Thursday, September 12, 2024

Combat Epistemology

 “(T)wo propagandas, far from canceling each other out because they are contradictory, have a cumulative effect. A boxer, groggy from a left hook, does not return to normal when hit by a right hook; he becomes groggier.” (p. 181) 

 A combat epistemologist does not become groggy from a left hook. A combat epistemologist deliberately wades into a boxing match, ideally provoking both fighters to form a three-way, and punches his way out healthier than when he started. Despite hearing nothing but lies, he walks away with the truth. 

 This is not only feasible, it's not especially difficult, below some threshold of reliability. 

 Only a few edge cases demand especial skill. On the plus side, mastering the edge cases produces a true warfare logician. Logic, wielded properly, is a weapon of mass destruction. Provided anyone is alive enough to listen to logical argument, or healthy enough to confer authority upon truthspeakers.
 The philosopher-king can conquer your country. He can begin preparations whenever he wants. The only thing stopping him is the fact you don't have anything worth the effort. Only an idiot would want to own your country (check: look what they do with it after the conquest...morons...).

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