tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253865779660854699.post185475145737043478..comments2023-10-15T09:36:12.013+01:00Comments on Countercultural Father: Because (ir)ReligionBen Trovatohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15299230935468606845noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253865779660854699.post-66361712955077483372016-01-16T11:31:32.955+00:002016-01-16T11:31:32.955+00:00Ben, I think you are doing damage to the laudable ...Ben, I think you are doing damage to the laudable intent to develop "independent learners". It doesn't mean people who make stuff up as they go along but individuals who are capable of gathering facts and evidence, weighing arguments and developing their understanding on their own; the way most adults learn in fact.<br />No teachers I know advocate developing ideas without reference to the authority of the already learned (partly because that would be folly but mostly out of self-interested - it would be sawing off the branch their income is sitting on.<br />In any case the "because religion" repeaters are those who have uncritically accepted other external authorities (such as Dawkins who actually have very little authority) uncritically rather than coming up with their ideas independently.Part-time Pilgrimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11183889477468203531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253865779660854699.post-44851374055021190472016-01-13T13:47:21.253+00:002016-01-13T13:47:21.253+00:00I often try and lead people to the fact that we al...I often try and lead people to the fact that we all rely on authorities outside of ourselves for knowledge. An amusing way of doing this is asking them how they know the earth goes round the sun (after all, it's contrary to our experience). They are then forced to admit that they have relied on an external authority for this knowledge. Hopefully this prompts some introspection and examination of their own philosophy.spraffmeisterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02651988079265709782noreply@blogger.com