Philosophy
We always tell students that the purpose of citation is to make sure that those whose ideas we are using get the appropriate credit. But what really is the real reason we cite? Is it credit where credit is due? Or is it to make arguments by authority? See, someone else important says this, so it must be right. Or is it to show how well-read we are? What I'm saying must be true because I can quote a wide variety of experts on a wide range of topics and someone this smart must make sense. Or is it to enlist those whom we quote to our side since we think they are our friends, they should think of us as their friends? Or is it to make other people think that these important thinkers are in fact our friends and since we run in such smart circles, we must be smart and our thesis must be well-grounded? What is the real motivation to cite?
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Philosophy
Citation
We always tell students that the purpose of citation is to make sure that those whose ideas we are using get the appropriate credit. But what really is the real reason we cite? Is it credit where credit is due? Or is it to make arguments by authority? See, someone else important says this, so it must be right. Or is it to show how well-read we are? What I'm saying must be true because I can quote a wide variety of experts on a wide range of topics and someone this smart must make sense. Or is it to enlist those whom we quote to our side since we think they are our friends, they should think of us as their friends? Or is it to make other people think that these important thinkers are in fact our friends and since we run in such smart circles, we must be smart and our thesis must be well-grounded? What is the real motivation to cite?
- The Nature Of Genius
What does it mean for one to be a genius? Is genius just the upper end of the really smart continuum? Is there a difference between genius and really, really, really, smart? Is it a difference of kind or degree? Is genius a matter of...
- Locating Citations
Why do we include location when we cite a source? Maybe it made sense in the 18th century when there might have been a Jones & Son publishing books in London and another, different Jones & Son publishing in Surrey, but nowadays when there are so few publishers...
- Happy Birthday Terry Gilliam
Today is Terry Gilliam's 70's birthday. I will admit that I saw Brazil in the theater no fewer than six times which, I believe, comes to roughly one seventh of my lifespan. Terry Gilliam is one of the few repositories of smart that we have in...
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Friends, Today is Einstein's birthday and in his honor, let's pass the plate. Other religions asks for monetary donations, but Comedists tithe jokes. So, for uncle Albert, let's do smart jokes of any variety. My favorite new physics joke:...
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Philosophers' Playground opened two years ago with the simple little post: Red rover, Red rover, send some smart, funny people right over.And, man oh man, it happened. You friends really are the reason this has remained fun. The witty snark, the insightful...