Comments for Sophistry and Illusion

Comment on A Few Thoughts on Memory and Identity by HMI

HMI — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:00:05 +0000

The Borges short story, “Theme of the Traitor and Hero,” (made into the Bertolucci film, “La stratagia del ragno,” “The Spider’s Stratagem”) deals with these themes.

Comment on Case Study 1: Who Is the Victim? by W. M. Hess

W. M. Hess — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 23:38:25 +0000

That there is a cycle of violence is well established. Numerous authorities have documented the transgressions committed against individuals who in turn transgress. The question here is whether an individual is capable of getting off the merry-go-round, to use a macabre metaphor. Since most abused children do not themselves end up as criminals who commit crimes against others, there must be some sort of escape. What perplexes one here is whether those who commit crimes like Inman ever have the chance to escape.

The essential psychological capacity for escape is empathy, and only those who have experienced empathy can ever develop it in themselves. This takes us to the moment in individual life where one perhaps encounters a person who is willing to express empathy for the distress of the abused individual. Is there a choice of allowing one’s self to experience empathy? Is it a door that one must open? Or, in the case of Inman, did the door never appear? Was the world around him so brutal and uncaring that such a person never appeared?

Here one is left with probability that such a person did appear and that the abused individual chose not to engage with him or her.

Comment on A New Kind of Veggie Burger by Ben

Ben — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:37:50 +0000

This is an interesting development and one I hope is a great success.

I see eating meat as it’s a predominantly selfish act that society carries out because it is so heavily part of tradition. Most don’t understand this viewpoint and there is a serious lack of regard for the animals. Education is key, if people had to kill the animals themselves they would think twice. Just because something tastes good doesn’t justify your actions, there should never be a price put on suffering. In this regard humanity is incredibly unenlightened.

Comment on A New Kind of Veggie Burger by Fabuzz

Fabuzz — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 18:14:50 +0000

Hehe, you want meat ? Here is meat, but without suffering.
They just play with natural/artificial distinction, some guys will still refuse to eat it : “I want natural meat”, but from a scientific perspective it would be all the same.
Peta is playing with psychology, maybe moving the problem rather than solving it. The positive thing is “they create new tastes for vegetarian”, but food isn’t meant to look like meat. Basically, food just serves us to have good health. It happens it can taste good or bad, when good it helps in satisfying the need
I’m not sure people really need meat taste to eat, even if they say “I can’t live without meat, I like it too much !”.
Food is so various, other countries (indian, muslim food…) makes us discover some new world, vegetarian food is one of them. Sticking to one may rather be a matter of traditions.

PS: hope Nietzsche agrees.

Comment on Descartes’ Magical Berry by ziggy

ziggy — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:55:12 +0000

Nice site!