tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596708332568087278.post4213903021243393703..comments2024-01-24T10:39:27.668-05:00Comments on Coming Untrue: Who’s Holding the Scales?Dr. S. L. Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06303707167715370504noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596708332568087278.post-2304537613381759882017-10-07T11:27:20.001-04:002017-10-07T11:27:20.001-04:00Naw, that's too pessimistic, IC. Please note ...Naw, that's too pessimistic, IC. Please note that I am assigning different properties to confirmatory knowledge than Haidt does since I think he is actually an example of what he is criticizing. He equates it simply to holding uninformed and even prejudicial knowledge. I see confirmatory knowledge as being attained after having been confirmed by honest and objective exploratory research (knowledge). What he is implying is that in that case people still cherry pick exploratory knowledge to confirm their prejudices. I am doubtful that that process predominates to the extent that he thinks it does. After all we are now on our way to Mars. In other words it seems that I am more of an optimist than Haidt.<br />Qmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596708332568087278.post-41927804305442933772017-10-07T09:16:17.585-04:002017-10-07T09:16:17.585-04:00I don't think you've got Haidt's point...I don't think you've got Haidt's point there, Q.<br /><br />It's not about "approximating reality and truth" with your "confirmatory knowledge." It's about what people do when "truth" and "confirmation" are not the same thing...which is most of the time, actually. <br /><br />If "confirmation" were a good stopping point, we'd all still believe the Earth was flat.Immanuel Canhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11580529966007662214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5596708332568087278.post-51992910567375310262017-10-06T22:19:00.539-04:002017-10-06T22:19:00.539-04:00IC, I get the points of your comments but don'...IC, I get the points of your comments but don't quite agree on the mechanics and status of confirmatory opinions as described by your references (and by you?). The way I see it is that my mental processes always start with an exploratory evaluation of events, communications, and observations and from there, based on experience, research, etc., progress to a confirmatory stage. In other words a confirmative stage is actually always needed to convey knowledge to yourself and your peers. It is of course highly desirable that that stage approximates reality and truth as much as possible. If that is the case then it is in no way a bias to hold and express confirmative knowledge privately and express it publicly and to base your life on it. As a matter of fact I see it as dishonest and self-defeating if confirmative knowledge is not used and applied in the most effective ways possible whenever available. I am not talking about spurious and false confirmative knowledge based on nothing but opinionating and even dishonesty but about what I think most reasonable and honest people do. In that case, the best researched knowledge confirmed in truth should be accepted, expressed, and confirmed as the norm. And that is of course where the secular left fails and why there need to be no regrets if confirmatory conservative religious principles are valued more highly and espoused publicly.<br /><br />Qmannoreply@blogger.com