Rather, by launching into a five-minute diatribe about the primordial cow, she was cheering for paganism, like holding up a banner at a football game. A banner saying Go Blues isn’t a statement of fact, or an attempt to persuade; it doesn’t have to be convincing—it’s a cheer.
Tying back to my comment a couple posts ago—yes I think this is exactly right. She probably doesn’t believe what she is saying. She knows full well it is crap. She has no interest in a good faith argument. She’s just there to cheer on paganism. It’s ‘Science VS Paganism,’ the ‘new ways’ vs the ‘old ways.’ Rah rah rah. I wonder if while she was speaking there wasn’t someone in the back handing out pamphlets, and while 90-95% of the audience reacted with “what a load of crock” a few did think “yeah these scientists aren’t as smart as they think they are...” This is one way in which propaganda functions—just to signal, attract followers, and throw up a smoke screen so most of the room doesn’t even realize what is happening and just has a laugh. Maybe while you went home confused she ended up selling a few dozen books or whatever to similarly minded “rebels.”
Are ‘science’ and ‘religion’ compatible? Define the terms I suppose but sure. Why not? ‘Religion’ just explains the unknown. I *believe* that one day science will be able to eliminate every last notion similar to “lightning exists because Zeus throws it” but until then I think there’s nothing fundamentally incompatible with holding beliefs such as “god metaphorically snapped their fingers and *that’s* what set off the Big Bang.” Mind you all the organized religions I am aware of are ruled out… I’m just saying there can be a space for ‘belief’ in the areas where science is currently unable to investigate. Personally I think it’s better to just say ‘I/we don’t know, yet’ but humans will be humans.
(is anyone reading these anymore? Oh well it’s more to help me process my own thoughts anyway I suppose!)
Went back to re-read some Lacan and Zizek after this, with regards to Dennett’s ‘belief in belief.’ Very similar to the ‘displaced belief’ they talk about. The common example they give is Santa Claus: children probably don’t believe it but they say they do for the presents, because they understand that the adults expect them to believe, etc. The parents don’t believe it but they continue the ruse for the benefit of the children, other people’s children, or whatever they tell themselves. Thus people often *do* admit to themselves that they don’t believe but they say “but nonetheless other people believe.” They displace the belief onto someone else, and they continue going through the motions—and the ‘belief’ functions anyway. Even if nobody actually believes, they believe by proxy by trusting the apparent belief of those around them. Emperor’s New Clothes comes to mind also.
″ No, this invisibility business is a symptom of something much worse. ”
Indeed. If only it *were* as simple as all that… There often is some fundamental Thing preventing people from realization of the truth and then acting in accordance with that truth though. Often times their entire worldview would be shattered, and they just Can’t Have That—it is ideological, in other words. Others know something is charlatanism but they are the charlatan benefiting so they’ll keep making up reasons for why there really is a dragon in their garage (maybe they are selling magical dragon breath for $100/jar). Others use false beliefs merely as a way to signal propaganda and attract followers—they know it’s fakery but they don’t care about debating in good faith to begin with.
Anyway I’m slowly making my way through these after a re-read of your HP fanfic. Just wanted to say that even if “what do I know and how do I know it” is the only thing my brain can hold on to it’s already been well worth it (although I did pound Bayes’ Theorem in there, too). Thanks!