Recent content by GrowingSmaller

  1. GrowingSmaller

    Do you think everything can be described mathematically?

    Godel's incompleteness theorem?
  2. GrowingSmaller

    My position on ethics

    OK one issue I have. First off it sounds cool, but as a Muslim I believe that not all are destined to be guided. The cool bit: people being virtuous, sociable, spiritual etc. The uncool bit: the real world where people aren't always like that. As a Muslim my angle is I have a decent community...
  3. GrowingSmaller

    My position on ethics

    Hey thanks for the criticisms. My apologies tho to the OP, tho, i have little skill in critical appraisal of others opinions, but still like to get involved. Hence my post was not a great hook up to the thread.
  4. GrowingSmaller

    My position on ethics

    Utilitarianism is possibly ok in a specific context. Amongst like minded people who follow similar rules. Maybe. Its intuitively ok because it supports - to each in their own private utilitarian dream - a utopian fantasy where all your constructive neurochemical impulses and needs (or...
  5. GrowingSmaller

    Are we ever justified in believing p without sufficient evidence for p?

    So yes we can measure some wood. Any yes people can agree on it. They can use a standard measure and agree it conforms to a certain measured length. It gives the same reading for all measurers. I don't see how that deductively entails anything about a mind independent universe. If there is an...
  6. GrowingSmaller

    Are we ever justified in believing p without sufficient evidence for p?

    Of course, one can use an "objective measure" but its not necessarily true that objective reality exists. Ok its true that its say 1 foot, in imperial measure. And that is the same for everyone, or at least non idealists. And that is called objective. Yes, I get that. But the whole construct of...
  7. GrowingSmaller

    Are we ever justified in believing p without sufficient evidence for p?

    I thought the scientific spirit was: destroy theory if possible? The efforts being on finding limits alongside finding facts? Of course I could just carry on with everyone else and copy. Is that the idea? I'm not directing at you personally. I think alongside empirical limits of a idea...
  8. GrowingSmaller

    Are we ever justified in believing p without sufficient evidence for p?

    Two crystals refract light slightly differently, and two brains view the film differently. Ok, someone may get bored with repeats, whereas a crystal gives the same results... but: Isn't that because the brain changes more than quartz over time? What if a brain scientist could formulate...
  9. GrowingSmaller

    Are we ever justified in believing p without sufficient evidence for p?

    How could a thing be both subjective and objective, at the same time? Well, lets look at idealism. Its possible that the whole world is a picture in my mind, and that's all there is. Now, a language game for an idealist will differ from that of a realist. A realist believes in objectivity...
  10. GrowingSmaller

    Are we ever justified in believing p without sufficient evidence for p?

    This is a random thought. If idealism is logically possible, then "objective" things may not exist. It may not be sensible, but it is a possibility. Therefore, going from definitions to reality, i.e. saying its defined as objective settles the enquiry, has its weaknesses.
  11. GrowingSmaller

    Are we ever justified in believing p without sufficient evidence for p?

    I'm not sure I do. If I were to rate a film for excitement, giving it marks out of ten, and people agreed, wouldn't that indicate we experienced and responded to real and true and relevant properties of the film in the same or similar way? I liked the film, they liked the film, we all found it...