Philosophy
After the baseball all-star game, I started thinking about critical thinking. I use all-star teams as an example of the fallacy of composition which is the flawed argument that what is true of the parts must also be true of the whole. It is true that the all-star team in any sport has the best player at each position, but this does not necessarily mean that while the players making up the team are the best, that the team itself is also the best. You could have a line-up of prima donnas who do not have the right chemistry and all expect to be the star.
But while the whole does not necessarily partake of the properties of the parts, it could. So, given a choice between the championship team and the all-star team, which should one pick or in which cases would you select one or the other?
- Ending Strasburg
The Washington Nationals have a good shot at playing some serious post-season baseball. A team that has spent several years rebuilding itself, now has a chance to make a run at the World Series. And just as this happens, they shut down one...
- There Is No Such Thing As A Stupid Question. Really?
The old chestnut "there is no such thing as a stupid question," is clearly designed to encourage questions from those who are insecure, but not stupid. But is it true? When I do my "any questions: auto mechanics to quantum mechanics" schtick everyday,...
- Should Managers Have Their Own Baseball Cards?
The shorter of the short people has started collecting baseball cards. It's been a real hoot for me, seeing some of the old cards I used to have back when I was a kid. It's also provided ways to parent covertly because many cards give me a chance...
- The Superbowl, Fair Play, And Moral Luck
The NFL announced the location of the 2014 Superbowl. It will be in the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It will be the first time the Superbowl was played someplace that is not warm or a domed stadium. Is this a good idea? On the one hand,...
- Blame It On The Star Sirius--the Dog Days Of Summer
Wikipedia... "The Romans referred to the dog days as die-s canicula-re-s and associated the hot weather with the star Sirius. They considered Sirius to be the "Dog Star" because it is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog). Sirius...
Philosophy
All-Star Teams and the Fallacy of Composition
After the baseball all-star game, I started thinking about critical thinking. I use all-star teams as an example of the fallacy of composition which is the flawed argument that what is true of the parts must also be true of the whole. It is true that the all-star team in any sport has the best player at each position, but this does not necessarily mean that while the players making up the team are the best, that the team itself is also the best. You could have a line-up of prima donnas who do not have the right chemistry and all expect to be the star.
But while the whole does not necessarily partake of the properties of the parts, it could. So, given a choice between the championship team and the all-star team, which should one pick or in which cases would you select one or the other?
- Ending Strasburg
The Washington Nationals have a good shot at playing some serious post-season baseball. A team that has spent several years rebuilding itself, now has a chance to make a run at the World Series. And just as this happens, they shut down one...
- There Is No Such Thing As A Stupid Question. Really?
The old chestnut "there is no such thing as a stupid question," is clearly designed to encourage questions from those who are insecure, but not stupid. But is it true? When I do my "any questions: auto mechanics to quantum mechanics" schtick everyday,...
- Should Managers Have Their Own Baseball Cards?
The shorter of the short people has started collecting baseball cards. It's been a real hoot for me, seeing some of the old cards I used to have back when I was a kid. It's also provided ways to parent covertly because many cards give me a chance...
- The Superbowl, Fair Play, And Moral Luck
The NFL announced the location of the 2014 Superbowl. It will be in the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It will be the first time the Superbowl was played someplace that is not warm or a domed stadium. Is this a good idea? On the one hand,...
- Blame It On The Star Sirius--the Dog Days Of Summer
Wikipedia... "The Romans referred to the dog days as die-s canicula-re-s and associated the hot weather with the star Sirius. They considered Sirius to be the "Dog Star" because it is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog). Sirius...