I published my book about the death of real science - Not even Trying - back in 2011. Despite being, I think, the best written of my books; it has never been popular.
About a dozen or a score of people really liked it a lot; but most people find the whole subject dull; and among the minority interested in science there was a feeling that I had 'gone too far' in my arguments - been too pessimistic.
However, I personally haven't the slightest doubt that I was correct in my diagnosis - including the basic 'not even trying' reason I gave for the death of science.
Science is very rare in history and among human societies. It requires very special circumstances. And when somebody (or some institutions) is not even trying to discover and speak the truth; they will neither discover nor speak the truth.
There were never very many real scientists (truth seekers and truth speakers on the subject of their science) - and now there are extremely few.
Most of the people currently termed scientists are better described as professional researchers. They do whatever research is best funded, highest status - and seek or speak what provides the best chances of professional security and advancement. In other words, they are just a type of bureaucrat.
The most successful 'scientists' must be, and clearly are, dishonest - therefore what they produce is not science.
(There are a few real scientists, a very few - but these are never in positions of high status within science; they are either elderly - retired - or amateurs; ignored, vilified or on the fringes of 'respectability'.)
What this means is that no information from mainstream 'scientific' sources can be relied upon; any more than we can (or should) rely upon official government statistics or the stories of the mass media. It means therefore that there is nothing in public discourse that should be relied upon.
Of course, the situation is confused by the fact that the most effective dishonesty is deniable, and the most effective lies are those embedded in a framework of facts. And (in the vast majority of instances, where our knowledge is not great) sorting this out is not just 'difficult' - it is impossible.
In such a situation; the rational response would be to reject all official/ scientific and media sources and rely on personal experience (extended by our network of reliable and trusted friends). In practice; the opposite has happened. Over the past generation (i.e. pretty much since science actually died) there has been a massive propaganda-education push to denigrate direct and personal knowledge as mere 'anecdote' (which only the ignorant believe); and accord only official and 'peer reviewed' sources as credible.
Thus are we trapped (by our basic assumptions) into living our lives in accordance with the dishonest dictates and 'data' of officialdom and the mass media; despite that (if we reflect) we know for sure that they are selfish, short-termist, manipulative and evil-motivated.
In the end, those who are being led into damnation have to take responsibility for believing known liars, and living in accordance with an Establishment that obviously works and schemes for total control and corruption of the masses.
Of course; the answer for you is in your hands. The only answer, and in your hands only. It can't be done for you - and certainly won't be done for you. Passivity is death, unconsciousness is death.
It's up to you.
Thanks for all these helpful posts lately. I wonder if it's helpful to think of the Establishment as a single person - a devious, manipulative evil person. Everyone has known one of these from work or school. When you realize who they really are, you tune out everything they say and automatically avoid them.
ReplyDeleteI've also been toying with the metaphor of the Establishment as being like the Overlook Hotel from Stephen King's "The Shining" - a plush, comfortable hotel that's also a psycho-spiritual torture chamber. So long as we let the Establishment have access to our eyes and ears, it will torture us and try to turn as into monsters. It's a strange world when Big Brother can be defeated by tossing the smartphones in the trash.
That is beautiful.
ReplyDelete@E - I don't have one myself - but apparently China, upon whom we are currently modelling the world, has mandatory smartphones (as do some universities). If you don't have them you are restricted in movements, cannot buy stuff, cannot participate in activities etc. Or there is 'wearable' tech, or implanted tech. The plan is - at any rate - that the tracking and monitoring devices will become compulsory - one way or another.
ReplyDeleteYeah, me neither - got rid of it years ago. Now I just carry an ebook reader around. The idea of breaking skin to implant digital devices is absolutely disgusting. I don't know how people can stomach all that cyberpunk stuff in the culture; I hope they don't put up with it in the real world. I'd rather starve to death.
ReplyDelete