https://ethw.org/Histelcon ; http://www.ivorcatt.co.uk/x857.htm

24.1.2021 Afterthought. I now realise that we could further modify the knowingly question. A long time ago it was alleged that cattq was a “wrong question”. I think we can dismiss that option. However, we could add a fourth comment to the possible replies to the knowingly question; “Yes”, “No”, “refusal to reply”, “misleading question”. I suggest this as a good, fourth option for a beleaguered instrumentalist – Howie, Josephson, Davies, Palmer.

The breakthrough Popper should have made when attacking instrumentalism http://www.ivorcatt.co.uk/x231.pdf , which today controls “science”; the bogus oxymoronic “philosophy”, instrumentalism; “the truth that there are no truths”, should have been to ask; “If there are no truths, are there lies?” As I typed this, I first mistyped; “If there are no truths, are there liars?

Tony

Dear Tony,

Ten hours ago you received the question from me. I wrote;

" Anyway, this is shadow boxing. My important question for you, which I repeat, is; "Should you lie to students in order to help an electrician to wire up a house?"

Thank goodness you have not answered yet. The correct question includes'; "knowingly".

"Should you knowingly lie to students in order to help an electrician to wire up a house?"

I realised the omission, so I got up at 2am to put the omission right. Fortunately you have not answered yet.

Only this morning do I realise that this dialogue bears directly on what happened between me, you and Hsue.

If you understand what is at stake, you will still refuse to answer the question;

"Should you knowingly lie to students in order to help an electrician to wire up a house?"

"Should you knowingly lie to students in order to help an electrician to wire up a house?"

There is much at stake.

Ivor

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The key point is that it is more difficult for an expert to teach a subject, because he knows that what he has to teach is to get his students through their exams, not to increase the expertise of his students.

When I was a lecturer, the head of my department, John Lythgoe, worked for a year to get me fired, and failed. I felt that, with wife and four kids to finance, I was entitled to lie to my students so they could score the top marks. (In our interview when Lythgoe asked me to resign, he told me I was incompetent in all of my duties, but in particular I could not teach. I looked across in astonishment at my book on his shelves. http://www.ivorcatt.co.uk/x488.pdf My co-author, Dr. David Walton, also then a teacher, thought I was immoral to lie to students. But he only had one child. I had been fired repeatedly, but he may never have been fired, even though he was very expert, but also honest. He became a clergyman later.)

Ivor Catt 23.1.2021

A real expert can only get you through exams if he is dishonest.

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Later on 23.1.2021

To the question; "Should you knowingly lie to students in order to help an electrician to wire up a house?"

There is much at stake.

You, Tony, have shown us that there are three, not two, possible answers. We now add to the two known answers; “Yes”, “No”, your third answer; “I refuse to answer.” This is the reply for an instrumentalist like you. You have not done so in a mere four words, but obfuscated with 796 words. So the dishonest answer is camouflaged, even perhaps from yourself. Instrumentalists can never have thought through their position.

http://www.ivorcatt.co.uk/tony11.htm Yes or No?

You are making a very valuable contribution to the Philosophy of Science. Palmer lectures on it in Oxford, and should be very interested. I will add his comment here; ……….

This (tony.htm) was again sent to Palmer on 16.9.2024. Still no comment?

Sent to Davies on 16.9.2024. Comment please. – Ivor Catt

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http://www.ivorcatt.co.uk/x8cktony.htm /