childeye 2
Well-Known Member
- Aug 18, 2018
- 5,898
- 3,323
- 67
- Country
- United States
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Married
To declare objectively that an ignorance precedes the knowledge that informs it, is an observable fact. And likewise, a reality exists before a mind can study it or question it or test it scientifically. The horse goes before the cart. Where is the circular argument?That's perfectly circular argument starting with an assumed posit of 'the Truth is already established' and ending up in exactly the same place:
'therefore the Truth is already established, and we just learn it'. Nothing new has been learned there at all.
I am unmoved by the circularity of the argument, therefore: logic cannot establish truths .. only science can do that via its testing.
Actually, this is my viewpoint: Reality is whatever is real and not unreal. This is the base understanding I reason upon to parse semantics. Mind independent reality? I could imagine the sophistry that could be concocted with those three terms.I understand your viewpoint .. its coming from the belief in a mind independent reality, but that contradicts the observations I make which are all consistent with the notion that everyone is using their minds whenever they report their observations. The source of those observations, is only relevant to the belief in the existence of some mind independent reality, which is demonstrably a belief, where 'a belief' (from an operational (objectively) testable viewpoint can be defined as:
Any notion held as being true out of preference, that does not follow from objective tests, and is not beholden to the rules of logic. (Both conditions must be met).
I understand the necessity for accurate numbers working with equations. But for me, it's the simple yes/no to the best of my knowledge.Fyi (an aside): an operational definition of 'knowing' is:
The odds a person would give on being right (like, "95% certain"), where the odds can be deemed as correct, if over many instances, the person making the odds ends up breaking even. (If they tend to not break even, they need to reassess their sense of what they know).
Note this means we would generally never assess our odds as 100% (not if we wish to break even in the long run), so we do not use the notorious standard that to "know" something, it must always end up being 'true'. (Philosophers arrived at "justified true belief" as their attempt at a definition they can use in philosophy, but to me that's a classic example of what they'd like to mean rather than what they really mean-- it's a definition that would force us to either lie to ourselves, or never use the word at all).
So long as it doesn't imply mythical or superstition. To believe/trust in a fact is reasonable.I've attempted to clarify how I'm using the term 'belief' above. (The basics are important, IMHO).
I agree.Of course they don't .. but you do .. and I'd assert that everyone is capable of thinking scientifically .. (especially when one is in a Physical Sciences forum).
I didn't invent them.Ahh .. but protons are .. especially when you believe you are part of their reality too, no(?)
Last edited:
Upvote
0