tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9046981546393102274.post4744436564627908754..comments2024-03-23T23:04:03.406-04:00Comments on The Fine Line Between Failure and Fallibilism: Brain Like MeatBrandonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06134489219512921970noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9046981546393102274.post-91832424773964581722009-07-03T01:51:30.512-04:002009-07-03T01:51:30.512-04:00Your analysis is symptomatic of what I am talking ...Your analysis is symptomatic of what I am talking about. The essentialization or naturalization of desire, and the sort of covert ontology or metaphysics behind much of positivistic science that conceals its actions as empirical, objective analyses.<br /><br />Not only is it the complex web of power interests in the form of industrial agro-business that use the hyper-reality of commercialization in a post-modern, consumerist world, and the lobbyists that buy political control, it is also the unchecked "rigorous" scientists and doctors in the comfort and safety of the reverent professionalism that helps to propagate, create and extend the "irrefutable" and "objective" nature of human desire, want and need. We are so quick to fall in love with the assumptions of science in our times, but many of our strongest objective foundation of knowledge fall apart as merely pathologies of a time period's prejudices.<br /><br />While your evolutionary perspective may hold some useful truth to it, I think it's an incomplete, limited and dangerously misleading take on the issue of overconsumption of meat and its objective consequences -- alarming levels of obesity and heart disease. Your evolutionary argument would most likely support a solution that pathologizes human nature so the problem and solution is with dealing with the "natural" human desire. The creation of pills, fat therapy and surgery and the propagation of individualized, guilt-ridden dieting. This won't resolve our health problems because the true culprit and the real problem is the system that propagates such behavior. Without adopting an analysis of power into your evolutionary argument, you're doomed to be a theorizing pawn of greater issues at hand.<br /><br />Consider that France and England have been exposed to American consumerist food for roughly the same amount of time. England's obesity rates have sky rocketed while France continues to keep obesity levels relatively low. France and England are not made up of two different species. France has used culture and tradition to, for the time, make a system of consumerism in the realm of food unsustainable. The French have be studied, and their relationship to food is not one of primal need that is uncontrollable and overpowering. France has as much access and wealth to act out their innate, animal "desire" but, granted they do eat meat, fatty and salty foods regularly, they eat far more whole foods, vegetables and fruit than their Anglo brothers, eat them slower, savor them and appreciate smaller portions What does evolution have to say about this? Not much without breaking its theoretical limits.<br /><br />And I do recognize your second point was in part mean to be humorous, to take parts of it seriously it seems that there is nothing special about my nature that has allowed me to resist meat. I'm a glutton as much as the next American. Vegetarianism is inspired by and chosen within the materially real social reality. To try and understand any of my behavior without a deep contextualization that includes histories, narratives, powers, etc. would be a waste of time and a very alienating way to look at another person.Brandonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06134489219512921970noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9046981546393102274.post-32679227164565851402009-07-02T02:10:07.598-04:002009-07-02T02:10:07.598-04:00physiological drive among humans and other omnivor...physiological drive among humans and other omnivorous animals took form in an environment where meat and other nutritionally dense, but fatty foods were scarce. BECAUSE they were scarce, we inherited a stronger desire to pursue meat. Because our ancesters pursued meat thoughtlessly and violently, they recieved extra boosts of fat and nutrition from time to time, and reproduced those characteristics.<br /><br />Now we live in an environment where fats and meats are always available, and we are maladapted to that environment. We are plagued by this persistent need to consume fats and meats, and can do so at our liesure. Vegetarians today, those that can and do resist this inherited tendency may be the better adapted among us. Brandon, it's up to you to have lots of babies and improve the human race. Eugenics. Out-pregnate the meat-eaters. Teach your descendants your ways!Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08831653528967541299noreply@blogger.com