Okay, rip my liver out but Noam's entourage reminds me of Ann Rand's...bit of a parade of pedestals..
OUCH!..that hurt in advance! On Tue, Nov 25, 2008 at 12:26 PM, Jason (Memphis) <[EMAIL PROTECTED] > wrote: > > I think that Noam (my impression) believes that handing people a > science of human behavior that is essentially a handbook for > predicting and controlling people is sort of like handing nuclear > weapons to a terrorist group. Therefore, only the elite few (my > impression) should be privy to those techniques and that scientific > discipline as that scientific discipline of human behavior unfolds. > In addition, any attempt to develop such a scientific discipline > should be thwarted but it's development is evitable (again, my > impression of Noam). I don't know if that is even close but just my > initial impression from what little that I have read of his works. > > On Nov 25, 12:10 pm, "Jason (Memphis)" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > ornamentalmind, > > > > I think that my major criticism of Noam Chomsky is his lack of > > scientific thinking especially making predictions or controlling > > organisms. Most of what I've read are historical interpretations of > > established facts and descriptions of something that has already > > happened. He definitely has his facts in order. However, Noam seldom > > attempts to make specific predictions of societal drifts that could be > > verified--or at least he is not any better at predicting than other > > historical experts. In addition, many of his followers do not > > challenge what he says and most of what he says is said in such a way > > that makes it hard to challenge (or test). Framing has been studied > > extensively and the master of framing is Noam Chomsky himself. > > > > A particular (this is just one) criticism is that he wrote a review of > > B.F. Skinner's "Verbal Behavior" (link below) and presented arguments > > against Skinner that Skinner never claimed. I included Noam's case > > against Skinner and a response by a behaviorist. Chomsky also accused > > Skinner of advancing totalitarianism (much the same as Noam--directly > > or indirectly--is accusing Obama). Yes, Skinner does advocate a > > science of the behavior of organisms, which would embrace, explore, > > refine and advance a scientific discipline to predict and control > > organisms with scientific precision (including humans). That is what > > Chomsky seems to fear (as do others including Skinner). The concept > > of "freedom" or "free will" or the idea that humans are above the laws > > of nature and therefore immune to scientific prediction and control is > > a Western religion and Chomsky is sort of the Priest. At the end of > > Skinner's "Science and Human Behavior," Skinner warned people that one > > why to defend against the abuses of a science of human behavior is for > > the masses to learn about how that science works and those scientific > > techniques employed. Politicans and government have been working on a > > science of human behavior for years (akin to Asimov's psycho- > > history). The problem with Skinner is his ideal that such a > > discipline should be transparent and open to the public and entire > > scientific community. > > > > By the way, Chomsky (from the little I've read) is a fun read, and > > he's a linguistic master. > > > > A Review of B.F. Skinner's Verbal Behavior (1959) by Noam Chomsky > > > > http://cogprints.org/1148/0/chomsky.htm > > > > On Chomsky's Review of Skinner's Verbal Behavior (Journal of the > > Experimental Analysis of Behavior, volume 13, pages 83–99) > > > > http://seab.envmed.rochester.edu/abstracts/jeababstracts/13/%2013-083... > > > > Jason > > > -- gnothe se auton --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/memphisfreethoughtalliance?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
