[emmender]

if there is one thing chatgpt has opened my eyes to, it is that we live in a world teeming with BS. In particular, philosophical essays and books are full of it.

It seemingly makes sense, because, we contort the narrative to squeeze meaning out of it. But a skeptical eye sees no coherence.

For example, this passage:

"We grow, we heal, we are reborn. Nothing is impossible. The galaxy is bursting with chaos-driven reactions. You and I are storytellers of the world."

Surely, all of us can squeeze meaning out of this passage, but it is actually produced by this BS generator: https://sebpearce.com/bullshit/

If there is anything that should be taught in schools, it is the triumph of the reason in the forms of math/science thinking - over all the BS narratives that abound - only because, that kind of thinking is unnatural, whereas stream of consciousness BS comes naturally to us.

[fasterik]

The "triumph of reason" as you describe it came from philosophy. It was the "natural philosophers" who developed the style of critical thinking and rationality that resulted in the Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution. Of course, there is plenty of bad thinking that gets categorized under the name philosophy, but that doesn't mean that the whole enterprise is useless.

Actually, I think philosophy should be taught more in schools. Learning to understand, evaluate, and critique complex arguments is just as important, if not more important, than learning to solve equations or do empirical science.

[emmender]

agree with you 100%..

some philosophy (plato's dialogues) establish the underpinnings of reasoning and meaning - in that everything can be critiqued and debated.

and some other philosophy (spinoza's emmendations of the intellect / ethics) attempt an axiomatic approach..

however, much of philosophy/psychology is just a narrative with lot of words but little coherence.

[arisbe__]

The book isnt BS, it is just you are overlaying a more specific purpose onto a work that is more general in its communicative mode and goals.

It is a common source of confusion.