A critique of Objectivism

[Greebo]

As far as I am concerned you may, but what does it mean?

Sorry to thread-necro, but I believe it was a play on 'Reductio ad Absurdium' - which is the practice of negating a position by extending it logically to an absurd conclusion.

A recent example from modern culture: In the sitcom, "The Big Bang Theory", (a very funny show about 4 geeks and 1 hot babe), the babe, Penny, asks to crash on the couch of 2 of the geeks who live across the hall from her. The show's uber-geek - Sheldon - objects, on the grounds that they have insufficient earthquake supplies for 3 people. Leonard (the coolist of the geeks) counters by making Penny promise not to eat Sheldon in the event of an earthquake, as Sheldon's objection to Penny's staying is that should an earthquake happen, with insufficient food, resorting to cannibalism would become a necessity.

http://home.earthlink.net/~mylnir/debate/l...e.html#reductio

[Steve D'Ippolito]

As far as I am concerned you may, but what does it mean?

[in regards to Reductio ad clusterf***]

They are attempting to refute Objectivism by claiming that it reduces to a clusterf***--and yes it is a play on reductio ad absurdum. Now it's possible you don't know that particular piece of slang; it's any horribly messed up. tangled, confused thing. situation or person. (Often when it's a person it's a "walking clusterf***" or WCF (whiskey charlie foxtrot).)

[DragonMaci]

[in regards to Reductio ad clusterf***]

They are attempting to refute Objectivism by claiming that it reduces to a clusterf***--and yes it is a play on reductio ad absurdum. Now it's possible you don't know that particular piece of slang; it's any horribly messed up. tangled, confused thing. situation or person. (Often when it's a person it's a "walking clusterf***" or WCF (whiskey charlie foxtrot).)

Sorry, but now I do not know what "reduces to a cluster" means.

EDIT: I initially used the wrong smiley.

Edited April 29, 2008 by DragonMaci

[Benpercent]

Sorry, but now I do not know what "reduces to a cluster" means.

In other words it reduces to a lot of problems (think of it as the typical "snowball" argument). Take Kant's non-lying maxim for instance. He says that everyone should tell the truth regardless of circumstance because if we lived in a world where people were allowed to lie all they wanted, there would be a (in the slang terms used above) clusterf*** of problems.

[DragonMaci]

In other words it reduces to a lot of problems (think of it as the typical "snowball" argument). Take Kant's non-lying maxim for instance. He says that everyone should tell the truth regardless of circumstance because if we lived in a world where people were allowed to lie all they wanted, there would be a (in the slang terms used above) clusterf*** of problems.

Oh, ops, I somehow missed the "f" until now. All I saw was "cluster***" and I couldn't figure out what the "***" was in aid of. Now I see what that is in aid of now that I've noticed the "f" and as a result I understand what was meant. Thanks for unknowingly helping to realise I'd missed a letter.