Turquoise wrote:
Spark wrote:
But how can evolution and creationism co-exist? Enlighten me.
Intelligent design can incorporate God creating the world's life through evolution. Essentially, a Christian can believe that the evolutionary process itself was started by God.
I don't personally believe that, but it's a very valid possibility.
That is not what I.D. theory is.
Scorpion0x17 wrote:
twiistaaa wrote:
your using the word faith as if it is something that is needed to connect the dots.
if a detective has two clues he doesn't need to see every process and step involved in the crime. the clues give the answer themselves. he doesn't say its faith, he says its common sense or intuition.
the clues being fossils and diversity of individual species in different environments (Galapagos islands for instance), common sense tells us that yes they adapted and evolved. it has nothing to do with faith.
Ah, but it does. One still has to have faith in either ones intuitive powers or in ones chosen deductive methodology to deliver one to the correct conclusion.
Ah, but it does NOT! It is not faith - it is "Sesame street" logic; that is the basis for all thought. "One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just doesn't belong, can you tell which thing is not like the other, before my song is done … and now my song is done."
Pattern recognition is the basis for almost all thought. This applies to almost all matters concerning thought. We arrive at specific conclusions based upon a patterns we observe; we arrive at conclusions based upon generalizations by induction (Bertrand Russell basically got it right, and stated all knowledge is obtained this way. There is not another way, in nature, and your brain as a naturally evolved pattern recognition device is proof of it). You learn procedural knowledge (deductive methodology, language, mathematics, etc) the same way as you do anything else (simple recognition of someone's face you remember meeting once before). It is all pattern recognition (experiencing patterns in some form or another and continually building upon them; it is also the basis for neural-nets and A.I.). Just because you are not self-aware, of the underling process does not mean it is not there.
Scorpion0x17 wrote:
Objective reality. Subjective reality. Consensus reality. 3 realities. All real. All different.
1.) Objective reality is the totality of reality you are not ever really experiencing - how the hell can you - with a limited human mind? You aren't - and it seems to me you can't (though I don't know what the limit is; to understanding or science). So you don't even know what the real is - in totality... "Reality external of your mind" - seems, to me, a more appropriate approximation; as a short statement. Real but what is the totality of it? This is the indefinite - we hold in mind.
(Objective reality) "Objective" in this sense implies - is an attempt to infer the details of the "real" - free from sentimental attachments; like "faith" - that cloud our ability to understand natural (real) phenomenon. Objective reality can be an operational definition for: explanation of parts of the "totality" of the "Reality external of your mind," (or objective observations of that).
This is real even if we cannot define the totality (we are only defining part of it; observing part of it).2.) Subjective Reality - is purely in-mind, it is not the real (external of your mind) - your mixing shades of meaning like "fork" was/or does. The process of thinking is a "real" thing. Making value judgments are subjective determinations; creating models (or paradigms; abstractions) to aid in understanding (the objective observations of) the "real external of your mind" involve subjective thought as well. But they are "real" only in the sense (context) that they are a process: called thinking or thought (as mind is brain; and that is nature as well) - they are not "reality" or more appropriately "the totality of reality external of your mind."
It doesn't make any sense to call anything subjective "reality" - or that it is real. The thinking process is real (mind existing as "brain" is real). The "Subjective Reality" can often be easily shown to be so disconnected from the "reality external of your mind" - and that it is not real - or rather it is not anything like the reality external of your mind. Or, even when considering a paradigm of the Universe - "relativity" contains unreal subjective ideas.
Lets consider something that almost appears objective.
The fabric of: Space-time.
and: Time itself.
These are purely subjective - there is no evidence period for either; there is no direct evidence. It is only inferred subjectively (as in-mind creations) as a way of understanding phenomenon. It is a paradigm. Space-time, and Einstein's reaction to the error of Classical Physics - the notion of Absolute time - is based upon this simple idea: how can the speed of light in a vacuum (as observed) be a constant? How does it have a constant speed and not a relative speed (light + the speed of the object emitting light). For all objects (matter) even in Classical Physics, it is correct to say speed is relative to something else (it is measured against something). You on a train going 100kph, you throw a ball at 50kph, the ball is moving 150kph to an observer off the train, and 50kph relative to you. The same should be consistent for everything if the paradigm is true - yet it isn't for light (nor for gravity).
If absolute time were true - the observations of it is false. But how can these detailed observations (light in the so-called field of time:
t - in an equation; or measurement) be false over and over and over - every time? Something has to give way. It is the notion of absolute time. But how do you explain the revelation? By creating a model (a paradigm) that can predict the behavior observed. So now the observations match the subjective (the model; the paradigm). In classical physics the observations did not match the subjective; the model (they were different; and not-precise for large scale observations; for both light, and the effects of gravity - or ultimately energy). In dispelling, and rejecting these (2) notions: that light like a wave, must be moving in a medium "ether"; and that time is absolute, strangely enough, Einstein has replaced those hypothetical(s) with (2) more subjective hypothetical(s).
The medium (fabric) of Space-time & time itself. Space-time curvatures are products of mind – they might easily simply not exist; and there is no real direct evidence for either. Time dilation has been measured, and the effects of gravity are predicted; but this is proof of the rationale of the paradigm; not the existence of it. In quantum physics we know that in measuring energy we must use energy to observe energy; this obviously affects the state of it. The same is true for the rate of change (the changing state of it). And this ultimately is what "
time" is: a rate change. It is not a thing in-itself.
Time does not even appear to be component of reality (IMO). It is part of the paradigm not found in nature. There is no instant in time; there is no time particle; there is no such thing as an interval of time that really isn't in fact a subjective comparison of subjective time-frames based upon an arbitrary unit of measure (for comparison). It is a subjective creation of mind. We want to measure (t: time; as) change - so that we can predict it. Nature does not infer it, t: time, we do.
Time is more properly described as a rate of change relative to an arbitrary standard of measure. The rate of change; or energy wave oscillations being compressed in the direction they are moving; will cause the measure of it (t: time; the rate of change - changes; it compresses) to appear less, but this doesn't mean that time is a real thing; not at all. As we know energy affects energy and the rate of change or oscillations of the wave thereof. Since energy (real) is the opposite of the unreal (nothing; nothingness; void; etc); nothing is the un-limiting component and energy therefore is effected only by other energy or itself.
If Space is a fabric that can be bent; it implies a reality to it. But what is that reality going to be tied to? Energy or the absence of it? It doesn't make any sense to consider space as a fabric without there being an energy component to it! Everything considered real is limited by there being an energy there to give it a "reality," else it is not. This is where the, even more subjective, hypothetical(s) of String theory P-branes comes in, they use the undetectable idea (indirectly inferred idea) of Space-time fabric, and give an Energy component to it (as a giant stretched out string); then tie the other strings to it (as those energies now have an energy component to react with and to).
But there is no reality to time.
And Space as a bendable fabric implies an energy component that is utterly un-detected, and appears to be undetectable. Being real is not implied. The validity of it being a model of prediction: predictability (a paradigm) in science – is accepted; irregardless of it being purely subjective or not.
There is no reality to your "subjective reality" and it is not real, and it is only considered valid if it can help predict the real, or help explain observations of the "reality that is external of your
*mind."
3.) Consensus Reality, what the heck is this? Is this a weak stab - at the Global Warming Consensus? Or just a subjective creation of your mind? Let us assume, for a moment that String-theory is correct, it is subjective model/paradigm, yet let us assume it is real & correct. It is a model that matches reality and that space-time is a P-brane! How many people do you think actually understand this reality, could understand it - right now – in the world? A thousand out of 6-7 billion? There is no consensus on the "reality external of your mind" as a statistical measure. Nor is there agreement in the world as to what the totality of reality is. So you must be inferring either mob-mentality agreement, or a scientific-community consensus of opinion as to the validity of a paradigm.
Either way I don't see it as being a "reality," and don't see any validity in comparison.
Reality is the totality of it - external of your
*mind.
*(<--- I am inferring in-mind subjective thoughts).Subjective reality.
Consensus reality.
1 reality.
1 is real.
2 are, more or less, the same (they are in-mind abstractions).
The last two are both actually the same; they are both subjective.
________
And the comparsion issue-error (the object of this thread), is the same, as shades of meaning - indicated by the word "belief," they are not the same meaning - when (or how they are) used. I don't even need the word "know" or "knowing." "Belief" will do fine as to illustrate the difference in knowing something and not-knowing something. One use is not the same as the other. As a meaning indicated by their use - they are not interchangeable; or often they simply should not be liken to; nor compared.
It is a sliding scale:
Not-knowing-------------------------[true/false]-------------------------Absolute Knowing.
Pure Faith----------------------------[true/false]-------------------------Knowing for certain.
True------------------------------------------------------------------------False.
False-----------------------------------------------------------------------True.
No one knows for certain, the totality of reality; it would be absurd to suggest: I am in possesion of "Absolute Knowing". But many things are not that "fuzzy" or indicative of not being closer to the absolute side; then the other side; simply not knowing.
Examples of knowing.
(a) We know reality at a minimum: is. Even if you say "Reality is an Illusion, or the Dream of God" - you are still implying that it is "something." So this is near absolute knowing to say "I am," what I am is a different animal.
(b) It is near absolute knowing to say: "I believe that, on this Earth, a ball will fall to the ground, if I let go of it."
(c) It is near absolute knowing to say: "I believe that the sun will rise in the East tomorrow, based upon past recollections of the event (pattern recognition), barring a cataclysmic event."
In the JTB : Platonic idea of knowledge, a belief is justified if it is true. But some things cannot be determined to be true or not. So how can they ever fall into the category of being justified; and if not can they even be called knowledge? As an idea this does not go very far nor is it very useful (as practical knowledge).
Examples of pure-faith (not knowing; not practical knowledge).
(a) It is near the not knowing end of the spectrum to say: "I believe in the God Thor and that he is."
(b) It is near the not knowing end of the spectrum to say: "I believe that UFOs have visited Earth, because I believe there should be other life out there."
(c) It is near the not knowing end of the spectrum to say: "I believe that babies are delivered by a stork, because my daddy told me so."
(d) It is near the not knowing end of the spectrum to say: "I believe crystals can help heal disease."
(e) It is near the not knowing end of the spectrum to say: "I believe disease is caused by demonic spirits."
(f) It is near the not knowing end of the spectrum to say: "I believe that my car is in the parking lot, where I left it." (This one is telling: it seems justified, it is based upon solid reasoning - even knowledge; correct recollection; yet it can be false - if your car is stolen).
The last example is the illustration of the problem, and why even solid reasoning can be un-justified if it is not properly qualified; it is the "if" problem. "If my car were not stolen" would make the "belief" justified. Is anyone theologically willing to justify there beliefs – by qualifying them properly? Are you prepared to accept you are not in absolute possession of the truth? Will you say agnostically that my God (or God in general) is an if-God? I don't see that (alteration; qualification of religious belief/faith) happening in the world - any time soon (or ever).
Science (empirical philosophy, natural philosophy, etc & whatever) is not trying to claim absolute knowing - but realistically as practical knowledge - it is far closer to knowing and being true; than it is not-knowing or opinions derived of; or at; in pure-faith. In each example of knowing, we can ascertain that they are basically
true as well. In the examples of not-knowing, there is no-evidence to suggest they are true, and in some cases knowing the reality of it (truth of the car: or disease causes) invalidates the belief. But are they ever comparable as being justified, if they lack reason and or proof (or worse - they are contradicted by proof otherwise)?
Conceptually you cannot compare the different uses of the word: and then say all "faith/belief" is one and the same - they aren't (and do not get hung on a word; they are concepts: faith & the scientific method, they are different; they are not the same ideas).
My final thought, is the same as it was - or more or less - always has been:
topal63 wrote:
weamo8 wrote:
It seems to me that different people just interpret different information in different ways.
Here is another interpretation (I already posted in this thread):
"This is a personal problem, or a theological problem, or an inertia problem for institutions & traditions, that requires adaption to change. The transcendent worldview is not-invalid...
but it is up to those practitioners of a "faith", or you, to figure out how to adapt your worldview to the increases in understanding gained by the scientific method. It is a boon; a gift."If God created everthing then the scientific method is tied to that same creation; in my view; if there is a God; the gift of the method is something pointless to rail against.
Last edited by topal63 (2007-04-19 08:40:01)