There is no worse pseudointellectual than a Very Intellectual and Scientifically Enlightened Person, that much is generally understood outside of scientistic circles. But I have to say, the so-called "doers" (see: most right-wing public figures) are just as aggravating to me.
I'm generally comfortable with "I have such and such suspicion" or "this seems to be happening". That is the bedrock of a scientific attitude (that's not to say all scientists actually have this attitude in practice).
-
-
I'm even okay with a lot more certainty than that, when it's built on something. It's certainty that survives legitimate challenges that bothers me.
-
I'm willing to go there if it serves a function, but paradoxically the higher the feeling of certainty behind a claim the more skeptical one should be. In this case, by skepticism I mean openness to the possibility of being misled by emotional conviction, not outright dismissal.
-
Agreed.
End of conversation
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.