Judge a Person by Their Questions

Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.
–Voltaire (1694-1778)

While I was in Asheville awaiting oral surgery my companion and I settled down in the waiting area of St Joseph Hospital to just ‘hang out’ for a few hours. This was a convenient and a comfortable place to sit and wander about just passing time. One is pretty well free to walk many of the corridors and rest in many of the waiting areas along with everyone else. It was obvious that the hospital functioned fully 24/7.

A person can walk the corridors of any big city hospital and observe in wonder at the effectiveness of human rationality in action. One can also visit the UN building in NYC or read the morning papers and observe just how ineffective, frustrating and disappointing human rationality can be. We seem to be capable of developing vast systems to efficiently provide good or evil; but have not been able to completely ‘accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative’. Why does human reason perform so well in some matters and so poorly in others?

This is a question that has long intrigued me. How can we be so successful in developing a technology and yet be so unsuccessful in developing the ability to manage that magnificent technology? We seem to be like the man with an ‘Arnold’ like upper body mounted on a spindle, varicose veined, arthritic lower body.

I have lately begun to formulate an answer to the question. I am not saying that I have discovered a new problem but that I have discovered how others have been struggling with this problem and that it is only now that I have become conscious of this aspect of reality. I am saying that I have discovered a problem that has worried mankind for centuries and that I have only now begun to understand the problem. I also want to be so bold as to suggest I may have a practical proposal to significantly impact the problem with a partial solution.

A certain part of reality exists for me only when I have become conscious of it. The first step of becoming conscious of any part of reality is to formulate a coherent question about it. It is possible to create solutions to problematic situations only after developing a clear understanding of the facts.

I have discovered that those who struggle with such questions have theorized that rationality can be classified into two major categories; instrumental rationality is that form that allows us to develop our technology and communication rationality is that form that allows us to deal with the other type of problem.

There are problems where the end is known and only the best means are of question. The dentist knows that I have a toothache and the problem he must decide is the best way to eliminate that toothache. The dentist is the subject and the toothache is the object. The problem exists between a subject and an object. The end is clear, eliminate the ache, the means will be either pull the tooth or do a root canal. Instrumental rationality is to determine the best means to reach a specified end.

Chuck
septemberscholar.com

Well…it could be a deep cavity or gum disease causing the toothache.

That’s not the point though…well-written post ILP newcomer. :smiley:

Whenever an academic discipline discourages or forbids rational questioning it ceases to be an academic discipline and becomes tendentious.

I like Plato’s theory of acquiring knowledge; learn how the world and the bodies in the world function on before you try to understand why they exist.

I think it is great that you have decided to pursue such an interesting hobby during your retirement. Just make sure you don’t forget to make time for golfing and fishing…damn I wish I was retired… :smiley:

One can’t negate the negative, without it good has no meaning.

If one doesn’t know the light, one can hardly realize the darkness.

Much as one born to this era cannot fathom life without governments.

Malnutrition contributes greatly to dental problems. :confused:

Coberst,

I agree wholeheartedly that asking questions is the best way to approach on that which you do not know. I don’t know how that necessarily relates to the problems we have managing the technology we’ve created.

In other words, I like the communicative rationality thing, but if the nurse or dentist is asking the wrong questions, then it’s sort of useless. The dentist might know that the toothache is the problem, but if he’s asking the patient whether he thinks the cloud outside looks like a thumbtack, then he might not be the best dentist.

I like the theory though, we just need to roll it back a little farther, to apply the theory of communicative rationality sooner, before people become set in their beliefs, like in (jr) high school or something.

The only problem I can see with this is that, sooner or later a Doctor’s proficiecy (or maybe better effecieny), and their personality will meet. Is it worth it to sacrifice one for the other in an overall sense?

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Dr. K,

If intelligent design were involved, the mouth would have had a zipper…

JT

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Great post Chuck. I too love history and the why certain changes, wars, etc. occured. If you are really interested regarding a person’s words, you might want to peruse John Herbert Grice’s numerous writing regarding speech maxims and the possible personality traits a person has by the way they not only answer questions, but how they answer them. It is quite facinating. Rong Chen did a facinating essay by applying Grice’s theory to the play Twelve Angry Men.

so judge me for asking

WHERE IS GOD?

but my real question is

WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO MY LAST QUESTION?

but only you choose one to judge me by…

“I am not the answer, merely The Question”

Chuckle, asked the same question many times, hence, am a Deist. If there is a God, God implemented what we have now, split, and expects to deal with our own screw-ups. Many of our founders believed the same.

My reaction is LOL, as someone may believe the same as I do.

How true, it is the negative that allows individuals to appreciate the positive in life. Disneyland may be fun for a day, or even three days, but after that it tends to become a drag.

Chuckle, perhaps a size 10 foot stuck in a size 50 mouth.

Yes, Chuck you are interesting, and like you I am an “old fart” as my other half and I describe each other. Absolutely no insult intended, as we can learn from you.

Damn, my smiley just appeared in a weird place AGAIN.

Yes, and many super liberal professor intimidate more conservative students, or down-right insult Jews, this is sickening. Churchill Ward, among others, are really nasty folks, and actually nail students for not agreeing with their stance. This is terrible. I have students who have written well-rounded arguments for the pro-life position, and earned an “A.” As long as there logic holds up they are entitled to their opinion and life choices they make.

Yes, have a base from which to grow from.