Developing A Theory On Bullshit?

[Paragon]

Professor Harry G. Frankfurt: One of the most salient features of our culture is that there is so much bullshit.Everyone knows this.Each of us contributes his share.But we end to take the situation for granted.Most people are rather con ï¬ dent of their ability to recognize bullshit and to avoid being taken in by

it.So the phenomenon has not aroused much deliberate concern,nor attracted much sustained inquiry.

 

In consequence,we have no clear understanding of what bullshit is,why there is so much of it,or what functions it serves.And we lack a conscientiously developed appreciation of what it

means to us.In other words,we have no theory.I propose to begin the development of a theoretical understanding of bullshit,mainly by providing some tentative and exploratory philosophical analysis.I shall not consider the rhetorical uses and misuses of bullshit.My aim is simply to give a rough account of what bullshit is and how it differs from what it is not — or (putting it somewhat differently)to articulate, more or less sketchily,the structure

of its concept.

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[Castro]

^ Not gone just yet. Great book. Can be read in 2 hours but very interesting. We could all use some of its insights.

 

Now I'm really gone.

[Paragon]

^^^ Oh no, you ain't gone yet! Lol, that is before you tell us what is your definition of Bullshit? One of my friends read the book and encouraged me to read it. It would be a delight to read it.

[Castro]

^ You're very convincing, atheer.

 

I'll dodge the question by choosing one of Frankfurt's own definitions (I tend to agree with it too): BS is deception (on some level) perpetrated for a variety of motives. The perpetrator may or may not consciously be aware of the deception, however.

 

I believe Mutakalim was the one who brought this book to my attention in this very forum. I'm not sure he did so because I tried to throw some BS in his direction.

[underdog]

Bullshit (these days) is anything that provides no tangible benefit to our existence but yet has incredibly significant exposure, enough to make it look/feel/sound/smell like an important slice of the pie called life.

 

Here's a few from my list:

 

- Fashion

- Professional Sports

- Politics

- Reality TV

- Liberal arts

- Music

- Movies

- Nationalism ( i.e. racism/Clanism/reppin' my hood-ism/my country is better than yours-ism etc)

- alleged post-secondary education

- ipods

- PSP

- iTunes

- 200 GB hard drives

- Pollution vs outcry from the same masses involved in mass production/mass consumption

- V12 engines in rush hour traffic

 

 

The list is longer but I think y'all get my drift.

[J.Lee]

Bullsh!t, in my opinion, is any statement- written or spoken with the intent to mislead- that carries the stench of dishonesty and deceit: that evokes feelings of disgust and mistrust toward the speaker or the writer.

 

It's making a promise yet having no intention of keeping your word.

 

It's a lie cleverly dressed up to resemble truth.

 

Bullsh!t is convenient,a better safety net and less time consuming than the truth.

 

On that note, I love you all.

[Khayr]

Salams,

 

Rather,

bullshitters seek to convey a certain impression of themselves without being concerned about whether anything at all is true.

They quietly change the rules governing their end of the conversation so that claims about truth and falsity are irrelevant. Frankfurt concludes that although bullshit can take many innocent forms, excessive indulgence in it can eventually undermine the practitioner's capacity to tell the truth in a way that lying does not. Liars at least acknowledge that it matters what is true. By virtue of this, Frankfurt writes, bullshit is a greater enemy of the truth than lies are.

They quietly change the rules governing their end of the conversation so that claims about truth and falsity are irrelevant.

This is very much so the case on the net where it encourages self-propagation and the relativising of Truth and everything else to OPINIONATION i.e. I THINK IT is this way, therefore it MUST be de facto be right.

 

bullshit is a greater enemy of the truth than lies are.

I agree because in the case of BS, its role is to MOCK and put things in disorder, wherein BS comes on top because it reveals one little truth, in a web of 100 lies as the hadith goes.

[Yeniceri]

Originally posted by Jimca Lee:

Bullsh!t...is a lie cleverly dressed up to resemble truth.

Agreed! Bullsh!t is the bull that literally took a sh!t on human dignity and morals.

[Caano Geel]

surely you mean:

'the foresnsic qualifications of procastination and cavil and the arts of confounding and perplexing a cause!'

[Khayr]

Originally posted by Caano Geel:

surely you mean:

'the foresnsic qualifications of procastination and cavil and the arts of confounding and perplexing a cause!'

Nice cut and past job saxib

 

Waryaa, Bullshiidh kaas naaga daaf!

[Caano Geel]

Originally posted by Khayr:

Nice cut and past job saxib

:eek: Dude, that cuts deep, tut, tut, tut ...

[Urban]

BS is what we use to grow tufaax and cinab, fiyooro and coos...and & and..

[hodman]

BS is what we use to grow tufaax and cinab, fiyooro and coos...and & and..

 

....and keep the young somali faraxs and halimos entertained.

why would anyone deevlop a theory on BS that is the ultimate BS in itself

[Paragon]

^^Lol. Its a BS philosophical past-time. If BS in the form of theory book sells and entertains many among Humans then why not BS?

[Pi]

I would recommend this short book or essay too. I remember reading it at a Chapters Book Store a few months ago. I did not even have to buy the book. I think they'll soon ban me from that place because I never buy books from them, but I still spend an inordinate amount of time at their store.