Jacob Howland

The rabbis, there's a great book called Rational Rabbis by a guy named Menachem Fisch. And believe it or not, he talks about the rabbis of the Talmud. The first 40 pages is about Karl Popper's theory of falsification in science, which is a great, humble theory, right? It's that we can't prove laws like the law of gravity. We can only falsify them.

We can conduct experiments that if they turn out a certain way, will falsify the formulation of the law of gravity.

We can conduct experiments that if they turn out a certain way, will falsify the formulation of the law of gravity.

We can conduct experiments that if they turn out a certain way, will falsify the formulation of the law of gravity.

Right. So then this guy argues that the rabbis are rational, and they are in a sense, they're playing the Socratic game of rationality within the horizon of revelation. So they start with the Torah.

Right. So then this guy argues that the rabbis are rational, and they are in a sense, they're playing the Socratic game of rationality within the horizon of revelation. So they start with the Torah.

Right. So then this guy argues that the rabbis are rational, and they are in a sense, they're playing the Socratic game of rationality within the horizon of revelation. So they start with the Torah.

Well, look, what you just said is very rich and I think very attractive and interesting. So let me start with a question, I guess. Doesn't this all mean then that – We have to find the proper aim. And if we find the proper aim, then our questions are going to be helpful and productive to us as human beings. So let's go back to the very first commandment.

Well, look, what you just said is very rich and I think very attractive and interesting. So let me start with a question, I guess. Doesn't this all mean then that – We have to find the proper aim. And if we find the proper aim, then our questions are going to be helpful and productive to us as human beings. So let's go back to the very first commandment.

Well, look, what you just said is very rich and I think very attractive and interesting. So let me start with a question, I guess. Doesn't this all mean then that – We have to find the proper aim. And if we find the proper aim, then our questions are going to be helpful and productive to us as human beings. So let's go back to the very first commandment.

Yeah, right. Well, that's a great story too, because if you read it carefully, they say, let's bake bricks. So they bake the bricks. And that's fascinating because they break it out of adamah, which is the soil that man is made out of, adam, et cetera. And then they say, let's make a tower. Now, this may be over-interpreting, but first we'll develop the bricks.

Yeah, right. Well, that's a great story too, because if you read it carefully, they say, let's bake bricks. So they bake the bricks. And that's fascinating because they break it out of adamah, which is the soil that man is made out of, adam, et cetera. And then they say, let's make a tower. Now, this may be over-interpreting, but first we'll develop the bricks.

Yeah, right. Well, that's a great story too, because if you read it carefully, they say, let's bake bricks. So they bake the bricks. And that's fascinating because they break it out of adamah, which is the soil that man is made out of, adam, et cetera. And then they say, let's make a tower. Now, this may be over-interpreting, but first we'll develop the bricks.

And then we'll figure out what to do with them. Like the technological thing comes before. It actually reminds me of like the CIA discovers LSD. I mean, they don't discover it, but they're like, we got LSD. So now their question is, what can we do with it? There's a book about this. And so they say, well, is it a truth serum? So they give LSD to this CIA guy. No, it's not, you know.

And then we'll figure out what to do with them. Like the technological thing comes before. It actually reminds me of like the CIA discovers LSD. I mean, they don't discover it, but they're like, we got LSD. So now their question is, what can we do with it? There's a book about this. And so they say, well, is it a truth serum? So they give LSD to this CIA guy. No, it's not, you know.

And then we'll figure out what to do with them. Like the technological thing comes before. It actually reminds me of like the CIA discovers LSD. I mean, they don't discover it, but they're like, we got LSD. So now their question is, what can we do with it? There's a book about this. And so they say, well, is it a truth serum? So they give LSD to this CIA guy. No, it's not, you know.

Well, maybe it's an anti-truth serum. We give it to our agents if they're caught and stuff like that. No, it's not. But this kind of reasoning, right? Like, this is potent stuff. This is super potent stuff. What can we do with it, right? But anyway, you're absolutely right about the misaligned aim.

Well, maybe it's an anti-truth serum. We give it to our agents if they're caught and stuff like that. No, it's not. But this kind of reasoning, right? Like, this is potent stuff. This is super potent stuff. What can we do with it, right? But anyway, you're absolutely right about the misaligned aim.

Well, maybe it's an anti-truth serum. We give it to our agents if they're caught and stuff like that. No, it's not. But this kind of reasoning, right? Like, this is potent stuff. This is super potent stuff. What can we do with it, right? But anyway, you're absolutely right about the misaligned aim.

Well, that's true. Right.