tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626140607960910795.post2944425921858836709..comments2024-02-16T04:13:24.822-05:00Comments on The Tireless Agorist: Today I Beat Up Your MomAgorist Donhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06881858776546654763noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626140607960910795.post-25886539284602640772012-03-11T22:37:35.900-04:002012-03-11T22:37:35.900-04:00Notice that DuzT also believes himself to be psych...Notice that DuzT also believes himself to be psychic, as he claims to know what the cashier was thinking, and what she was about to say, before she could say it.<br /><br />The only thing he accomplished was to earn himself a spot in the "Most Obnoxious Customers" hall of fame.Ellendrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06588061203142567382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626140607960910795.post-9011147786342795702012-03-11T16:20:57.473-04:002012-03-11T16:20:57.473-04:00Libertymike: I figure, considering the huge wealth...Libertymike: I figure, considering the huge wealth of information available to us as internet users, an important skill isn't just in finding academic papers, but finding LOTS of academic papers and discerning from them repeating patterns. Where a single viewpoint fails, many can find consensus.Zoombienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626140607960910795.post-38475228655361212112012-03-11T15:34:06.033-04:002012-03-11T15:34:06.033-04:00Obviously, not all academics are in accord on a gi...Obviously, not all academics are in accord on a given subject. There is apt to be some disagreement in the literature and there is apt to be conflict in the studies and statistics. Thus, notwithstanding the fact that Dr. Huemer does hedge and qualify his assertion in the second sentence of point 2, one can not be faulted for inferring that Dr. Huemer believes that there is some kind of monolith of veracity to found on a given topic in "academic literature, studies and statistics".Libertymikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626140607960910795.post-79186303628364558912012-03-11T15:12:53.127-04:002012-03-11T15:12:53.127-04:00The second sentence of Dr. Huemer's second poi...The second sentence of Dr. Huemer's second point suffers from reliance upon several logical fallacies. <br /><br />Failure to "review the academic literature, studies and statistics", in and of itself, does not mean that the evidentiary / real basis of one's opinion / position is irrational. In fact, any such asseveration is, itself, irrational. The premise undergirding Dr. Huemer's assertion is (1) argument to selective authority and (2) academic credentialism.<br /><br />One does not have to be conversant with econometrics or the President's Council of Economic Advisors or Keynesianism or the Austrian School or Krugnuts or a survey published by the Wharton School to know whether or not the prices of the goods and services for which one routinely purchases are rising.<br /><br />Is one to trust one's empirical, everyday evidence or should one discount such evidence in light of the "academic literature, studies and statistics"? Should one just accept, without question, the truth and reliability of that which is set forth in such "academic literature, studies and statistics"?<br /><br />Dr. Huemer's second sentence in point two implicitly vouches for the bona fides of such "studies and statistics". This kind of deference is misplaced - particularly for one who warns us of being irrational. <br /><br />The more rational person must question the reliability of any such "literature, studies and statistics" and demand that all underlying assumptions and premises be proved. He should ask questions, like, (1) who benefits; (2) who paid for the "study"; (3) how were the numbers crunched, etc.<br /><br />A rational inference of Dr. Huemer's second sentence in point 2 is that there is some kind of unquestioned, universal truth to be discerned from the academic literature, studies and statistics and that's all there is to it. A more benign inference is that there is some kind of consensus which has been established by the academic literature, studies and statistics against which one can not rationally dispute.Libertymikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626140607960910795.post-51993973990591214802012-03-11T13:34:50.778-04:002012-03-11T13:34:50.778-04:00Fair enough, Zoombie. I'm definitely guilty of...Fair enough, Zoombie. I'm definitely guilty of #5 in this post, but since it's primarily an opinion piece and he beat up on somebody's mom, I don't feel the least bit guilty about it. ;)Agorist Donhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06881858776546654763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626140607960910795.post-28578010456296708862012-03-11T13:24:46.765-04:002012-03-11T13:24:46.765-04:00Just make sure you don't fall into the echo ch...Just make sure you don't fall into the echo chamber too :)Zoombienoreply@blogger.com