Angry Atheists and Anti-Theists

[vulcanlogician]

My comment was more directed towards people who unjustifiably claim authority when they have none.

I am constantly surprised that so many people posting on the internet have such wide-ranging interests these days, and can support their positions with any number of references to books and websites.  It seems to me a rather substantial segment of the general population is continuing their education on their own, and that internet discussions are yet another means by which they widen their horizons.

Authority is not something you either have or you don't.  Everyone knows certain things to certain degrees.  That's what makes these discussions so interesting.

Yeah, forgive me for being a bit of a pessimist. It's in my nature. I'm an introverted pessimist who's trying very hard not to be a misanthrope. I'll admit: real progress has been made as far as the general "knowledgeableness" of people, especially in the last few decades... and the past two centuries. But I tend to focus on how much more work there is to be done. In my defense, however, I'll add that there is a shitload of more work to be done. I wouldn't impose this on the general populace, either, if I wasn't willing to impose it on myself.

I am committed to increasing my own knowledge/understanding concerning a great many things. And I don't allow myself shortcuts. If I haven't learned something, I don't pretend to have learned it. And more importantly: I acknowledge the boundaries of my own knowledge.

What gripes me pretty hard is that (in some religious circles) folks are encouraged to disregard the limits of their knowledge-- fundamentalists are a good example. You don't really understand the origins of life or the universe? Don't go to college for six years studying it. Read three short paragraphs from an ancient book, and use that as justification to oppose science.

But fundamentalists are just exemplars of a problem which (though more dilute) is found throughout the population. People are encouraged to project "confidence"... which sometimes means acting as if one is certain when one isn't. Those who can do so earn success and can then, in turn, influence many others. And those who project uncertainty aren't taken as seriously because they don't "confidently project knowledge." ... even though uncertainty will carry you from non-knowledge to knowledge faster than assuming you already know ever could... oops... there I go being pessimistic again. I'll see myself out now.