399 books
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Adam Morva
https://www.goodreads.com/adammorva
“Scientists often talk of parsimony (as in "the simplest explanation is probably correct," also known as Occam’s razor), but we should not get seduced by the apparent elegance of argument from parsimony; this line of reasoning has failed in the past at least as many times as it has succeeded. For example, it is more parsimonious to assume that the sun goes around the Earth, that atoms at the smallest scale operate in accordance with the same rules that objects at larger scales follow, and that we perceive what is really out there. All of these positions were long defended by argument from parsimony, and they were all wrong. In my view, the argument from parsimony is really no argument at all – it typically functions only to shut down more interesting discussion. If history is any guide, it’s never a good idea to assume that a scientific problem is cornered.”
― Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain
― Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain
“Most officially “poor” Americans today have things that middle-class Americans of an earlier time could only dream about—including color TV, videocassette recorders, microwave ovens, and their own cars. Moreover, half of all poor households have air-conditioning.
Leftist redistribution of income could never accomplish that, because there are simply not enough rich people for their wealth to have such a dramatic effect on the living standards of the poor, even if it was all confiscated and redistributed. Moreover, many attempts at redistributing wealth in various countries around the world have ended up redistributing poverty.
After all, rich people can see the political handwriting on the wall, and can often take their money and leave the country, long before a government program can get started to confiscate it. They are also likely to take with them skills and entrepreneurial experience that are even harder to replace than the money.”
― Controversial Essays
Leftist redistribution of income could never accomplish that, because there are simply not enough rich people for their wealth to have such a dramatic effect on the living standards of the poor, even if it was all confiscated and redistributed. Moreover, many attempts at redistributing wealth in various countries around the world have ended up redistributing poverty.
After all, rich people can see the political handwriting on the wall, and can often take their money and leave the country, long before a government program can get started to confiscate it. They are also likely to take with them skills and entrepreneurial experience that are even harder to replace than the money.”
― Controversial Essays
“One of the sad signs of our times is that we have demonized those who produce, subsidized those who refuse to produce, and canonized those who complain.”
― The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation as a Basis for Social Policy
― The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation as a Basis for Social Policy
The Brain and Mind
— 4238 members
— last activity Aug 21, 2024 08:02PM
This is a group for readers to recommend and discuss books related to real and/or artificial brains. Categories include but are not limited to: neuros ...more
This is a group for readers to recommend and discuss books related to real and/or artificial brains. Categories include but are not limited to: neuros ...more
Atheists and Skeptics
— 2224 members
— last activity Nov 12, 2024 01:06AM
This is a group meant for the discussion of atheism and skepticism and the books associated with both. Recommending books arguing for or against relig ...more
This is a group meant for the discussion of atheism and skepticism and the books associated with both. Recommending books arguing for or against relig ...more
Street Epistemology
— 10 members
— last activity Feb 01, 2017 11:49PM
Helpful books on atheism, faith, epistemology, the socratic method, science, rhetoric, and other topics related to Street Epistemology.
Helpful books on atheism, faith, epistemology, the socratic method, science, rhetoric, and other topics related to Street Epistemology.
Hungarians/Magyarok on Goodreads
— 723 members
— last activity Aug 05, 2024 08:52AM
A magyar irodalom hiveinek es olvasoinak mindenhol!
A magyar irodalom hiveinek es olvasoinak mindenhol!
Adam’s 2023 Year in Books
Take a look at Adam’s Year in Books. The good, the bad, the long, the short—it’s all here.
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