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Diffstat (limited to 'reviews/books.md')
| -rw-r--r-- | reviews/books.md | 20 |
1 files changed, 11 insertions, 9 deletions
diff --git a/reviews/books.md b/reviews/books.md index c2f9d47..51326e6 100644 --- a/reviews/books.md +++ b/reviews/books.md @@ -25,8 +25,9 @@ author's point: they re-state their own convictions with added cosmological sugar ("the principles by which nature works"), antagonizing metaphors ("agriculture as an engineer might conceive it"), sweeping generalities ("man has displayed a passion for -simplifying it"), and romantic allegories ("the built-in checks and -balances by which nature holds the species within bounds"). +simplifying it"), and romantic allegories^[See also: the Gaia +hypothesis and its [criticism][gaia-critic].] ("the built-in checks +and balances by which nature holds the species within bounds"). These sentences take a grim and uncomfortable (and well-documented) reality, and transform it into a lyrical fresque of Good versus Evil. @@ -35,19 +36,20 @@ insightful report, and twist it into a sublime, emotional, and *simplified* depiction of some Universal Truth. What bothers we with this vocabulary is that it is indistinguishable -from zealotry. Cults successfully grow on broad, universal -explanations for complex issues: Us versus Them, individual redemption -for collective sins, Mother Nature… To me, these tropes are red -flags; when I see them, I instinctively wonder where the fallacy is: -why should the speaker need to appeal to some nebulous higher -principle? Is it as universal as they claim? Why can't they root -their point into observable evidence? +from zealotry. Cults thrive on broad, universal explanations for +complex issues: Us versus Them, individual redemption for collective +sins, Mother Nature… To me, these tropes are red flags; they invite +me to wonder where the fallacy is: why should the speaker need to +appeal to some nebulous higher principle? Is it as universal as they +claim? Why can't they root their point into observable evidence? I actually do buy the authors's point; I merely wish it didn't come with fake gold plating, since it makes people I want to share it with go "Wait, what's up with that cheap cheesy decoration? It looks silly". +[gaia-critic]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_hypothesis#Criticism_in_the_21st_century + > Parathion is one of the most widely used of the organic phosphates. > It is also one of the most powerful and dangerous. Honeybees become > ‘wildly agitated and bellicose’ on contact with it, perform frantic |