tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005473794963219887.post9076650180245196921..comments2024-03-14T18:56:31.716-05:00Comments on Two Catholic Men and a Blog: The Mother of ALL QuestionsJoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13632007696351816323noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005473794963219887.post-48963997331948258662015-09-08T20:25:27.004-05:002015-09-08T20:25:27.004-05:00Well, let's consider the statement "All c...Well, let's consider the statement "All cows are purple." First, the definition of a cow and the definition of purple need to be clear, then...<br />1. Is there some internal contradiction? Don't see any.<br /><br />2. What public information/evidence can we look at to verify that all cows are purple? That's a tough one.<br /><br />3. Does "purple" best describe all the data we have about the color of cows?<br /><br />No human ways are perfect, but these principles can and should be considered with any kind of base premise.<br /><br />Peace.Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11953563578914140396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005473794963219887.post-29252013348915170702015-09-08T13:32:17.991-05:002015-09-08T13:32:17.991-05:00I don't think there would be a basic principle...I don't think there would be a basic principle of reason to apply; there might be "reasons", but if there is a logical proposition or set of propositions to justify the decision, it would not be such that I would agree with one or more of the premises.<br />My point here, is that you can construct the logical proposition for almost any conclusion; however, to establish the truth of premises is a different matter.<br />eg.<br />1) All cows are purple<br />2) this animal is a cow<br />3) Therefore this animal is purple.<br />duhemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08742949750689428697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005473794963219887.post-6947928869842626232015-09-03T16:24:01.588-05:002015-09-03T16:24:01.588-05:00Agreed that reason alone is not enough for a good ...Agreed that reason alone is not enough for a good relationship with God, but if I were to tell you that the Holy Spirit told me to leave the Catholic Church and establish my own church, what would you say? Should you simply say "The Holy Spirit told me you are wrong" or can you apply a basic principle of reason?Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11953563578914140396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005473794963219887.post-36959000167910215252015-09-03T15:32:45.318-05:002015-09-03T15:32:45.318-05:00Ah, how do we decide? Listen to the Holy Spirit.....Ah, how do we decide? Listen to the Holy Spirit...much better than rationality! Data can be imperfect, and logic can be insufficient or paradoxical. Why is it that so many opposing views are convinced of their correctness on the basis of facts and reason?<br />Strange comment from a quondam physicist, but there it is.<br />And to bolster my critique of pure reason (as opposed to Kant's) read William Poundstone's "Labyrinths of Reason". duhemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08742949750689428697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005473794963219887.post-18566398176090423622015-09-01T20:25:35.662-05:002015-09-01T20:25:35.662-05:00Hi Michael,
How can we know whose brains are washe...Hi Michael,<br />How can we know whose brains are washed?Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11953563578914140396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005473794963219887.post-181481594831840092015-09-01T20:13:42.007-05:002015-09-01T20:13:42.007-05:00Hi Bob, how goes the battle?
I suppose I could hav...Hi Bob, how goes the battle?<br />I suppose I could have titled the post "How do we decide which way to go?", but it doesn't sound as good. Sometimes we need to decide something based on whatever data we have. Of course, if new data comes in, it may take us in another direction as in the case of phlogiston. Does that help at all?Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11953563578914140396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005473794963219887.post-31361849190285546812015-09-01T20:03:54.018-05:002015-09-01T20:03:54.018-05:00for "last principles" please read "...for "last principles" please read "last principle (complete explanation)"....the synapses are getting further and further apart, year by year!duhemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08742949750689428697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005473794963219887.post-68546733752768514062015-09-01T19:42:39.590-05:002015-09-01T19:42:39.590-05:00Fine article, and I learned much. I'm not su...Fine article, and I learned much. I'm not sure how much I would agree with the last principles.<br />Then one or another of the various forms of string theory would be the most acceptable--except they aren't empirically verifiable, even though they do explain. In the past various theories did a fine job of explanation--phlogiston as a theory of heat, ether as a medium for the propagation of electromagnetic waves, but they all fell afoul when some experimental tests were run. I can possibly think of some more examples, given time.<br />Or have I missed the point you were trying to make?duhemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08742949750689428697noreply@blogger.com