The Magnificent Frog

http://www.talklikeapirate.com/

Well blow me down if’n International Talk Like a Pirate Day hasn’t come round again right quick. Are ye planning anything special fer the day or are ye stickin’ the the usual fare. Sea biscuits wi’ maggots and a round o’ grog? Meself, I plan on securing a bounty the envy o’ all ye salty sea dogs. First I’ll raid the local town te secure supplies fer me voyage. Then me and the crew are heading out fer a feast. Simple fare it might be but it be respectable plunder.

Me wench be slaving o’er a stall today, selling her wares at ye craft market. She should take up the cutlass like Anne Bonnie but she don’t listen to me. I were pressed into service this very mornin’ luggin sacks a booty fer her te flog. A pirate’s work is ne’er done. ‘Ave a goodun.

Following on from Monday’s comments I was pleased to see that Lewis recognised that there were some valid objections to his points.

These are:

What Lewis calls “herd instinct” or normal human impulses. He provides an example.

Supposing you hear a cry for help from a man in danger. You will probably feel two desires – one a desire to give help (due to your herd instinct), the other a desire to keep out of danger (due to the instinct for self preservation).

He goes on to explain how instincts in conflict must be resolved by a third thing: The Moral Law. As with a lot of things I feel the need to say “I think you’ll find that it’s a bit more complicated than that” and I can think of several alternatives without much effort, one being that these instincts are not of equal and opposite strength, another being that they are not the only two instincts at work in the human mind.   He also includes a lovely metaphor of a piano.  Each of our many instincts are keys on the piano and the Moral Law acts are the sheet music.  It’s a neat idea but it both begs the question as to where this Moral Law resides in our minds and it is wholly unnecessary for understanding human behaviour.

Secondly Lewis raises the objection that what he calls Moral Law is simply a social convention that is taught.  he refutes this objection by claiming that this Law of Human Nature is closer to mathematics than taught behaviour.  Essentially he attempts to assert that Moral Law is an absolute that does not change but social conventions are changeable.  Indeed he tries to make the case that social conventions progress to get closer to an absolute value and pioneers and reformers are those who make these social changes to improve the lot of all of society.  This may well be an attempt at Objectivism in a religious sense with absolutes of behaviour being assumed and then used as a comparison.  There is nothing wrong with this if you take the assumed standard of behaviour as a model and not a real thing but I fear that Lewis is making an error by granting his assumption too great a value.

In conclusion Lewis uses an example of a witch hunt to demonstrate how social conventions have changed but Moral Law has not.  He argues that our knowledge of witches supersedes any desire to kill them.  We do not execute witches because we do not believe in them.  If we did, he explains, it would be right to execute them.  I disagree.  We do not execute child molesters or mass murderers in England or in other parts of the world.  We know that such behaviour is vile and reprehensible almost beyond belief.  We can certainly justify ending the lives of such monsters but we do not do so because the taking of a life is considered to be wrong.  A wrong in executing someone is compounding the wrong of their crime, it is not righting it.  This is an improvement in moral behaviour for society, not a change in social convention.

Sadly I think he is trying to build a base where the Moral Law is seen by the reader as an irrefutable fact in order to explain the source of this Moral Law.  I’m unconvinced so far.  I can see far too many alternatives.

There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who don’t.

There are two kinds of people in the world, those who walk into a room and say, “There you are” and those who say, “Here I am!” – Abigail Van Buren

There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there is less competition there. — Indira Gandhi

There are two kinds of people in the world, those with a zombie plan, and those that don’t. We call the second group dinner.

What two kinds of people are there for you and what’s your zombie plan?

“We’re so alike because we’re both Geminis, except that we’re really different”. So say the ladies from Finance.

Oh the stupid.

Violet posted her Reading Meme earlier this week.  Given that I’ve almost deserted this blog I thought I’d attempt to resurrect it with something interesting.

1. What author do you own the most books by?

I have all of Robin Hobb’s books which I’ve enjoyed since picking up the Farseer trilogy ages ago.  There’s a great blend of magic and realism in her writing that makes it very compelling.  This continues in the subsequent two trilogies set in the same world.

The Soldier’s Son trilogy is set in a different world and is wonderful in the way that fantasy is blended with the military and magical culture of the nations.  I’d recommend them to anyone.

As Megan Lindholm she’s written a number of novels that stand alone.  I’m not such a fan of these but they are still good reads.

That said I own more Shakespeare plays than I do Robin Hobb books.  I’m not counting that though because they are plays.

2. What book do you own the most copies of?

The Bible.  I know, I’m an atheist but I have my mother’s bible, a “Good News” bible, Hil’s bible from when she was at school, the obligatory freebie the Gideon’s hand out at school and one that Hil’s aunt gave her.  Plus I think the kids got one of those as well.

I’m counting these as mine as our book collections have become a homogeneous monster and there is no way I am going to sort them out again.  Usually though we get rid of duplicates that we pick up unless two of us want to read them at the same time.  Even the multiple copies of Harry Potter have been sent away to book nirvana, the charity shop.

3. Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?

Not in the slightest.  My days as a grammar nazi are behind me….mostly.

4. What fictional character are you secretly in love with?

None.  You don’t fall in love with fictional characters.  That’s just strange.  However, if I were to fall in love with someone who wasn’t real it would be Tank Girl.

5. What book have you read the most times in your life (excluding picture books read to children)?

I tend not to reread books.  There’s always something new to read that going back seems silly.  I have read Richard Dawkins’ “The Selfish Gene” and “The God Delusion” twice though.  There’s a lot to take in to be fair.  Also “The Color Purple” because it is just that good.

6. What was your favourite book when you were ten years old?

Without doubt it would be The Hobbit.  I’ve read this multiple time too.  I should add this to the question above.  Meh!

7. What is the worst book you’ve read in the past year?

I disliked Labyrinth by Kate Mosse.  it was just dull.

8. What is the best book you’ve read in the past year?

That depends on my mood.  It’s usually the last one I read.  I’m reading “The Inimitable Jeeves” at the moment.

9. If you could force everyone you tagged to read one book, what would it be?

It doesn’t matter,  just read whatever you enjoy.

10. Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for Literature?

No idea.

11. What book would you most like to see made into a movie?

Apparently there are a film versions of “The Time Traveller’s Wife”, “The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas” and “The Book Thief”.  Three books that shouldn’t be films.  They are two different mediums, one doesn’t always translate well to the other.

If I had to choose though I’d make “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” into a film.  Alternatively the rest of “His Dark Materials” trilogy.

12. What book would you least like to see made into a movie?

 The Bible but apparently it’s already been done.  Seriously though I don’t care.  If I don’t want to spoil a book with a movie I won’t watch the movie.  See the earlier question for clarification.

13. What is the most difficult book you’ve ever read?

I’m not sure what this means.  Difficult in what way?  difficult to read because it was so dull?  War and Peace.  Difficult in terms of language?  Anything written in Japanese.

14. Roth or Updike?

Tim Roth is in “Lie to me” on the tellybox.  it’s quite good even though it’s a bit of a one trick pony.

Seriously though I haven’t read either. Where should I start?

15. David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?

Meh, American humorists.

16. Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?

This is not a question is it?  “OR”?  You’ve got to be kidding?  “AND” surely.

17. Austen or Eliot?

Any woman named George deserves to be read.

18. Name the last book by a female author that you’ve read.

Evolution Vs. Creationism: An Introduction by Eugenie Scott

I don’t intentionally read books by members of one gender or the other though.

19. Name the last book by an African or African-American author that you’ve read.

Maya Angelou’s I know why the caged bird sings

But Vi mentioned Things fall apart by Chinua Achebe which is just brilliant.

20. How about one from an Asian country or Asian-American?

The Art of Happiness by The Dalai Lama

21. Why not name an Israeli/Arab/Turk/Persian writer, if you’re feeling lucky?

Sorry, I don’t know any.

22. Any other ‘marginalized’ authors you’ve read lately?

Women and other nationalities are “marginalised” now are they?  I suppose gay authors are too?  What about disabled authors?  Stephen Hawking is a good read.  How about atheist authors, Muslim authors, Jewish authors, Christian authors?

Stupid assumption.  I read books because I enjoy them, because they are thought provoking  and sometimes because they have been recommended.  I don’t read books because they were written by some “oppressed minority” unless they are good reads too.

Michel Shermer explains

Sharon has given birth to three little guinea pigs that look a lot like their dad, Ozzy.  I’ll try to get some pictures later or maybe even one of those newfangled moving picture things.

What names should Ozzy and Sharon’s babies have?  We’re thinking that the obvious Amy, Jack and Kelly are appropriate if there are two girls and a boy.

I’m off to the London Hilton on Park Lane tomorrow.  That’s posh init?  Norf a the river and near the most expensive hotels on the Monopoly board.

Cor!

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from “Miffed” to “Peeved.” Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to “Irritated” or even “A Bit Cross.” Londoners have not been “A Bit Cross” since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from “Tiresome” to a “Bloody Nuisance.” The last time the British issued a “Bloody Nuisance” warning level was during the Great Fire of 1666.

Also, the French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from “Run” to “Hide.” The only two higher levels in France are “Surrender” and “Collaborate.” The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France’s white flag factory, effectively paralysing the country’s military capability. It’s not only the English and French who are on a heightened level of alert.

Italy has increased the alert level from “Shout Loudly and Excitedly” to “Elaborate Military Posturing.” Two more levels remain: “Ineffective Combat Operations” and “Change Sides.” The Germans also increased their alert state from “Disdainful Arrogance” to “Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs.” They also have two higher levels: “Invade a Neighbour” and “Lose.”

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels. The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.