Re: SF moment

In article <6mm7025sfv6hebh8g2sitvb60vbunajf0d@xxxxxxx>, r.rice@xxxxxxxxxxx
says...

On 27 Feb 2006 12:55:24 -0800, John Schilling <schillin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

And on the subject of magical thinking, I have noticed that most every
advertisement for birth control pills, patches, implants, or whatever,
now has to include a disclaimer to the effect, "does not protect against
sexually transmitted diseases". Which nobody could ever expect them to
have done, except by classic symbolic-magic thinking. Sigh.

Umm... they have to say that, because condoms do protect against
sexually transmitted diseases. And there is a certain logic to
"protects against pregnancy = protects against STDs".

No, there isn't. That's the point. There is a common pattern of
thinking that leads to that conclusion, which is sometimes mistaken
for logic, but is not logic.

In this case, the same logical fallacy behind sympathetic magic:
"X is like Y, therefore that which affects X thusly will also affect
Y thusly." And, as with the most convincing sorts of magic, it works
from both ends.

"Unplanned pregnancies, being an undesirable consequence of sex, are
like AIDS, another undesirable consequence of sex. Therefore that
which prevents unplanned pregnancy will also prevent AIDS."

and

"The Pill, being a birth control technology, is like the condom, another
birth control technology. Therefore, since the condom prevents aids, the
Pill will also prevent AIDS."

Neither of these are logic. Mistaking them for logic, means tossing a
few thousand years of human intellectual development in the trashcan,
and possibly getting yourself killed. On my more curmudgeonly days,
I'm annoyed by the effort devoted to forestalling the "fool gets killed"
part.


--
*John Schilling * "Anything worth doing, *
*Member:AIAA,NRA,ACLU,SAS,LP * is worth doing for money" *
*Chief Scientist & General Partner * -13th Rule of Acquisition *
*White Elephant Research, LLC * "There is no substitute *
*schillin@xxxxxxxxxxxxx * for success" *
*661-951-9107 or 661-275-6795 * -58th Rule of Acquisition *

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: SF moment
    ... "protects against pregnancy = protects against STDs". ... which prevents unplanned pregnancy will also prevent AIDS." ... "The Pill, being a birth control technology, is like the condom, another ... Pill will also prevent AIDS." ...
    (rec.arts.sf.written)
  • =?UTF-8?B?V0hBVOKAmVMgTkVXICAgUm9iZXJ0IEwuIFBhcmsgICBGcmlkYXksICA=?= =?UTF-8?B?MSBBdWcgMDggI
    ... THE POPE VERSUS THE PILL: "HUMANAE VITAE" AT FORTY. ... of Pope Paul VI banning artificial birth control. ...
    (sci.physics)
  • Re: Goodbye
    ... must sell it (or have a clerk sell it to her). ... As far as sex is concerned, ... closer to home if that one doesn't stock the pill. ... You can't possibly believe that any birth control or birth control ...
    (soc.culture.jewish.moderated)
  • Re: "The Vindication of Humanae Vitae"
    ... chemical methods of birth control (the new pill) which, ... 'rhythm method' was OK and that 'artificial' methods were wrong. ... the Church ever *confirmed* or assented to that interpretation. ...
    (soc.men)