Peter Atkins - Pride in Prejudice Part 1

[RationalEmotive]

Again:

This is one of the most dogmatist talks of scientism I have ever heard.

Science can and shall not take over all our other disciplines, like the arts, theology, philosophy.

PZ Myers, Dawkins and Atkins are the main shrill proponents of scientismist we spiritual agnostics have to be aware of.

[polymath7]

A sterling example of why my $1200 HD TV has been languishing in the corner of the room, unplugged, for several weeks.

Who'd have guessed Youtube would turn out to be an autodidact's dream?

Can't wait to watch the whole talk when I have time.

[riversonthemoon]

"Who'd have guessed Youtube would turn out to be an autodidact's dream?"

I was just telling a friend of mine yesterday that with so much information available online - a virtual oracle in everyone's home - no one has an excuse to be a dumbass anymore, and bullshit artists are having a harder time nowadays (probably a big factor in the rise of atheism). Answers to almost any question that you could come up with are just a few clicks away.

[PokemonGoldenOldies]

Seeing as how Peter Atkins not only monopolises the chemistry textbook business, but also renders chemistry the only science in which anyone does do that, if what you were saying were true chemistry education worldwide would be pretty dreadful. Somehow I feel as if current achievements of the chemical industries gives me greater reasons for optimism.

[PokemonGoldenOldies]

I wonder what these problems might be, or how anything other than science would solve them any better than science itself. I wonder also in what sense scientific positivism, whatever that is, represents either me or Atkins, since logical positivism certainly doesn't. I'll be honest, "pre-modern system philosophers" is a term lost on me. I'm not even sure whether you are saying you prefer them or the postmodernists.

[CathySander]

@PokemonGoldenOldies What do you mean? Given the sorry state of affairs with the public perception of chemists and chemistry in general, we're lucky to have such an individual speak his passion.

[PokemonGoldenOldies]

Given that by "such an individual" you mean Atkins (you can't be praising RationalEmotive, hereafter RE, since RE's comments are now invisible to you) I entirely agree, as would have been clear from the context of what I was replying to were RE's comments still here (RE was critical of Atkins; I said RE was not only wrong, but had better be wrong for all our sakes).

[FarFromEquilibrium]

"Flexible prejudice, not rigid prejudice.... great rivers of knowledge that enhance each others where they mingle. That supportive inermingling is a sign that we are correct in our prejudice in science."

thats a good way to put it!

[riversonthemoon]

It sure is.

I'm going to put that quote in the description. Thanks!

[Itslvle]

What's with the guy at 4:50 holding his ears? Perhaps there's a guy in front of him with his hands on his eyes so they make a complete set.

[riversonthemoon]

LOL.

Actually, there's a nice frame of it on the 'View all comments' page (the first one). They do look like those monkeys!!