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Divided responses to the Fort Hood Killings illurate how reality follows perception, and how the United States is hopelessly split. Read More
Philip K. Dick said...
"Reality is that which doesn't stop existing when I stop believing in it."
While I appreciate your point about the division of America into two world-views with little overlap, I'd argue that one of the world-views you outline has basis in "reality" (as defined by Mr. Dick), while the other is based upon religious fantasy and historical ignorance. So yes, I'd agree that we all filter our perceptions through our biases, but not that such a thing as "reality" doesn't then exist–if, in fact, you'd argue such a thing.
Yes but...
An added important fact to this is that most of us THINK we aren't biased. We create our own worlds and then view other's views as stupid, insane or even evil.
A whole host of psychological tendencies pave the way for this thinking. But I think the major one is an ignorance of how beliefs and ideas are socially constructed (and culture at large). It is as if cultural values are treated as "self-evident"; (not created) that sort of legitimacy is hard to shake.
on cleaning our windows
I agree Nathan, but isn't that what makes science fundamentally, radically different from every other way of thinking? The promise of science is that it offers a way to illuminate the dark areas in the shadow of our biases. Science doesn't care who you are or the troubles you've seen. That's its beauty.
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