Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

billd89 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 05, 2022 7:48 pm

In a Psychology class, I was to write a paper on a psychological subject of my choosing.

Of course, the subject I chose was one that NOBODY was dealing with in Psychology (can't remember it now, as it would seem silly to me as I see things now), so I cited BR for his philosophical musing on the subject of psychology in general. The teacher did not like it. "He's not a Psychologist."

What he sez in the interview makes sense. Consider "just the facts" and let them determine the solution, not one's personal wishes that push a preconceived conclusion. Unfortunately, Biblical Critics are full of preconceived conclusions assumed as if actual fact. In argumentation these unstated premises are called enthymemes. They are standard in all rhetoric, and are useful in scoring rhetorical points, just not establishing the likelihood of facts.

The issue of what "is" a fact is not especially well defined by specialists, so the whole critical process become a hopeless feedback loop. Pity ...

DCH