Posted by
The Interface on Wednesday, May 16, 2007 12:57:27 AM
If you are not yet familiar with Bill Whittle's excellent site, Eject!Eject!Eject!, you need to correct this deficiency at once! In particular, his three part essay on seeing the unseen is must reading, even if he only has the first two parts posted. They are excellent discussions of the process of critical thinking and its practical application to the issues presented us in today's culture. Part One applies critical thinking to the canards typically being put forth by the Democrats and other such Useful Idiots. Part Two does likewise to the various and sundry conspiracy theories roaming the country, much to our collective discredit. These essays are lengthier than the average post, but well worth the time and effort to print out and read. Part Three will deal with Global Warming, and I can hardly wait to see what common sense Mr. Whittle will amass against the Goreacle and His Debacle.
Just to whet your appetite, he starts off Part Two with this gem:
"Occam's Razor is the idea that when confronted with competing theories that explain certain data equally well, the simplest one is usually correct. It's called Occam's Razor, and not Occam's Hypothesis, or Occam's Theorem, or Occam's Bit of Useful Advice, because it is a razor -- it cuts cleanly and with great efficiency. And though it pains me to say so, this culture is in desperate need of a shave."
Equally of interest is how Mr. Whittle probes the psychological aspects of why someone would choose to believe such a complex and convoluted explanation of reality when the simplest explanation works much better. But I won't spoil the fun of reading it for yourself. Go there. Now! Go on, get out of here!