patrick.net

Most sciences, both hard science and social sciences, have categorizable approaches. Based on your earlier discussion, including the one we just had, you appear to have no such core beliefs. Nor do you do much linear discussions. Instead, you toss out a lot of random stuff, which becomes increasing frustrating for the other side to digest and follow. A jumble of approaches is not really knowledge, when you make no effort to make sense of them (that includes for other people, by contextualizing the information and making judgments based on them). If you cannot give a couple important takeaways from your basic level classes, then you’ve merely memorized facts without learning the lessons from them.

this stuff is just foolish and irritating. i've given more than a couple of 'takeaways' throughout my writing, i think most normal people would have got it by now. there seems to be a certain rigidity of thinking going on here -- i mean, like a straitjacket. (the very concept of a 'takeaway', although i suppose it is there in my writing, demonstrates the failed modernist project and a dependent craving for structuration in itself)

while most 'sciences' may have a 'categorisable approach' -- which is a questionable assertion, really, in the light of how knowledge is discovered and constructed -- and once again shows exactly the dead while male thinking you were earlier criticising -- and is the failed project of logical positivism -- our sociology professors very deliberately did not take a 'structured, scientific' approach to teaching us, because they were demonstrating how flawed that project really is -- they just taught ideas, which were at least self-consistent. this 'scientising need' is exactly the sort of trap that people like marx got into that you were also critiquing earlier. then you accuse me of being 'circular' when in fact your own arguments and worldview are inherently self-contradictory and tend to be circular and ill-considered.

you can make those remarks in spleen, but it really isn't valid. my approach has been consistent, self-consistent and grounded throughout, it's just that the average american joe doesn't get exposed to 'continental philosophy' too much. that's not my fault... however, that ignorance and lack of reflection and self-scrutiny is one of the main things that is going to bring down the US in the very near future...

DS,

You either don't read my responses at all or don't respect my queries at all. You're not interested in a dialogue with other people, you just want a chance to hear yourself type. If you really can't figure out why this habit of yours infuriates otherwise open minded people, I can't say I'm surprised.

SQT,

It's okay. I should know better by now. It's not even the threadjacking that bothers me the most (I don't bother reading his stuff unless he's questioning my position). What bothers me is that he pays no attention to the other participants' points and treats them like he's talking down to five year olds. That's not even a good strategy to get 5 year olds to listen to you.