Jamesian Philosophy Refreshed

For no very compelling reason I'm thinking today of a particular episode of South Park. The episode I have in mind is one in which a Mormon family moves to the neighborhood. Its son (Gary) starts attending school with Kyle, Stan, etc. The central story line involves Stan and more broadly the Marsh family, the disruption of its habits by the new family in town, and eventually the resumption of normal by the Marsh's as Stan persuades his father that the Mormon story of how their church got its start is nonsensical. It is possible that the recent unexpected re-appearance of Mitt Romney in our national politics had something to do with turning my thoughts thus.  But the story gives Gary the last word. Or, almost the last word. Actually, it's Cartman who gets the very last word. After Gary directs an angry monologue at Stan and walks away, Cartman says, "Man, that kid is cool, huh?" What Gary was saying was that Stan had rejected his friendship because Stan ...

A dialogue. MYSTIC: I know there is a God. I have attained cosmic consciousness and have touched His face. ATHEIST: There are lots of problems with that, but I'll start with this -- the rest of us have no way of knowing that you aren't lying. MYSTIC: I don't care, dude. EPISTEMOLOGIST: But I care. If only a small portion of the human race has mystical experiences, and if they are locked up, so to speak, inside the consciousness of each one, then do they inform the rest of us at all? ATHEIST: That's what I said. EPISTEMOLOGIST: I heard you. BUT ... since our friend has gone off into his reveries and only you and I can talk.... MYSTIC:  Om mani padme hummmmmmm EPISTEMOLOGIST: I'd like to point out that there is another side to this.  The point in favor of an argument from mysticism to the existence of a God is that it IS an argument from experience. It is possible that some of them are lying, but it seems unlikely that all of them are lying. And if a...