24 JAN 2012 by ideonexus

 Scientific Truth Must Come Out of Controversy

Scientific truth, like puristic truth, must come about by controversy. Personally this view is abhorrent to me. It seems to mean that scientific truth must transcend the individual, that the best hope of science lies in its greatest minds being often brilliantly and determinedly wrong, but in opposition, with some third, eclectically minded, middle-of-the-road nonentity seizing the prize while the great fight for it, running off with it, and sticking it into a textbook for sophomores written ...
  1  notes

There is the ideal of scientific facts taught without passion and the reality of impassioned conflict within scientific exploration.

17 JUN 2011 by ideonexus

 Jesus Used Political Language

Is there anything, for example, more dexterous than the manner in which he treated the subject of the woman taken in adultery? (St. John, c. viii.) The Jews having asked if they should stone this unfortunate, instead of replying definitely, yes or no, by which he would fall in the trap set by his enemies: the negative being directly against the law, and the affirmative proving him severe and cruel, which would have alienated the saints. Instead of replying as any ordinary person but him would...
  1  notes

He avoided controversy by speaking in parables and not answering directly, just as politicians do today.