It Probably Takes a Pillage

An Environmental Issue

Diabolical (on the one hand):  "to

throw across."  Symbolical (on the 

other hand): "to throw together"
he sound of 2 hands. 

Liberal Art 

(as opposed to the liberal arts)

A  former Dean (Virginia McKinley) 

gave me an article claiming that we 

don't teach our students how to argue. 

I've been trying for  years,  and
have made no progress. 

Dissenters are of great value even 

when  they are largely or even 

totally mistaken in their beliefs

We all agree on this, I assume.

No question.  Like the journey,

it's the arguing  that counts,

not the solutions or destination.

Need we argue?

     Argument is essential for
     its own sake.” (Karl Popper) 

Whatever practical application it

might also have not with standing 

makes no never mind..

    “In life we make progress by
     conflict and in mental life
     by argument and disputation....
     There must be confrontation
     and opposition, in order that
     sparks must be kindled. 

(Assuming my Comfort Zone can 

include this academic practice. 

Otherwise  forget about it.  )

 
     Only an open conflict of ideas
     and principles can produce
     any clarity....

(But I think it's going to take a  long

long time and there's no clarity- 

guarantee--which is why  the process

has to be valued for its own sake, or
as the coaches say: it's not whether I  

win or lose that counts but how I play 

the game...  )

     Even if all were agreed on
     an essential proposition, it
     would be essential to give
     an ear to the one person who
     does not.   J.S.Mill  ]]

(In my dreams, maybe.  Highly impractical,

J.S.--especially with  so much to get done, 

ground to cover.  So little time.)

"It is the dissenters who force us to think,

who challenge received opinion, who 

nudge us away from dead dogma to beliefs 

that have survived critical challenge, the

best that we can hope for.  Dissenters are

of great value even when  they are largely 

or even totally mistaken  in their beliefs. 

As Mill put it: ‘Both teachers  and learners 

go to sleep at their post, as  soon as there

 is no enemy in the field." ’
             (Nigel Warburton: "Talk With Me.")

(A satan was a prosecutor &  functionary  

in the Hebrew Court and, like the jester: 

accused and taunted, teased and twisted,

tested and tempted the defendant or 

petitioner to see how they stood up  to

the adversity.  )