:clap:
absolutely perfect observation
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Y'know still...this is really kind of a warped thing to believe. Just sayin'. Here's a few notes on the majority...
Most people in the US circ their baby boys. And I think its pretty clear that I'm not anywhere near a place where I might concede the point just because the majority does it.
Most women in the US deliver their babies while drugged out of their minds.
Most people in this country are fat. Do you really think they're right?
Most people in 1939 Germany thought Hitler was kinda neat. I think most of us can agree that they might have been mistaken.
Until Pearl Harbor happened most people in the US didn't want to fight a war to take Hitler down. Whaddya think? Would we have been right to sit that one out? We might be having this conversation in German.
John Adams believed that only a third of the population of the American colonies wanted to actually fight Britain for independence.
But first and foremost, Still, most people liked Titanic and that movie sucked my nutsack so hard I talked like Minnie Mouse for a week.
Once upon a time the majority of Americans believed slavery was right, women shouldn't be allowed to vote, and man would never walk on the moon. :orely:
Additionally, 98% of the population knows that 75% of all statistics are made up on the spot. :P
jayson, woofer, mike, brad and jean: :grouphug:
gee thanks for the hug sarajean :(
No, hug for me either. :cry:
Servant: You do realize if the majority doesn't believe in the "majority is right" idea it kinda' punches holes all in this theory, right? :lol:
Spoiler: 10-06-2009 09:04 AMpathoftheturtleIt's a heavy paradox, for sure. :lol: Exactly so. Is it even true that an actual majority of people ever believed those things? Since slaves weren't even counted as "Americans," and since women didn't get to vote, how could we know? Justifications, made up on the spot. <_< 10-06-2009 09:23 AMJeanCome on guys, you're pulling my hind paws, right? Knowledge of what people believed or thought does not come from what statistic says. It's the whole of the culture, the recorded events and so on - and the method[s] of analyzing these, right or wrong; that is why history still is a science, however much someone might want to turn it into mythology. 10-06-2009 09:43 AMWooferYes, jean. I was making a joke about statistics and their relevancy to whether or not something is good or bad, right or wrong, etc.
Take the case of out BMCOAT polls. Whoever wins is not really the best movie character of all time; it's the best movie character according to...
- a completely unscientific, but fun, series of polls
- voted on only by members of thedarktower.org
- who knew about the contests
- and who cared enough to vote
That is all. 10-06-2009 09:51 AMJeanthat is why Henry didn't have any chances... or any member of his large (and knowledgeable) family... http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k2...n/bear_sad.gif 10-06-2009 11:19 AMWooferI know.
You know I know.
I know you know I know.
We know Cozener knows, and Cozener knows we know it.
We're a knowledgeable internet family. 10-06-2009 12:39 PMcozenerYou turd! 10-06-2009 01:19 PMStill ServantQuote:Yes...yes I do.
It's not the first time I've had holes punched through one of my theories.
<_< 10-09-2009 11:33 AMpathoftheturtleBut a little might be salvaged from your idea yet, I reckon, if it were modified to just say that the actual, tangible influence of a given film is a considerable factor in forming a reasonable opinion of its value. Sounds like a great discussion for another thread! I do think that a case could be made that, since movies are a visual medium, techniques for creating different imagery definitely play a vital role in them. 10-09-2009 11:52 AMJeanI have an answer to that, but I'll shut up since it's clearly not the right place. I hope when we have such a thread, I won't miss it. (or maybe we could fit it into one of the existing threads? only please let me know if such a discussion starts somewhere) 10-10-2009 06:14 AMWoofer 10-10-2009 09:58 AMJean 10-11-2009 05:52 AMBriceActually, I view history more as opinion than as science. You either end up with one person't viewpoint of what happened or at best can piece together multiple viewpoints in hopes of getting a somewhat clear picture. It's accuracy though is wholly dependent on whoever recorded it. 10-11-2009 07:06 AMjayson 10-11-2009 07:25 AMJeanSorry, it goes very far beyond topic, but if you both read what I said unbiasedly (I mean, conceding that I may not be such a complete idiot as not to see that all history is always written subjectively, either on purpose or due the very nature of recording), you will see that we are talking about two entirely different things, both of which have the misfortune of coming under "history" in people's minds. I am ready to argue my point, if it still is not clear, but not here. 10-11-2009 07:28 AMjaysonjean, though i am not entirely sure of what you're talking about, you know i am always game for these conversations. i suspect when i realize what you are talking about, i will see that we likely agree. 10-11-2009 07:32 AMBriceHow I explained history to be is my only understanding of it so honestly I'm just confused here. If you can explain what you mean here (or elsewhere) differently perhaps I'll get your meaning. 10-11-2009 07:40 AMJeanAbsolutely.
History as a sum of records, written documents and material evidence, is always subjective. The aim of a historian is not to swallow anything whole. In this, history does not differ from any science: there's a number of data, and a number of methods of analyzing this data, and synthesizing a picture of the whole (physical, chemical, historical).
The methods are inadequate, by definition - tainted by various factors, including ideology.
The data is counterfeit, by definition.
This is how it is in any science, - in physics, too, data is corrupted by observation, and methods always imperfect.
The task of an honest historian, like that of any honest scientist, is in perfectioning the method, and not being afraid of refuting old theories if they no longer hold water - and he must understand that his picture will be refuted by generations to come.
No, I don't see this approach as subjective or relative. History is science in two main respects that characterize science:
1. It never gives us a final picture, but only one that will develop with time, as mankind develops;
2. In spite of this, its ultimate material is the past that actually existed, and the reconstruction of this past as true as possible is the ultimate task of an historian.
That is why history is neither mythology, or game of relativity - although it may be the former at every given historical moment of development of any given society (like any other science taught at school), and the latter, alternative history and fantasy novels based on it being a very important scientific method, namely, experiment (which has to take place in mind, but is nonetheless quite sound)