“Science being, it is said, a pure service of truth for truth’s sake, is not called upon to consider whether the selfish wishes of men’s souls are satisfied or not. Thus here, too, men pass from timidity to presumptuous boldness. Having once tasted the delight of impartial and wholly unfettered investigation, they rush into a sham and puerile kind of heroism that glories in having renounced that which no one has ever any right to renounce; and reposing boundless confidence in assumptions which are by no means incontestable, estimate the truth of their new philosophic views in direct proportion to the degree of offensive hostility which these exhibit towards everything—except science—that is held sacred by the living soul of man.”
Hermann Lotze, Microcosmus, Vol.I, tr. E. Hamilton and E.E. Constance Jones (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1885), p.viii.
4 comments:
Have you seen that that noted scientist John Prescott has just been appointed Professor of Climate Change at Xiamen University in South East China?
I would laugh, but the splutter of sheer incredulity robs me of the ability.
Recusant, I found your claim that John Prescott had been made Professor of Climate Change at Xiamen University so preposterous that my trust in you failed in the face it. But now I see that, unless there is a grand conspiracy amongst all the news-agencies to commit a foul but highly amusing joke upon a relatively innocent world, I must accept the claim as true. I humbly beg your pardon.
I don't believe that every man has his price, but most of us do.
The Global Warming industry is now funded at 89 billion dollars woldwide. Not only is that a lot of money to pass up, it also presents a formidable reason to shut up if you expect funding on your own project, unrelated though it may be.
What is interesting here is that the Chinese
1) Do not believe whatsoever in global warming
2) Could care less if it did exist
3) Actually understand very well it is a Statist plot to cook up more power for the State. Why wouldn't they of all people understand that?
They are, I would say, along with Russia, somewhat amazed in the degree with witch we are upholding their old values. We may have to wait a bit to see what the Chinese are actually up to here. Or your scientist.
Having read that, I can understand sham but why puerile?
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