Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Rambi who wrote (229844)	5/5/2007 11:53:43 AM
From: c.hinton	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

re.So studying physics and math, which engineering students do in spades, doesn't add to their ability to being informed about running a democracy. Could it be argued that ,of all the branches of learning, philosophy has had the most far reaching ,for better or worse,influence on the developement on culture , science and politicle thought?

To: Rambi who wrote (229844)	5/5/2007 1:24:43 PM
From: neolib	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 281500

You have some excellent observations about undergrad Engineering education. What few class hours are available for elective studies, many engineering students elect to expend on related math & physics classes, rather than humanities. Unfortunately, humanities, and philosophy in particular, lack the brilliant testability and usefulness that makes engineering so attractive, so it is not surprising that those attracted to engineering find philosophy rather unattractive. It reminds me of a quote from the physicist Steven Weinburg (SP??) that goes something to the effect: "the only use of philosophy is to protect us from other bad philosophy". IMO, that is pretty much the contribution of philosophy to most human endeavors: It is fundamentally bad, but sometimes some philosophies help block the worst effects of other entrenched philosophies, thus helping us to discard them. Eventually we will discard the next set as well. So on it goes.