[Vision2020] PR - Final Lecture in Series, Psychiana

[Joe Campbell]

If the debate is between logical positivism and metaphysics,
metaphysics has won! Here is the trouble with logical positivism. Take
the verification principle: nothing is meaningful unless it is (a) an
analytic truth (true by definition) or (b) a matter of fact about the
physical world. Now we can ask: Is the verification principle true by
definition? No. Is it a matter of fact about the physical world? No.
Thus, it too is a piece of metaphysics (to use Ayer's understanding of
the term).

Still, my own training is in analytic philosophy, which tends toward
the study of concepts (conceptual analysis) and arguments. In other
words, when I write professional philosophy, much of my work is very
consistent with metaphysics done in the spirit of Ayer and David Hume.
I just don't think, personally, that this exhausts all there is to
know and say.

I think one can be both an existentialist and a logical positivist.
Wittgenstein comes to mind.

On Tue, Jun 7, 2011 at 11:08 AM, Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com> wrote:
> Ayer's statements during his finals days regarding a "near death
> experience" are possibly compromised by the aging process.
>
> Ayer's "Language Truth and Logic" was published in 1946.  I'm not an
> expert on the history of contemporary philosophy, but I recall
> Existentialism and Sartre et. al. being a major focus of interest in
> the 1960s.  Anyone studying Logical Positivism and Existentialism in
> depth at the same time is inviting cognitive dissonance:
> http://www.jstor.org/pss/185565
>  "The two most antagonistic schools in contemporary Western philosophy
> are Existentialism and Logical Positivism.  They have nothing in
> common but the name of philosophy, and even that they deny each
> other."   Philosophy of Science:  Vol. 18, No. 4, Oct., 1951, Walter
> Cerf
>
> I suspect that if Ayer did not find major objections to the
> philosophizing of the "Moscow Metaphysicians" he would assert they
> were not really doing "metaphysics."  How do I know this?  I
> questioned a spirit channeler, who contacted Ayer in the beyond:
> http://www.thespiritchanneler.com/SpiritChanneling.html
> Trust me!
>
> From "spirit channeler" website:
>
> "Our planet is three dimensional and as such it takes a great deal of
> energy in order for information to be received by the person
> channeling it.  The purpose of trans-dimensional channeling is to
> enable communication between deceased loved ones and their families.
> As time evolves spirit channeling is becoming a much loved way of
> receiving validation of an afterlife that many skeptics fail to
> envisage.   The question on everyone’s minds is where are these
> dimensions that we hear so much about?  Each of the three dimensions
> overlap in a parallel manner and rotate in a clockwise motion.  The
> third dimension is where we live, the second dimension is a sanctuary
> for people who have left this life before moving on to the next one
> and the first dimension is where most people call home after this
> life."
> -------------------------
>
> Anyway, I posted that comment on Ayer mostly because of the amazing
> story about Ayer in Washington with the Kennedys; and also to
> highlight the online philosophical/theological offerings from Dr.
> Wildman at Boston University:
>
> http://people.bu.edu/wwildman/WeirdWildWeb/courses/wphil/lectures/wphil_theme21.htm
>
>> "Story about Ayer in Washington, with Kennedys:
>>
>> Invited to lecture at Schlesinger’s house while visiting professor at
>> City College (1961-2), for one of President Kennedy’s series on the
>> social sciences. Though the President couldn’t attend, Robert and
>> other Kennedies there. Ayer summarizes the analytic tradition, gets
>> fairly "silent" reception. Then Eunice Shriver whispers: "Is it
>> possible this man doesn’t believe in God?" Ethel asks Ayer why he
>> didn’t talk about Aquinas, and Ayer replies he doesn’t know much about
>> him. Ethel seems triumphant at this, but Ayer then suggests that she
>> probably hasn’t read much Aquinas either, but rather knows of the
>> neo-Thomist tradition, which he, Ayer, did know something about. They
>> then discuss Maritain, Ethel gets confused at one point, and Robert is
>> heard to say quietly from the back of the room, "Drop it, Ethel."
>> (More, 208-9)."
>> ------------------------------------------
>> Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
>
> On 6/6/11, Joe Campbell <philosopher.joe at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Ayer might not mind after all!
>>
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A._J._Ayer#Near-death_experience
>>
>> Actually, metaphysics had a revival after the days of logical positivism in
>> the 1960-70s. But even the strictest positivist would be fine with most of
>> what counts as metaphysics these days, which is nothing more than the
>> conceptual analysis of various terms used in the sciences: "causation,"
>> "space," "time," "disposition," etc. The Moscow Metaphysicians is just a
>> small group of local professors who are interested in these and other
>> issues. Each meeting centers around a particular paper that one of us is
>> writing.
>>
>> On Sun, Jun 5, 2011 at 12:51 PM, Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> "Moscow Metaphysicians?!"
>>>
>>> A. J. Ayer turns in this grave!
>>>
>>>
>>> http://people.bu.edu/wwildman/WeirdWildWeb/courses/wphil/lectures/wphil_theme21.htm
>>>
>>> Excerpts below from website above, courtesy of Dr. Wesley Wildman (
>>> http://people.bu.edu/wwildman/main_about.html
>>> http://people.bu.edu/wwildman/WeirdWildWeb/index.htm ) at Boston
>>> University:
>>>
>>> "But Ayer and the positivists said that metaphysics was actually
>>> meaningless."
>>> ----------------
>>> "Story about Ayer in Washington, with Kennedys:
>>>
>>> Invited to lecture at Schlesinger’s house while visiting professor at
>>> City College (1961-2), for one of President Kennedy’s series on the
>>> social sciences. Though the President couldn’t attend, Robert and
>>> other Kennedies there. Ayer summarizes the analytic tradition, gets
>>> fairly "silent" reception. Then Eunice Shriver whispers: "Is it
>>> possible this man doesn’t believe in God?" Ethel asks Ayer why he
>>> didn’t talk about Aquinas, and Ayer replies he doesn’t know much about
>>> him. Ethel seems triumphant at this, but Ayer then suggests that she
>>> probably hasn’t read much Aquinas either, but rather knows of the
>>> neo-Thomist tradition, which he, Ayer, did know something about. They
>>> then discuss Maritain, Ethel gets confused at one point, and Robert is
>>> heard to say quietly from the back of the room, "Drop it, Ethel."
>>> (More, 208-9)."
>>> ------------------------------------------
>>> Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
>>>
>>> On 6/3/11, Joe Campbell <philosopher.joe at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> > Psychiana, Moscow's first and only philosophy. Very cool! Unfortunately
>>> I'm
>>> > meeting with the Moscow Metaphysicians that evening.
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > On Jun 3, 2011, at 6:09 PM, Stephanie Kalasz <skalasz at ci.moscow.id.us>
>>> > wrote:
>>> >
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> City of Moscow
>>> >>
>>> >> 206 E Third Street
>>> >>
>>> >> Moscow, ID 83843
>>> >>
>>> >> Contact: Gary J. Riedner, City Supervisor
>>> >>
>>> >> p     |  208-883-7006
>>> >>
>>> >> e     |   griedner at ci.moscow.id.us
>>> >>
>>> >> w    |  www.ci.moscow.id.us
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> PRESS RELEASE
>>> >>
>>> >> History of Psychiana in Moscow Subject of Final Lecture in Series,
>>> Special
>>> >> Guest to Attend
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> June 3, 2011 (Moscow, Idaho) – The final lecture in the series
>>> >> commemorating the 100-Year anniversary of the construction of the
>>> building
>>> >> now known as City Hall, will be held on June 7th at 7 p.m. in City Hall
>>> >> Council Chambers, 206 E. Third Street.  Keith Petersen, State
>>> >> Historian/Associate Director for the Idaho State Historical Society
>>> >> will
>>> >> present, “Psychiana: The world’s largest mail order religion and a
>>> >> small
>>> >> town post office.”
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> Peterson will be discussing the history of Frank Bruce Robinson, a
>>> Moscow
>>> >> resident, who founded Psychiana in the 1930s which went on to become
>>> what
>>> >> is recognized as possibly the world’s largest mail order religion.
>>> >> Additionally, Petersen has arranged for a special guest to join the
>>> >> lecture that evening, Robinson’s son, Alfred Robinson.
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> This lecture is free and open to the public.
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> ###
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> Story Contact: Jen Pfiffner, Assistant to the City Supervisor
>>> >>
>>> >> Phone: 208.883.7123
>>> >>
>>> >> Email: jpfiffner at ci.moscow.id.us
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> The City of Moscow delivers quality municipal services while ensuring
>>> >> responsible use of resources. We anticipate and meet the needs of our
>>> >> diverse population in order to build public trust and enhance a sense
>>> >> of
>>> >> community.
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>>
>>
>