Steven Pinker's endorsement of free thought
Posted on: March 31, 2008 - 11:50pm
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Steven Pinker's endorsement of free thought
I love the guy's books on language, so I was combing YouTube for some videos of some of his presentations, and lo and behold, I find a video of him endorsing free thought! I was glad to see this, as I am a fan.
Chalk up one more great thinker to the list of famous atheists!
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
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Sounds good to me
I'll have to check out some of his work on the stuff of thought and how the mind works.
“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” Yoda
It's interesting work, but if you're not very interested in an intense scrutiny of grammar (i.e. 20 pages on our unconscious understanding of the different kinds of transitive verbs, etc), you may find his books hard to get into.
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
Hey Matt, what's up?
Nice video. I really liked the "What is America's role in the World?" section.
But while that is an intriguing video, I'd like to direct you to something of more dire importance, namely: Is a fetus just a blob of tissue?
Alex! You're rationally responding! It's been so lonely without you. So... Alexandra-less, which is the worst kind of -less there is.
Good video. Very strong arguments. "Does it look like X? Then it is obviously X! Does it NOT look like X? Then it isn't! Duh!"
Ah, those are the best ones. =D
Thanks for making your big comeback in my very awesome thread.
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
haha well thank you, thank you...
The real question is though: What does God look like?
I'd say he looks like... nothing. Therefore, he must BE nothing! omg omg omg I LoVe using fundie logic!
Ouch... good hit.
But you see, Alex, you need to look with your heart, not your eyes.
I know what you're thinking: "What the fuck does that mean?"
If you would just let yourself believe in God, you would know.
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
I like to listen to books on cd while I drive, and those are in that format. I just finished George Lakoff's "Whose Freedom" which is the linguistic discussion of how freedom is defined by different groups, different perspectives, the use of framing, and the infusion of strict father/nurturing parent upbringing associated with one's worldview and political leanings. I have just gotten into this books on CD stuff for nonfiction books, fiction books on the other hand I like to actually read.
“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” Yoda
That last pic kinda did look like a blob, so I would say it must be a blob. Problem solved.
With which part of my heart would you suggest looking? Perhaps one of the ventricles? Or maybe the aorta. I'm so confused!!!11!1
I'm sorry, I'm trying so bad. I'm trying to open my heart to god, but the ribcage is sort of getting in the way. Come on in Jeebus!
I'm only used to dealing with the hearts of fetal pigs (which are not blobs of tissue btw). This is gonna be harrrdss.
Any other advices lolololz?
Ah, I've heard of Lakoff, but I haven't read him. Pinker argues against him quite a bit in The Stuff of Thought, though. If I remember correctly, it's because he accuses Lakoff of having an extreme view of language. Something along the lines of his being a bit of a relativist who thinks that language is absolutely metaphorical, and some of his assertions tend to underestimate people's intelligence. I'd have to look up the chapter again to elaborate, but I do remember Pinker disagreeing. I'm not a Linguistics expert by any means, and I haven't read enough to point out the pros and cons on my own, just saying what I've heard. =]
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
God is felt roughly in the vicinity of the Vena Cava, I think. It's a tingly feeling, like going down a big hill in the backseat of a car, only in your vena cava and not in your belly.
I can show you the way to Jesus.
I'm going to need a scalpel and a bonesaw! stat!
Oh, I see. For throwing into the savory witch's brew at your heathen atheist cross-burnings.
Yes. Try being more gullible. It only hurts for a second.
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
Lakoff is a very left leaning progressive ideologue who seems to use his linguistic view of the world to extrapolate his political world views. That being said, I think he has some interesting ideas, but it is the only thing I have studied so far regarding linguistics other than a few things from college on the Sapir-Worf hypothesis etc.
“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” Yoda
Greek Goddess, I just pray that you find the one true Cheebus, not Jeebus. Thats like conflating Yahweh with Allah, you know that one of them is definitely going to roast you eternally for the extreme grievance of misspelling their name. May Cheebus save us!
“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.” Yoda
Ohhhh, now I feel the presence of god! Yup, right in the vena cava, just like you said. I just tried being more gullible and it worked!
I actually am a very gullible person by nature. I've just been trying to stifle it. But I remember the first time someone spoke those words: "Gullible is written on the ceiling." I was in eighth grade and it was at lunch. I looked up and saw nothing, and I was like "Where?" ... and then I looked again, and I was like "Where? I don't see it?" and then my friend starts shaking her head and I'm still squinting at the ceiling for a full minute like "Where is gullible written on the ceiling??" ...Finally, I'm like "Ooooohhhhh..." and I felt ashamed. (Because I was naked.)
I also had a similar experience when someone told me the word "gullible" isn't in the dictionary, and I was like "Well this one has it." True stories, both of them.
And now I totally see the truth. Creation is true, we're meant to be slaves, and I really don't mind the idea of being inferior to men and traded as property. Whatever will buy me god's love!! What's that you say? It's not through good works... we're going to have a problem here.
Well anyways, now let me posit the merits of living in Illinois as opposed to Indiana... coming soon.
Wait, there's a Cheebus now? Oh no! I've had the wrong religion! Homer is actually the Christ!~
I remember the first time that trick was ever played on me. Have you ever been in one of those situations where you know you're about to do something stupid, and as you're about to do it, you think to yourself "Stop. This is stupid." but your body just kind of keeps on moving anyway, and then a second later you're like "Dammit. I did it anyway..."
That's like me in that situation. "No! Don't look! It isn't true! It's all lies! Don't loo--shit."
It's a good thing you taught me how to be an internet predator. Now I can respond to this appropriately!
I would have torn the page out of the dictionary and turned that it around on them.
I'm glad you have seen the light. Now we just have to talk you out of eating the raw hearts of animals, and you'll be all set for heaven.
There are merits to living in Indiana?
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
Illinois - sophisticated citizens (well, at least in the northern half)
Indiana - rednecks
Illinois - home of one of the largest metropolitan areas of the country.
Indiana - ????
Illinois - Way hotter girls
Indiana -
Illinois - Home of the way awesome Cubs! (who lost their season opener, but nvm)
Indiana - uhhh baseball?
Illinois - DA BULLS!
Indiana - Well, the Pacers actually did better than the bulls this year, so I'll concede you a point.
Illinois - DA BEARS!
Indiana - why'd you have to beat us in the freaking super bowl? Well the Colts are playing the Bears in the 2008 opener so we'll see who's on top very soon... for now I will give you another point.
Illinois - We have a silent letter.
Indiana - You don't.
Illinois - Home of Abe Lincoln
Indiana - um?
Illinois - birthplace of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton
Indiana - bunch of political losers
Illinois - Northwestern, my current place of study
Indiana - Purdue, my dad's alma mater... ok fine, tie, because we suck at sports, but purdue has a worse mascot (boilermakers? seriously?)
Illinois - FermiLab
Indiana - der... what's a particle accelemerator?
Ok I think I've made my point. NE IL vs. NE IN... just cross the boundary. I have jell-o.. the sugar-free kind..
HAHAHAHAHHAHA oh man I can't stop laughing!! Wait so which of the two things are you doing... trying to track down where I live?
If only I had your wit...
Haha, a harsh generalization, but like IL, we're not without our fair share.
Home of the amish!
And the Indy 500, but who gives a shit.
You're only saying that because you live there.
Indiana doesn't really care about baseball. If you were from Indiana you would know that the sport you are SUPPOSED to care about is basketball.
Oh, let me clarify that last statement.
College basketball. I see all kinds of basketball fanatics in IU shirts, but I don't think I have seen ONE pacers shirt in my life.
We did? Sorry, I was over here not giving a shit either way. =]
We have a town named "French Lick".
Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
David Letterman! =D
yeah, more or less.
The sentiments in Indiana tend to be fiercely divided between PU and IU. The rivalry is pervasive.
Then there is BSU, which is like the little brother that wants to play, too, but nobody is really paying attention to him.
Here's the thing. You want to know why there aren't any smart people in Indiana?
Because all the smart people that are in Indiana are smart enough to GET THE FUCK OUT.
If you lived in Indiana, you would have heard this joke by now. =]
There's always room for Jell-O!
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
SUSPENSE!!! You like it.
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
Really? I suppose that's true from the little time I've spent in your state. But wow, even my boyfriend has a Pacers hat. They're his second-favorite basketball team, behind the Rockets. And he's from Virginia (north VA, as he likes to make clear)
I've noticed. My dad went to Purdue. His brother went to IU.
haha nice.
btw, what's your favorite jell-o flavor? Mine's green!
Just because I haven't seen them doesn't mean there aren't people wearing them, I guess. I tend to not care much about sporting events either way, so my apathy could lead to some kind of merchandise blindness...?
Ah, then you've probably had to suffer through the same annoying episodes... sitting in a chair... IU fanatic on your right... PU fanatic on your left... going on and on above you, back and forth, all while you sit there wondering when they'll drop it already.
My favorite Jell-O flavor is jiggly!
If you think jiggly isn't a flavor, then you haven't been tasting hard enough!
btw, did you know that the average temperature of a toilet in a public bathroom is cold enough that if you had, say, a gallon jug full of boiled jello mixture ready to go... heh... heh heh... heh...
*wanders about, writhing his hands and cackling*
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
Just like if you don't think there's a god, you must not be believing hard enough... makes so much sense.
But yes, I prefer my jell-o jiggly as well.
That's disgusting. Think of the poor janitors.
Oh and since we're bringing in quotes from non-RRS sources...
Never fear. It will happen once we invent sour jell-oooo!!!!
Of course it does. God is jello.
This is what they call "Truth" with a capital T.
Yeah, I know. Some friends and I were going to do it for a high school prank, but we just loved our janitors so much that we couldn't. But while it was in the planning phase, its covert title was "Operation Cosby".
Haha, she remembers everything I say! Now I can't run for president next term!
Were you planted? Who's paying you? Is it the Clintons?
And don't give me any of that "it depends on what you mean by 'is'"!!!
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
Do you ever feel guilty for wasting bandwidth on Jell-O?
hmm tell me more about this Truth. Does it also involve bananas?
No, it doesn't hinge on the definition of "is" but rather on the definition of "it."
and "the."
and "Clintons."
No, no, no. Bananas are natural. Only the wisdom of God could have led to the scrumptiousness of Jello-O! It quivers like a lover's body at one's touch, as hungry to be devoured as those who would devour it! The incriminating scent of its juices clings to the fingertips for hours! When finally consumed, it passes through the lips with a seductive squish and submits to the ever-eager tongue....
*soft panting*
o_O
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
May I introduce you to the tireless friend of both the thoracic surgeon and coroner, the rib spreader:
That should help with cardiac vision. Err, unless it's yours.
--
maybe if this sig is witty, someone will love me.
MISPRONOUNCED, NON-ENGLISH CITY NAMES
Illinois: Marseilles, Bourbonnais and Cairo. The first is pronounced "mar-SAILS", the second "bourbon ACE" and the last "kay-ro" like the corn syrup.
Indiana: Terre Haute, pronounced "tair-hoat".
STATE ARMPIT
Illinois: Chicago's southwestern burbs and Joliet.
Indiana: Gary/Hammond.
CITY NAME TRANSLATIONS
Chicago: "I shit" in Sicilian
Indianapolis: "Indiana City"
(OK, you got us beat on that one)
DISTANCE TO NEW JERSEY
Chicago IL: 781 miles.
Indiannapolis IN: 664 miles.
RESULTS
SUCK IT, Hoosiers!!!
--
maybe if this sig is witty, someone will love me.
Oh, good. I was pronouncing correctly. =]
(Granted, most people don't. My favorite mispronunciation is "Tair-uh-hoot" ).
PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION THAT CLAIM RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION:
IL: 52%
IN: 42.4%
Ouch. =]
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
This was maybe the most disturbing post I've ever read on RRS. You really, really, really need to get laid, Matt. When you start fantasizing about Jell-O, you know you have a problem.
I do believe that was a burn.
Oh, so we're playing rough, eh? *fisticuffs*
--
maybe if this sig is witty, someone will love me.
Don't judge our love.
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.
But it clearly says in the Bible "Whosoever shall lie with Jell-O as he would lie with a woman shall be considered unclean for seven days: it is abomination. Upon his third offense of lying with Jell-O he shall be cut off from his people."
I'm just trying to protect you from hell!
I don't need protection! At least not that kind.
A place common to all will be maintained by none. A religion common to all is perhaps not much different.