Re:What concept would improve everybody's cognitive toolkit?...
by Zeebrommer on Wednesday April 08, 2020 @02:53AM
(#22810619)
'lie' is too strong a word perhaps, but 'story', in the sense that Harari uses it in Sapiens, is exactly what it is. A fiction, but not less real.
Re:What concept would improve everybody's cognitive toolkit?...
by antonvs on Thursday April 09, 2020 @12:33AM
(#22819805)
That's a rather broad use of the word "fiction." It ends up classifying e.g. "Harry Potter" as having the same ontological status as "justice," which seems of dubious utility except possibly as a bit of hyperbole to sell books or blow people's minds at Ted talks.
It creates false equivalences, blurs important distinctions, and doesn't help people understand the nature of these concepts - rather, it obscures that nature.
That's very naively materialist. Once you notice that, it becomes clear that the concepts mentioned are not "lies".
The passage may be trying to say something serious about those concepts not being universal, objective ones, but if it's intending to make a serious point it misses the mark.
But then again, it may not be intended to be taken seriously at all. Perhaps Pratchett assumed the weaknesses in this position would be obvious.
> Likewise, paper money
If someone writes an IOU to you, is that a lie? How about a check?