gabriel
New
I admired Open Mind's contribution to the Mind-Energy forum, and shall be following his lead and going down with the Titanic. The reasons, in no particular order, are:
The old forum was interesting and I learned a lot. For a long time Skeptiko emulated the best of M-E but that has changed, and it's a good opportunity to step outside those conversations.
I have serious doubts whether a meaningful dialogue with sceptics is possible. Pretty much all sceptics debate on a can't>isn't basis, and the terms of discussion are hostage to a metaphysic in denial of itself. Which means even the smarter conversations are an excursion in language, not evidence for or against.
Having spent decades looking at the data, I'm convinced there's something going on. I don't need additional accounts, testimonies or opinion to add to the existing mountain. I don't think the how and why will be addressed in my lifetime, or my grandchildren's, but the role of consciousness may have to be seriously re-appraised.
Discussions about religion and metaphysics bore me. I acknowledge that subscription to any belief goes way beyond the confines of philosophy, and I'm comfortable with that extrapolation. There's no reason to submit the human condition to the reductionist assumptions of the laboratory.
People spend too much time in front of computer screens, myself included. When I think of the hours wasted sifting the opinions of people I'll never know and whose motivations I can only guess at, in the last twenty years, it's really quite depressing. I intend to use spare time writing, painting and keeping fit.
Forums are notoriously difficult to moderate. Avoiding cosiness, promoting dissenting voices while avoiding insults and abuse, recognising the difference between trolling and challenges to the status quo, avoiding repetition and the grinding of axes require the patience of a saint and the wisdom of Solomon. Most forums fall well short.
There's more but I've gone on long enough. Good luck!
The old forum was interesting and I learned a lot. For a long time Skeptiko emulated the best of M-E but that has changed, and it's a good opportunity to step outside those conversations.
I have serious doubts whether a meaningful dialogue with sceptics is possible. Pretty much all sceptics debate on a can't>isn't basis, and the terms of discussion are hostage to a metaphysic in denial of itself. Which means even the smarter conversations are an excursion in language, not evidence for or against.
Having spent decades looking at the data, I'm convinced there's something going on. I don't need additional accounts, testimonies or opinion to add to the existing mountain. I don't think the how and why will be addressed in my lifetime, or my grandchildren's, but the role of consciousness may have to be seriously re-appraised.
Discussions about religion and metaphysics bore me. I acknowledge that subscription to any belief goes way beyond the confines of philosophy, and I'm comfortable with that extrapolation. There's no reason to submit the human condition to the reductionist assumptions of the laboratory.
People spend too much time in front of computer screens, myself included. When I think of the hours wasted sifting the opinions of people I'll never know and whose motivations I can only guess at, in the last twenty years, it's really quite depressing. I intend to use spare time writing, painting and keeping fit.
Forums are notoriously difficult to moderate. Avoiding cosiness, promoting dissenting voices while avoiding insults and abuse, recognising the difference between trolling and challenges to the status quo, avoiding repetition and the grinding of axes require the patience of a saint and the wisdom of Solomon. Most forums fall well short.
There's more but I've gone on long enough. Good luck!