4 ms·
Rationalism is the rejection of the idea that knowledge needs to be gathered, rather than intuited. A rationalist, in practice, necessarily derives his worldvie
by Anotheroneagain 3y ago
Rationalism is the rejection of the idea that knowledge needs to be gathered, rather than intuited. A rationalist, in practice, necessarily derives his worldview either starting from some gut instict (that something just has to be a certain way, because it feels that way), or from preexisting texts, be it a religious scripture, or a scientific theory that is treated as inviolable.
- n4r9 3y agoWhich scientific theory or theories do you perceive being treated as inviolable?
- Anotheroneagain 3y agoIt depends more on the person who does it, rather than a specific theory, but I will pick obesity in particular - there has hardly been any idea so widely contradicted by practical experience, yet it is still treated as an indisputable fact, to the extent that all the further work aims at resolving why people "lie" and how to make them eat less, rather than coming up with something else.
- n4r9 3y agoI don't understand... "obesity" has been "contradicted by practical experience"? Or do you mean the idea that following a calorie-restricted diet leads to weight loss?
- Anotheroneagain 3y agoYes. That it's caused by eating too much.
- hagbard_c 3y agoFor the vast majority of obese people the cause lies in overeating - especially where it concerns high-fat and -sugar foods - and the cure in eating less and to a certain (but lesser) extent getting more physical exercise. There are people for whom this does not hold as they gain weight due to other reasons - thyroid problems, Prader-Willi syndrome, Cushings syndrome, 'side effects' of medication they take for other conditions and more - but these are the exceptions to the rule. What do you think is the main cause for obesity?
- Anotheroneagain 3y agoFamine doesn't mean the absence of food. There is often plenty, but the food is inadequate. The skeletal children are often basically propaganda, they refuse to show the real ones. They look fat, and they fear they wouldn't get anything. I believe it is the same thing. The signs are the same.
- n4r9 3y agoDidn't that professor lose 27 pounds on a diet of twinkies just to show it's all about calories? Marc Haub, after googling it