Repost-Elizabeth Spelke On Bloggingheads: Towards A Coalitional Mathematics?

January 7, 2010 / chr1 / Leave a comment

A very interesting discussion.

Just a few thoughts:

1. Spelke is a psychologist at Harvard, who suggests that some of her research may hint at a biological basis for social grouping in humans (babies perhaps show preference for people who speak their own language, or people who resemble their own caregivers as gateways to the social world and shared knowledge they seek to join and there may be some biological reasons for this).

2. One of her solutions is to eventually point toward math (what joshua knobe here calls coalitional mathematics, or what is a rather long and philosophical view of mathematics…not as fixed, but as and ever changing body of the deepest knowledge we have that we can transcend and that can transcend many of the other limitiations that bind us).

So we use music, language, similarity at a very deep level to define ourselves as members of a group and the value of Spelke’s work as she sees it is in mapping a metaphysical realm that can highlight such limitations…

3. Despite the value of Spelke’s work, I’m left with the question of why not just study math, or science…or even philosophy…instead of psychology?

I still appreciate the depth though.

——————————–

Richard Feynman was apparently not too impressed with psychology, and explains why here in “Cargo Cult Science.” Something to talk about anyways…

More From Spiegel Online After The Westergaard Attacks Via A & L Daily: ‘The West Is Choked By Fear’

January 6, 2010 / chr1 / 1 Comment

Full post here.

Do you not defend freedom of speech if:

1. You are legitimately afraid for you or your family’s life?

2. You have an increasingly large minority of Muslims in your own country and it has become a political calculation? A numbers game with the Muslim World, and you legitimately fear social unrest…or attacks upon your country or its citizens?

3. You find Westergaard’s cartoons to be designed to provoke, and in poor taste and due to political calculations, you throw him out of the mainstream and onto the politically populist right in your mind? Do you feel guilt at not being able to integrate Muslims better and thus back your way into problems like this?

4. You find the EU human rights charter a clunky, sufficiently abstract bureaucratic representation of an idea not particularly close to your heart? or your national pride?…or are your tired of Americans projecting their beliefs onto you?

I hope that going forward there will likely be greater understanding and diplomacy between the West and the Muslim world…but I don’t think this is the best way forward…appeasing the violent and extreme, sacrificing your own freedoms out of fear.

See Also: If you thought the cartoons were bad, more on the Fitna movie here. Libertarians stand firm on this issue: Repost-A Canadian Libertarian Making Noise: Ezra Levant

Via The A & L Daily-Interview With Christopher Caldwell At Spiegel Online

Ayan Hirsi Ali is a Muslim immigrant to Europe, who seems quite populist and anti-Islam…is this a potential track for immigrants if they are integrated better?: Ayan Hirsi Ali At The CSM: ‘Swiss Ban On Minarets Was A Vote For Tolerance And Inclusion’

Health Care Reform-A Few Links 01/05/10

January 5, 2010January 5, 2010 / chr1 / Leave a comment

Keith Hennessey is following the bill closely.

Bloggingheads with a libertarian (Megan McArdle claims against the odds that the health care bill could be dead) here.

Who will enforce the new health insurance requirements…the IRS? Reason has more here. (Private insurers are protecting their interests).

James Surowiecki at the New Yorker asks the question why do we need private health insurers in the first place? Full post here.

Well, to more effectively control costs and manage risk (especially as regards fraud)…I’d say yes.

On This Site: The political system is, in my opinion, neither the best nor most efficient way of addressing the jerry-rigged health-care delivery system we have…and its rapidly rising costs. Atul Gawande, however, makes a decent, evolving, pragmatic case for some government involvement:

Atul Gawande At The New Yorker: ‘Testing, Testing’…From The New Yorker: Atul Gawande On Health Care-”The Cost Conundrum”

From Michael Yon’s Blog: ‘Arghandab & The Battle for Kandahar’

January 4, 2010 / chr1 / Leave a comment

Full post here.

The war goes on…:

‘The AfPak frontier will be sealed the day frogs stop croaking. We complain that Pakistan should help, but they can’t do much.’

Also: From Commonweal: Andrew Bacevich “The War We Can’t Win: Afghanistan And The Limits Of American Power”

And: Philip Bobbitt Discusses His Book ‘Terror And Consent’ On Bloggingheads

From The BBC-Kurt Westergaard: ‘Cartoonist Attacker In Danish Court’

January 2, 2010January 3, 2010 / chr1 / Leave a comment

Full video here.

Kurt Westergaard, cartoonist behind the image of the prophet Mohammed with a bomb in his turban, had a visit from a Somali Muslim with an axe. Westergaard is doing well, apparently, as he retreated to a safe room specially prepared for such an incident until police arrived. He’s been threatened many times in the past.

Cartoons here. (Westergaard’s is the 2nd down, I don’t have the rights to reprint).

Addition from the Christian Science Monitor-The same man was plotting an attack against Hilary Clinton in Kenya?

See Also: If you thought the cartoons were bad, more on the Fitna movie here. Libertarians stand firm on this issue: Repost-A Canadian Libertarian Making Noise: Ezra Levant

Via The A & L Daily-Interview With Christopher Caldwell At Spiegel Online

Christopher Hitchens At Slate: Yale Surrenders

From The CSM: ‘Pakistan Volleyball Game Attack: Will Local Opposition To Taliban Hold Firm?’

January 2, 2010 / chr1 / Leave a comment

Full post here.

“More than 600 civilians have now lost their lives to such attacks since the Pakistan Army began a military offensive in the Taliban stronghold of South Waziristan in October.”

We need Pakistan to ramp up these efforts to prevent safe haven for the Taliban if Obama’s troop increase is going to work. What do the Taliban represent to many Pakistanis and to the tribes of the region?

Freedom Fighters against occupation? Over-zealous enforcers of a rigid vision of Islam? Corrupt Warlords? Providers of Security? Keepers Of The Faith? Mountain Rubes?

Also: From Commonweal: Andrew Bacevich “The War We Can’t Win: Afghanistan And The Limits Of American Power”

And: Philip Bobbitt Discusses His Book ‘Terror And Consent’ On Bloggingheads

Via The A & L Daily-Interview With Christopher Caldwell At Spiegel Online

January 1, 2010 / chr1 / Leave a comment

Full interview here.

Caldwell raises some important points, and sheds light onto the Muslim immigration debate in Europe:

“SPIEGEL ONLINE: Is America more successful when it comes to integrating immigrants?

Caldwell: For now, yes. I think the first reason is the ruthlessness of the American economy. You either become a part of it or you go home. There are more foreigners in the workplace, and that’s where a lot of integration happens.”

It’s the economy, stupid. But we also have an immigration debate problem of our own (about which I think the Republicans have the best chance to unify now with reasonable, hands-on compassionate policies from the grass roots). The right sees the flimsiness of overextended multi-culti ideas and overly idealistic egalitarians…but I believe also needs to avoid over-reaction (protectionism and scare-mongering) in response.

There are genuine immigration problems to solve and small-business growth, economic freedom and economic opportunities (and neither Bush nor Obama bloated government solutions) may be the best way to address them. We’re Americans after all.

Just my two cents to avoid the pitfalls of the kind of debate they’re having in Europe.

Are secular humanism and the kind of political freedoms we enjoy in the West really incompatible with Islam?: From YouTube: Roger Scruton On Religious Freedom, Islam & Atheism

Are we becoming more like Europe, or is this too a false premise?: Charles Murray Lecture At AEI: The Happiness Of People

Ayan Hirsi Ali is a Muslim immigrantto Europe, who seems quite populist and anti-Islam: Ayan Hirsi Ali At The CSM: ‘Swiss Ban On Minarets Was A Vote For Tolerance And Inclusion’

080405_046 by *chiwai*.