Well, the reason that I am now having such philosophical discussions as I
am having on Facebook is not that it is a better medium for this but that
there are more people. A bar that has a lot of people coming in has even
more people coming in because of that. The debates on Facebook are not
typically more productive or more polite than those we have been having
here, if anything the opposite. I have already opened the day on FB by
telling someone to shut the fuck up and suggesting that they have brain
cancer, while he also called me a few names. And this is on a quiet day.
O.K.
On Mon, Mar 25, 2019 at 10:59 PM Torgeir Fjeld <t.fjeld1@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Dear all,
On Saturday, John wrote:
Then a now familiar process unfolded, which appears to be independent of the
form (email-list, blog, SMS....) of the electronic forum in which the
discussion occurs. A group is formed. During the opening phase, when people
are
just getting to know each other, conversation is lively. Positions are staked
out. Then, over time, the range of topics shrinks. An handful of regulars put
on the same Punch and Judy shows. Others slip away.
At present, I sometimes enjoy reading David’s livestock tales and Lawrence’s
poetry. Of Grice and Wittgenstein I’ve had enough. The occasional sputters of
epistemological fury leave me cold.
Some debate ensued. In retrospeact it is clear that John was right. He
shouldn't have been, but he was. Coversation set out as lively, positions
were staked out, then the topics shrunk, a few regulars punched each other,
ending in "sputters of [more or less] epistemological fury."
When it comes to particular topics and personal likes and dislikes, the
above preferences are John's; however, the inability to let go of a grudge
can weigh down on a fragile conversation forum, such as this. The reason so
many previous posters now prefer algorithm-fuelled social media is that the
wind blows better there. After the storm, there's still lots of diversions
in their feed, and even if the topics are less philosophical, at least the
tone is not generally hostile.
This poster cherishes all those who post here. Everyone on this list has a
particular value, and that value is not reducable to their contributions
here. In other words, we have a value in our selves: by our mere being
there is something of worth cherishing. There is no necessary correllation
between sophisticated speech and elevated intellectual content; however,
there seems to be a greater attraction to exercise our reason in an
environment that invites people of culture. Let's try to make an effort to
remain cultivated in the face of adversity in our mutual relations. It
really is in our own best interest.
Mvh. / Yours sincerely,
Torgeir Fjeld
https://torgeirfjeld.com/
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