suexian (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Bravo.

artyfarty2 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

"I think it's highly simplistic to put reason and emotion into two mutually exclusive boxes". Well I don't know about that. A good analogy might be imaginng yourself in a car whose locomotion is not really under your control but the steering is. I am not sayng emotion is not useful but it has little to do with truth and a lot to do with obscuring truth."You remind me of CS Lewis". Yikes! I think I should be insulted being likenned to a christian.

PatRibsey (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Well that depends on your interpretation of emotion... and its function. A positive emotion about science can drive you to study it, a negative emotion about a murder can drive you to investigate it, so I think it's highly simplistic to put reason and emotion into two mutually exclusive boxes - after all, that's not how our mind works and the relationship between the two (logic/reason and emotion) is surely more fluid than you make out! You remind me of CS Lewis and his thoughts on morality!

artyfarty2 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

"Emotion is good - is it not what drives reason and logic?". Well I have always been of the understanding that reason and logic are the only power we have over emotion and gut feelings as individuals. It seems to me that such things are the enemies of reason as they drive us to behave without thinking. In fact they are surely the precursors to thought. Are they not our rough guides to survival in the middle world rather than the fine instruments of truth acquisition?

b4skin (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

PatRibsey: No, you are taking me completely in the wrong context...in fact, it was meant for admiration that someone would, within an argument ESP.! on a Y.T. string, admit emotion and allow for reason to influence/prevail. Complete admiration for both individuals.

PatRibsey (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Do I detect in this conversation that you have a repulsion for emotion? Emotion is not necessarily religious! Emotion is good - is it not what drives reason and logic?

PatRibsey (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

That claim is more ridiculous than organised religion!I second KillerOfTheSun, how did you come to that conclusion?

b4skin (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Kapzter/Atheeizm, just wanted to thank you both for this exchange...good to see the honesty in reason exemplified by exchanges of ideas which don't end in conceeding power, but admitting emotion/frustration. Though I do wish we might replace the power of the word 'right' into a more appropriate rational/logical distinct term.

b4skin (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Atheeizm/Kapzter, just wanted to thank you both for this exchange...good to see the honesty in reason exemplified by exchanges of ideas which don't end in conceeding power, but admitting emotion/frustration. Though I do wish we might replace the power of the word 'right' into a more appropriate rational/logical distinct term.

Killer0fTheSun (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

You know?Care to explain how you came across this claim and made it fact for yourself?