually ideological.
Where do ideologies form? If rationalism isn't what differentiates humans from other mammals what is?
26 Mar 15
Originally posted by FishHead111Doesn't surprise me. They can't make a decent cup of coffee, and overcharge for the bad product they produce. Why ought they be expected to produce relevant social progress?
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/23/business/media/starbucks-ends-tempestuous-initiative-on-race.html?_r=1