Trying to think more like a mathematician, whose empiricism resides in the realm of pure thought, does not predispose these ‘rationalists’ to collect evidence from the real world. Neither does the downplaying of personal experiences. Many are computer science majors, used to being in the comfortable position of being capable of testing their hypotheses without needing to leave their office. It is, then, an easy temptation for them to come up with a nice-sounding theory which appears to explain the facts, and then consider the question solved. Reason must reign supreme, must it not?
is a definite temptation we need to avoid. We do seem to like coming up with such theories, and I know that I personally rarely seek out a way to test them, but I don’t think we consider the question solved when we do, and that seems to be the problematic part.
I’m just here to have fun, though, so I don’t really mind the “not testing” part.
I don’t know who Leon Kass is, but
is a definite temptation we need to avoid. We do seem to like coming up with such theories, and I know that I personally rarely seek out a way to test them, but I don’t think we consider the question solved when we do, and that seems to be the problematic part.
I’m just here to have fun, though, so I don’t really mind the “not testing” part.