(July 6, 2012 at 4:55 am)CliveStaples Wrote:Quote:When it comes to reality and finding out what's true and what's not, emotions are completely useless.
I tend to agree with this, but I feel like it overlooks the positive contributions that emotions have made in the history of human progress. Many scientists are impelled toward research and discovery because of the wonder and excitement they feel toward the universe (or some facet of it). Certainly many mathematicians are motivated by a sense of beauty in mathematics.
Now, maybe these 'aesthetic' interests don't qualify as 'emotions', but that's a pretty thin hair to split, I think.
I'd chance to say that emotion/interest drives you to certain subjects that lead you to want to study and learn as much about as possible. I have an interest in particles, I'm curious as to how they function and the effects they have. Like virtual particles (one of my favs), they literally pop in and out of existence at random, self created and self destroyed in an instant, something to do with quantum mechanics, another law of nature.
But yeah, emotions can lead you in a certain direction but doesn't play any role in the fact finding process.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence - Carl Sagan
Mankind's intelligence walks hand in hand with it's stupidity.
Being an atheist says nothing about your overall intelligence, it just means you don't believe in god. Atheists can be as bright as any scientist and as stupid as any creationist.
You never really know just how stupid someone is, until you've argued with them.
Mankind's intelligence walks hand in hand with it's stupidity.
Being an atheist says nothing about your overall intelligence, it just means you don't believe in god. Atheists can be as bright as any scientist and as stupid as any creationist.
You never really know just how stupid someone is, until you've argued with them.
