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Part 1 can be found here. Part 2 can be found here. The final post in regards to this topic. I hope you have enjoyed it and I hope it was successful in answering the big question; are the general sciences truly more valid than Ufology? Feel free to leave comments or shoot me a message.  The Lunatic Fringe and Why It Matters...
We need to question the ideological motivations that push science to dismiss the UFO/UAP phenomenon as a whole. Good ufologists worth their salt do not “cry aliens” when a well documented/credible UFO sighting occurs. Rather, they cry “what the hell was that, we probably should look into it…” It is interesting that the same cry was the basis for the birth of the general sciences. People witness an event and say something to the effect of, “what the hell was that, we probably should look into it…”. We learned that lightning wasn’t an angry god, but rather a natural electrostatic discharge. We learned that the stars weren’t angels, but massive balls of burning hydrogen held together by gravity. We see something, and we want to figure out what it is.
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For Part 1, please click here. In Part 1, I hoped to establish the basic question that needs to be answered; are the ideologies that surround the general sciences more valuable than the ideologies that surround Ufology?  The "Catch 22" and Ideological Hubris
In order to arrive at an answer, we need to establish what “Ideology” is. Ideology is separate from objective “base reality”. Mother nature, the universe, base reality, whatever you wish to call it, does not function upon ideologies. Humans form ideologies to make mother nature, the universe, and base reality livable, to make it understandable to our limited minds. We must be clear here; we do not purposefully and willfully create ideologies- they simply happen without our control. Similar to the heart, one do not consciously force it to beat, it simply does so as a condition of its existence within the human body. Similar to the formation of human social ideologies, we do not force them to occur, they simply do as a condition of our consciousness and existence. Ideologies shift, develop, and change based upon human choices and experience. Humans are social creatures, so arbitrary rules and constructs have settled into our social world to ensure life isn’t chaotic. This is generally a good thing; humans need these mechanisms in order to survive in groups, otherwise, we tend to murder each other. It stands to reason then that when we try to expand our knowledge, our understanding, and to progress forward, we do so ideologically. Science moves along with society and society moves along with science. Ufology moves along with society and, one could argue that, society does move along with Ufology. In this three part series, I hope to establish a justification for Ufology to be accepted by the mechanisms that govern the general sciences, and the scientists who work under that mechanism. This needs to be approached with an open mind, but I hope the logic and rationality of my arguments stand up to potential critique. If you do wish to engage in a discussion concerning this three part series, please comment below or send me an e-mail.  Part 1 - The Ideological Construct that Governs Human Endeavours.
Ufology, like every other field of study, including the general sciences, is significantly governed by social ideological constructs. All human endeavour, whether it be historical, artistic, or scientific exists within the frame of human experience and society. No field of study operates in a vacuum, separate of our current cultural zeitgeist; nothing humans do is independant of our social world, as we are trapped in it. There is no place in which one can stand “outside” of the given social, cultural and experiential reality we dwell in. Therefore, the sciences are governed by the same ideologies as Ufology.  The Alien Cosmic Expo, Canada’s largest UFO convention, is fast approaching. At the end of June, we have an “expert” panel prepared to discuss the reality of ET visitation to Earth citing Canadian government documents and cases which allegedly “prove” UFO activity. It is being touted as Canada’s first public hearing on UFOs.
Not to generalize, but Canadians are a little more reasonable in their perceptions regarding the UFO phenomenon. To paraphrase and adapt what Dr. David Clarke said about British Ufology in his recent book, How UFOs Conquered the World, Canadians are very similar to their English cousins- we are generally a little more level headed about this sort of thing. I am excited to see that Canada is finally getting some modern and much deserved attention in the UFO field. We don’t shy away from this sort of thing, but we don’t necessarily draw attention to it either. The Expo’s Public Hearing on ET Disclosure will be interesting. As I discussed in my last post, I did have a few concerns and questions for the panel and the organizers. Unfortunetly, no one from that group responded to my call for clarity. That being said, I am still hoping that this expert panel provides some compelling evidence, and that the panel of skeptics are able to “hold their own” in a harsh slanted climate. I hope the discourse is intelligent and the debate is fair. Chris Rutkowski, Canada’s foremost expert on the UFO phenomena, recently released an excellent article on his blog, Ufology Research. Interestingly, to the more advanced reader, it includes some of the government documents and cases cited on one of the hearing’s organizers website as evidence to be heard during the hearing. It also presents a lot of additional information that potentially explains what these events may have been, as well as a few “Unknowns” which, after solid research, still baffle him, other Ufologists, and yours truly. The article’s focus is on the best documented cases of UFO crashes in Canada, and can be found by clicking here. It is a solid well researched read, and I would implore you to check it out, especially if you plan on heading to this Hearing on ET Disclosure. It may provide a solid base of data and background knowledge before you enter the inner sanctum of the Disclosure movement. |
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