unproductive

LNJVO@cc.newcastle.edu.au
Thu, 22 Aug 1996 11:58:37 +1000

Carl

I'm right with you. The discussion has long since become unproductive.
I'm also one of those mentioned by Edward Hobbs in s reply to you. It all
reminds me of something in Vincent Ruggiero's _The Art of Thinking_ and it also applies to research in particular,and the way we come to a Greek passage,
at least that's how I see it:

He addresses rationalizing vs reasoning. "Rationalizing is a dishonest
substitute for reasoning whereby we set out 'to defend our ideas rather than
to find out the truth of the matters concerned.'... You are reasoning if the belief follows the evidence--that is, if you examine the evidence first and then
make up your mind. You are rationalizing if the evidence follows your belief--
if you'll fist decide what you'll believe and then selct and interpret evidence
to justify it."

John Oaklands