Understood, man. Hey, there is a reason why Socrates was put to death by drinking hemlock :) You can only piss off the status quo for so long without it coming back to bight you on the ass.
Sidenote for Optional Reading: For me, my bachelor's degree in philosophy changed my life permanently, sometimes for the good, sometimes for worse. I basically took a vow to myself that I would always question, always search for answers, and never be satisfied with anything that couldn't withstand the test of reason. And so logic, rhetoric, and an understanding of logical fallacies are my working tools. And it really isn't personal. This is a peculiar thing about philosophy majors....they can engage in very heated debate, which makes outsiders feel very uncomfortable and think they are fighting personally, but then after the debate, they laugh and go off and have a beer together.
I may check the test out later, but I'm really tired and have to work out my damned arm . . .
But I get the S-method (and electronics). I just don't have enough time in my day to begin with; then I start reading a favorite e-list, find an intersting first post, then watch it wander off into tangential meanderings which seem mostly counter-topic and contentious. Really man . . . hiding behind our distortions???? Yeah, that IS provocative, I'll grant you that. *-) Good one . . . stirred some real shit there.
Anyway—We got another GOO topic going that more closely addresses the intent of Bill's first post, so that's cool, but damn man . . . all I'm saying is maybe there's a time and a place for the big debate-a-thon? A similar oppositional system is also the foundation of our legal system, and I really hate that setup as well—it does a LOT of damage to innocent people. Might the Socratic method be only one of many possible lines of discourse? I dig logic, I just don't like being beaten down with it at every turn in the road. It IS nothing personal, but we do come at things from opposite angles it seems, so excuse me if it seems that way. I'll try to understand where you're coming from though and hope the community understands where we're BOTH coming from. Peace? -m
