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Black Swan - Taleb (not the ballet movie with Natalie, sorry

Posted: Fri Sep 09, 2011 9:15 am
by misterrosen
In Black Swan, Nassim Nicholas Taleb references Julian Jaynes 'indirectly.

On page 59 (paperback, just above 'Saw Another Red Mini'), he is discussing the notion of 'corroborative evidence'.

He quotes John Updike, and his review of Jaynes 'thesis', (not notably, not the title of the original book).

He uses the critique to demonstrate how we as a culture view corroborative evidence as actual knowledge when in fact such evidence is almost purely nonsensical (in nearly every use).

While the reference is an interesting one, I'm dying to know 'why' Taleb provided SUCH an obscure reference to Jaynes at all? Surely the media is overflowing with logical silliness from which to have extracted such a statement but including people and ideas the public is actually 'aware of'.

My supposition is that Taleb wants us to believe he has read the book, but maybe has not. instead, he thinks he is boosting his perceived 'erudition' by name dropping, (a behavior he mentions in the book).

Whatever his reasoning, it did, for me, lend a deeper air of sophistication to his argument, ( a delusion he ALSO includes discussion of).

I highly recommend his book, in paper or audio(unabridged).

-Terry