Pure logic also excludes physical observation without postulates. Morality can be taken as a postulate to any sound logical process, thus making the reasoner a moral being.
Not necessarily - you can quite easily observe morality and its effect on people and their reactions, and indeed take those into account in your analysis, all without actually subscribing to any particular moral set.
Certainly the illusion may be there - for example, a mentat to a highly moral (as considered by us) family sees a course of action that should be taken for the good of the family. Of course the mentat will make a plan than will involve a set of moral actions, simply because logic dictates that the family is more likely to take said course of action than if they found it objectionable!
This comes into the (as yet unresolved) difference of opinion between the Rationalists and Empiricists...
"Nice" is different from "good", especially in heroic stories.
You're right, and generally speaking the label "nice" is applied to people whom we see as in agreement with our moral compass.
So in the spectrum of human experience, there is plenty of room for psychopaths (who are as a rule not "nice") to do "good".
Wah? I specifically remember Lady Jessica noting Piter as a "twisted Mentat" precisely because he'd been left with no moral conscience.
Mentats were trained to be "outsiders" and to deal entirely within the realm of pure logic. This excludes moral conscience, except as one of the many factors that affect human reactions.
I therefore assert that the "twisted" was more a description of his methods... certainly he was broken by mentat standards in that he had an emotional involvement (specifically taking joy in the suffering of others)
And I would counter that your range of moral understanding is unfortunately narrow.
As is your disappointing extrapolation of me and my moral understanding based on nothing more than a brief, light-hearted discussion on a public forum.
I don't see why you call the Dune characters "nasty psychopaths". Sure, Baron Harkonnen is a nasty psychopath, and so are most of his family. But they're the villains. Who else in the book is a nasty psychopath?
Lets start with the "heroes" Paul, Alia, and Leto II who, let's be honest, weren't exactly nice neighbours...
This is a convenient definition from wiktionary: "A person who has no moral conscience"
By that definition every single mentat is a psychopath!
The Space Guild and the Bene Gesserit are borderline - they are more "differently conscienced".
Whilst I wouldn't say every character was a psychopath - the nature of the situation that these people find themselves in certainly pushes them in that direction.
I don't know about your cinemas but I can't remember the last time I watched a move in a cinema with "good speakers" that didn't have annoying screen defects and didn't have annoying patrons who talked or used their mobile phones, etc.
Add the cost per seat, and it's often cheaper to buy the DVD...
(Man I hate sounding like a grumpy old man but cinemas just don't provide a comfortable entertainment arena)
fscking "practicable"!!!
*mutter, mutter*
why do people invent words where there are perfectly good words already extant?
*growl*
but - it's law now *sigh*
It *is* the business of governments to regulate how government sector organisations purchase software
It is the business of government to regulate the conduct of government employees and departments.
They already have very strict policies in place for how hardware, software and service vendors are chosen. This can be seen as a move to alter this process to include Open Source.
I'm working for a company whom I've convinced to give the whole "open source thing" a looksee.
This legislation means a lot to us - even though it doesn't cover the whole of the government, (as near as i can tell) it only applies to the ACT government.
We will now get a lot more interest in our services - and once we're in one government department, federal departments can't be that far away!
the tek war movies.
did you intend for there to be more and were you happy with their reception?
in free enterprise [imdb.com] - who's idea was the "han solo vs captain kirk" comment and how funny did you think it?
(you looked like you were trying not to laugh:)... and when will "no tears for caesar" reach the mtv audience?:)
mike(y)
Slashdot Mirror
AC First Post wasn't either. At least they were more creative.
Pure logic also excludes physical observation without postulates. Morality can be taken as a postulate to any sound logical process, thus making the reasoner a moral being.
Not necessarily - you can quite easily observe morality and its effect on people and their reactions, and indeed take those into account in your analysis, all without actually subscribing to any particular moral set.
Certainly the illusion may be there - for example, a mentat to a highly moral (as considered by us) family sees a course of action that should be taken for the good of the family. Of course the mentat will make a plan than will involve a set of moral actions, simply because logic dictates that the family is more likely to take said course of action than if they found it objectionable!
This comes into the (as yet unresolved) difference of opinion between the Rationalists and Empiricists...
Mike(y)
"Nice" is different from "good", especially in heroic stories.
You're right, and generally speaking the label "nice" is applied to people whom we see as in agreement with our moral compass.
So in the spectrum of human experience, there is plenty of room for psychopaths (who are as a rule not "nice") to do "good".
Wah? I specifically remember Lady Jessica noting Piter as a "twisted Mentat" precisely because he'd been left with no moral conscience.
Mentats were trained to be "outsiders" and to deal entirely within the realm of pure logic. This excludes moral conscience, except as one of the many factors that affect human reactions.
I therefore assert that the "twisted" was more a description of his methods... certainly he was broken by mentat standards in that he had an emotional involvement (specifically taking joy in the suffering of others)
And I would counter that your range of moral understanding is unfortunately narrow.
As is your disappointing extrapolation of me and my moral understanding based on nothing more than a brief, light-hearted discussion on a public forum.
Mike(y)
I don't see why you call the Dune characters "nasty psychopaths". Sure, Baron Harkonnen is a nasty psychopath, and so are most of his family. But they're the villains. Who else in the book is a nasty psychopath?
Lets start with the "heroes" Paul, Alia, and Leto II who, let's be honest, weren't exactly nice neighbours...
This is a convenient definition from wiktionary: "A person who has no moral conscience"
By that definition every single mentat is a psychopath!
The Space Guild and the Bene Gesserit are borderline - they are more "differently conscienced".
Whilst I wouldn't say every character was a psychopath - the nature of the situation that these people find themselves in certainly pushes them in that direction.
Mike(y) - who IS a fan of the books
fickle power tripping wizards
Hey, that's a bit unfair!
... I never power tripped :)
You're welcome :)
Use them as Australian repellent? :)
The word you're searching for is dongle.
They have issues of their own and, in my experience, were always a PITA.
I don't know about your cinemas but I can't remember the last time I watched a move in a cinema with "good speakers" that didn't have annoying screen defects and didn't have annoying patrons who talked or used their mobile phones, etc.
Add the cost per seat, and it's often cheaper to buy the DVD...
(Man I hate sounding like a grumpy old man but cinemas just don't provide a comfortable entertainment arena)
Impressed? I'm ashamed! :)
I resisted for a while but my inner geek got the better of me...
Shouldn't that be 114.3%? (7 out of the 8 bits = 100%)
Well, you know what they say - anyone who represents themselves has a fool for a client :)
... with your code whiter than white!
hrm - on a white background, that's not goin' to work so well...
fscking "practicable"!!! *mutter, mutter* why do people invent words where there are perfectly good words already extant? *growl* but - it's law now *sigh*
Companies like mine are the payback.
The customisation work we do for any department will be released under an OSI license and will go back to the community.
As we say in this country, we will "keep the bastards honest".
I wouldn't hold your breath.
The ATO (allegedly) gets more free trips to Redmond every year than all the other government depts put together!
It is the business of government to regulate the conduct of government employees and departments.
They already have very strict policies in place for how hardware, software and service vendors are chosen. This can be seen as a move to alter this process to include Open Source.
I'm working for a company whom I've convinced to give the whole "open source thing" a looksee.
This legislation means a lot to us - even though it doesn't cover the whole of the government, (as near as i can tell) it only applies to the ACT government.
We will now get a lot more interest in our services - and once we're in one government department, federal departments can't be that far away!
Exciting times.
the tek war movies. did you intend for there to be more and were you happy with their reception? in free enterprise [imdb.com] - who's idea was the "han solo vs captain kirk" comment and how funny did you think it? (you looked like you were trying not to laugh :) ... and when will "no tears for caesar" reach the mtv audience? :)
mike(y)