1. Why is Frankfurt undertaking to define "bullshit"?

2. What is the essence of bullshit for Frankfurt? How does the term differ from a lie? Why is it
a greater enemy of the truth?
3. What explanation does Frankfurt offer for why there is so much bullshit?
4. Using the concepts you learned about evaluating claims and arguments, assess
Frankfurt's analysis of the meaning of bullshit. Do you agree or disagree? Defend your
answer.

Notes

We have no clear understating of what bs is, why are there so much of it and what function does it
serve. We lack an appreciation to bs and what bs means to us.

Theoretical understanding of bs by providing some tentative and and philosophical analysis.

Give a rough account of bs and what it is not.

The question about bs is unasked and unanswered.

The prevalence of hambug by Max Black

Hambug and bs have no significant difference – just a matter of politeness and status

HUMBUG: deceptive misrepresentation, short of lying, especially by pretentious word or deed, of

somebody's own thoughts, feelings, or attitudes.

Characteristics of humbug

1. Deceptive misrepresentation – deliberate misrepresentation

Intention to deceive

Certain state of mind – intention to deceive

2. Short of lying – has the characteristics of lies but there are others that it lacks, both are modes
of misrepresentation but are different in degrees
3. Especially by pretentious word or deed – category of speech and category of action; may be
done through words or deed

Especially – not an essential characteristic but much humbug is pretentious (mahalaga

kahit hindi)

When bs is pretentious, it is a motive rather than an element of its essence

If a person is behaving pretentiously, it doesn’t mean that his utterance is bs. Rather, it
is the motive or reason behind the utterance.

Bs does not always and necessarily has pretentiousness as its motive.

4. Misrepresentation of somebody’s own thoughts, feelings or attitude

Misrepresenting his own state of mind as well as whatever he is talking about.

Twice deceived
Give a false impression on what is on the speaker’s mind. – main purpose and point of humbug

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Hambug – misrepresentation not of the belief

He does not lie about the fact, but he deceives the audience to think that he is a patriotic, thus it is a
humbug

But it does not adequately grasp the essence of bs.

Wittgenstein motto from Longfellow

Craftsmen did it with care – no bs

Produced in careless and self indulgent matter (me af) – word shit suggests this

Thoughtful attention to detail requires discipline and objectivity

Realm of advertising and public relations

Realm of politics

Unmitigated instances of bs – classic paradigms of the concept

There are also meticulous craftsmen

Bullshitter is trying to get away with something; there is some kind of laxity that cannot be equated to
with carelessness and inattention to detail

Wittgenstein – combatted disruptive forms of nonsense

How do u know the feeling of being run over by a truck

She feels bad, but she had a distinctive kind of feeling of being run over which was bullshit apparently

Wiigenstein found it bs as the statement is not relevant to the truth. Merely making up without regard
of how things are

BEING THOUGHTLESS

Pascal did not try to provide an accurate representation of reality.

Her fault is not that she failed to get things right but rather her lack of trying.

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