Re: Objectivity [was Re: Re: [Israel.pm] Is University Really Necessary?]

On Tue, 27 Mar 2007 09:48:29 +0200
Shlomi Fish <shlomif-ik1l9ssToec+JF/[email protected]> wrote:

> On Monday 26 March 2007, Arik Baratz wrote:
> > On 25 Mar 2007 23:42:52 -0700, Shlomi Fish <shlomif-ik1l9ssToec+JF/[email protected]>
> > wrote:
> > > > That's fine, objectivism is highly overrated. We cannot be
> > > > objective merely because we live in a subjective world, the one
> > > > we created for ourselves. I can go on and on about that, though.
> > >
> > > Just a note. You claim that "objectivism" is highly over-rated.
> > > Do you mean the philosophy of Ayn Rand (also referred to as
> > > "Randianism")? Or do you mean plain-old "objectivity"?
> >
> > I never read Rand. I meant the indulgence in objectivity as if it
> > is a real thing or even possible.
> >
> 
> OK. :-)
> 
> > > In any case, I have a problem with this. As you may realise there
> > > are three similar but non-identical terms:
> > >
> > > 1. Unbiased.
> > >
> > > 2. Objective.
> > >
> > > 3. Neutral. Or as it is known on the Wikipedia - Neutral Point of
> > > View or NPOV.
> > >
> > > They are not the same. For example, if I say "Genghis Khan
> > > performed many Evil acts", this is a biased statement. But it is
> > > objective because it is true.
> >
> > How is that exactly objective? If you were a Mongol living in the
> > 13th century, you'd think that Genghis was a great and worthy Khan.
> > Go read the [1] wikipedia entry.
> 
> It is objective because it is an accurate description of the factual
> data. Genghis Khan did kill many innocent people, not because he had
> to, but because he wanted to. Maybe it seemed right to his present
> day Mongols, but it wasn't. Some mainland Chinese I talked to did not
> know Mao was a mass-murderer, but we all know he was an Evil man who
> killed at least 40 million people of his own people.
> 

Define "Evil"?

-- 
Tal Kelrich
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