🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <6201@tuegate.tue.nl> johan@blade.stack.urc.tue.nl (Johan Wevers) writes:
>Cameron Randale Bass writes:
>
>>>> Actually, most core doctrine is taken on faith.  There ain't no
>>>> way to determine the 'truth' of faith.  It's 'true' until the 
>>>> last adherent dies, after which may be debate.
>
>>>You can believe in something that can be proven wrong. What's the point?
>
>> I don't know?  Does there have to be a 'point'?
>
>Yes. If something is proven wrong and you still believe in it you're
>views about the world are inconsistent.

     I don't think you understand.  There may well be a difference
     between 'reality' and 'appearance'.  And, this 'proving wrong'
     is a very tricky business outside of science.

>> You seem to be having difficulties with delineation between
>> science and religion.  Let me help you out, if you're talking about
>> 'gods' your rules for science do not necessarily apply.  Similarly,
>> in science there is no place for unfalsifiable concepts like 'God'.
>
>Hmmm. I conclude from this that your opinion about science is an
>instrumentalistic one: you use it to describe some things you want
>to measure.

     You may *not* conclude that my views are 'instrumentalistic'.
     That does not, however, mean that I only recognize my own view as
     the sole valid viewpoint.

>My view is realistic: I believe that there exists a reality, independant
>wether we know this or not. The main thing QM has to learn us about this
>is that the interaction between observers and the rest of reality is not
>always neglectable.

     So you agree that there exist leprechauns, whether we see them or not?

>Therefore, I believe in only one reality. This reality can be described
>by science. I've never seen any hint that there exists anything more.

     Feel free.  Recognize, however, that there are other, perfectly
     valid, 'realities'.  In fact, every major religion has a different 
     'reality', Machian positivism represents another one.

     You can no more prove them wrong than you can prove you exist.

                            dale bass

-- 
C. R. Bass                                          crb7q@virginia.edu        
Department of Mechanical, 
     Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering
University of Virginia                              (804) 924-7926