Do Rationalists Kill More?
Subsequent to posting this, I found myself wondering who are more responsible for more deaths, empiricists or rationalists? I'm inclined to think the latter - communists etc - but I am open to correction.
# posted by Bryan Appleyard : 5:43 AM
5 Comments:
At June 08, 2009 7:44 AM,
ian russell said…
rationally, yes or no. empirically, 50-50.
At June 08, 2009 12:55 PM,
Brit said…
I'm sure the rationalists win hands-down, certainly from the 20th Century.
But quite often the empiricists sell weapons to the rationalists, which they use to kill each other.
At June 08, 2009 5:16 PM,
Gordon McCabe said…
Descartes was well-known for his killing sprees, so that might suggest the rationalists. However, Fred West's empirical skills with patios and Osama's technology BSc, suggest that it's the empiricists we should be wagging our ditigal digits at.
At June 08, 2009 6:37 PM,
Peter Burnet said…
They both kill a lot, but the rationalists seems to have a harder time stopping. I suppose if you have rationalized starting killing it takes more effort to rationalize stopping.
At June 08, 2009 6:55 PM,
yank said…
Let's not forget the irrationalists -- those commanded to kill by voices, visions, and sacred texts. Rationalists, empiricists, irrationalists-- they've all run the charnel house. But each requires the leadership of a malignant narcissist to really get the killing juices flowing.
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