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From the UK, philosopher Jonathan R¨¦e

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1. Trust me, I'm a pessimist

   • Jonathan R¨¦e
   • 13 Oct 06, 02:40 PM

   Do we have a prejudice against good news? Or at least an inclination to put more trust in pessimism than in optimism?

   I suspect we do, and will come back to the point in a later post. But here¡¯s a preliminary concern:

   I¡¯ve never understood what people think they¡¯re doing when they describe themselves as ¡®optimists¡¯ or ¡®pessimists¡¯. Assuming that they¡¯re not engaged in a high metaphysical argument about Leibniz¡¯s Theodicy, all they seem to be saying is that they have a personal disposition to look on the bright or the dark side of things. In which case they are just confessing to a bias and we ought to take heed and avoid relying on their judgments. It¡¯s like someone who says ¡®I always put too much vermouth in the martini¡¯ or ¡®I always overcook the vegetables¡¯: the only sensible response is not to trust them when they offer to mix you a drink or cook you a meal.

   If you say, ¡®I¡¯m an optimist, so I think the problem of climate change is going to solve itself¡¯ then surely you¡¯re undermining your persuasiveness: the fact that you have a sunny personality is not going to help prevent global warming. And equally, if you say ¡®I¡¯m a pessimist, I think we¡¯re all going to fry¡¯, you¡¯re making a bonfire of your credibility once again: you¡¯re implying that you have chosen your analysis not on the basis of evidence or arguments, but simply because you¡¯re an old grump ¨C which could be true, but is hardly relevant.

   But that¡¯s not the only paradox about optimism and pessimism.

   Continue reading "Trust me, I'm a pessimist"

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