From: Sam Norton (elizaphanian@kohath.wanadoo.co.uk)
Date: Wed Jul 27 2005 - 20:05:58 BST
Hi Mark,
> msh 7-27-05:
> You're trying to fabricate some connection between human character
> and human intellect, so that you can connect character to truth. God
> knows why : )
The line of argument goes:
1. The perception of truth is a function of the honesty of the perceiver. In
other words, high Quality intellectual patterns are only static latched by
other intellectual patterns structured on a virtuous basis.
2. Honesty depends upon self-awareness and the capacity for self-criticism.
Those are elements of 'character'.
3. Therefore truth is character dependent. It is ontological, not
epistemological.
> msh 7-27-05:
> You're suggesting that the data-fakers BELIEVED their own fabricated
> data. The MOQ explanation for what happened is far less exotic, I
> think. These guys willingly betrayed the intellectual level in order
> to reap social and biological benefits. This is where they failed
> the morality test. Their lack of honesty didn't somehow "cloud"
> their perception of truth; their lack of honesty caused them to
> conceal the truth for personal gain.
>
> Seems pretty clear to me.
Well, it's clearer to you than to me. I don't know Pons and Fleischmann well
enough to accuse them of being wilfully dishonest, and I thought it more
charitable to give them the benefit of the doubt.
But you may well be right. Not sure it undermines my argument, though, even
if you are.
Sam
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