Truths > half-truths > misleading statements > lies
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Re: Truths > half-truths > misleading statements > lies
Or to give a real world example. Greenpeace once came to my university and explained the problems surrounding slash and burn farming. Their solution was that everyone should stop. I pointed out that the farmer can't simply stop as they and their family would starve to death. The Greenpeace person looked at me liked I had sprouted a second head, the sheer incomprehension was itself incomprehensible to me.
So what I'm saying is that the coal worker doesn't need the option of carrying on or starving, they need many other options. A government looking after general welfare would felicitate in creating options.
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Re: Truths > half-truths > misleading statements > lies
Absolutely agree. And I think this is how the majority of people live their lives. It might be suspected that a higher than average number of people whose goal is the truth would be attracted to a philosophy forum but even here there seem to be many exceptions.It can be argued that the empirical truth or falsehood of our words are incidental, and that their primary purpose is to help us achieve out goals in life, whatever they may be. If our goal is to speak or discover the empirical truth, then the truth/falsehood of our words becomes important because it happens to coincide with our goals. If our goal is to make a living and feed our kids then their truth/falsehood might be coincidentally important, but it's not forced to be. Likewise if our goal is to attain and keep political power.
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Re: Truths > half-truths > misleading statements > lies
Interesting anecdote. I think it's a good example of the error made by a lot of people who don't seem to understand that you can lead a horse to water but you can't force it to drink. i.e. if you want to change people's behaviour in a way that you regard as beneficial you have to give them an incentive to change.Or to give a real world example. Greenpeace once came to my university and explained the problems surrounding slash and burn farming. Their solution was that everyone should stop. I pointed out that the farmer can't simply stop as they and their family would starve to death. The Greenpeace person looked at me liked I had sprouted a second head, the sheer incomprehension was itself incomprehensible to me.
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Re: Truths > half-truths > misleading statements > lies
Yes, I couldn't agree more. Doing positive things is of more value than arguing against negative things, or at least both should be doneif you want to change people's behaviour in a way that you regard as beneficial you have to give them an incentive to change.
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Re: Truths > half-truths > misleading statements > lies
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