In our Western culture argument "is the basis of our search for truth and the basis of our adversial system in science, law and politics." (de Bono 1991:5).
The use of argument as the central method of traditional conversation in law, politics and science results in a "strong tendency towards negativity and attack" (de Bono 1991:7).
"By means of argument which manoeuvres matters into a contradictory position, something can be shown to be false." (de Bono 1991:6).
"Let us look at some of the purposes of argument ... Argument can serve to point out errors of fact. It can serve to point out ... inconsistencies. ... Argument can encourage exploration of a subject ... It can present a different set of values ... It can present different experience ... At it best argument might achieve many of these purposes." (de Bono 1991:206)
"At it worst and more usual expression, argument concentrates on proving the opposing case to be false and the people putting it forward to be both stupid and motivated by self-interest." (de Bono 1991:207)
Saturday 30 October 2010
We need a change in conversation habits ...
... "from confrontational habits to more constructive habits"
Edward de Bono (1991) I am right, you are wrong. Penguin: London, p. 2
Edward de Bono (1991) I am right, you are wrong. Penguin: London, p. 2
La cara oculta de la luna (far side of the moon) ...
... es el hemisferio de la Luna no observable desde la Tierra (http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cara_oculta_de_la_Luna)
Lo mismo ocurre con nuestra visión de nosotros mismos (the same happens with our view of ourselves).
Lo mismo ocurre con nuestra visión de nosotros mismos (the same happens with our view of ourselves).
Friday 29 October 2010
Derogatory language - view from sociology
Found some interesting statements from sociology about derogatory language:
Would be interesting to look from this point of view also at derisive language in scientific papers and discussion, for example by David Kenneth Johnson:
- Sociologists point to derisive language as an indicator of flawed reasoning ...
- a fundamental axiom of sociology recognizes that derogatory forms of speech make erronious attributions ....
- Scholars classify the erroneous assumptions as the fundamental attribution error
Would be interesting to look from this point of view also at derisive language in scientific papers and discussion, for example by David Kenneth Johnson:
- http://www.kjf.ca/78-C25JO.htm (ON THE PROPER USE OF WORDS)
- http://www.kjf.ca/78-C31JO.htm (CONSTRUCTIVISM DE-RADICALIZED)
- http://www.kjf.ca/78-C84JOH.htm (BONES IN THE CONSTRUCTIVIST CLOSET)
How thinking can alter perception - Nature News 27.10.2010
On Nature online a news article reports about research by Cerf, M. et al. Nature 467, 1104-1108 (2010) which shows how humans can use thinking to alter perception of competing visual images
In the news Dr. Moran Cerf gives an interesting interpretation of his EXPERIMENTS:
In the news Dr. Moran Cerf gives an interesting interpretation of his EXPERIMENTS:
- "The environment offers some reality," he says, "but your own brain can shape it and override it with its internal deliberations."
Thursday 28 October 2010
Passion and Reason - Erasmus of Rotterdam
that the life of man might not be altogether disconsolate and hard to away with, of how much more passion than reason has Jupiter composed us? putting in, as one would say, "scarce half an ounce to a pound." The Praise of Folly (1511) - Translated by John Wilson 1668
Life as a play - Erasmus of Rotterdam
For what is life but a play in which everyone acts a part until the curtain comes down? The Praise of Folly (1511)
Tuesday 26 October 2010
Neurons as puppet masters
Antonio Damasio & Kaspar Meyer write in Nature 454, 167-168 (10 July 2008) "Convergence–Divergence Zones" (CDZs) – (‘mirror neurons’) that mirror neurons act not so much as "mirrors" but "more like puppet masters, pulling the strings of various memories."
The authors are dealing with neurons and brains, my allegory deals with thought and minds: not quite same, right?
Saturday 23 October 2010
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