Rise of atheism: 100,000 Brits seek 'de-baptism'

[appolose]

The_vagabond7 said:

appolose said:

Sorry about that; I don't mean to sound overly on the offense.

For your first paragraphs;

Yes, I do assume all those things.  I, personally, trust my senses.  But that's just because I do, not that it's a necessity or anything like that.  I never said you couldn't assume, just that it's an assumption on the level of any other assumption. Furthermore, all the consequences you've listed for not assuming empiricism are all derived from empiricism again, which still, even if these consequences are going to happen, has nothing to do with truth or assumption.

For your next paragraphs;

I do agree with you that sensation is an axiom (an unavoidable one at that); the difference here is the judgements  we make from our sensations are not necessary, and not a better idea than anything else.  Furthermore, I still disagree with you on the idea that meaning and sense data are inseperable, as I gave the possibility of there being an outside source that simply drops meanings into your mind.

For your last line; that would be a correct assessment if your position is true. If mine is true (that judgements made on sensory data are not necessary and are avoidable), then that has massive ramifications.

 

Heh, I'm less than eager to post because I don't really want to be in this discussion, but I feel the need to reply to this. The ramifications of your philosophy is just magical thinking where you can claim anything is true regardless of evidence, proof, logic, reason, or anything that we use to define and understand our existence. Which may be a fun thought excercise but has no practical or reasonable value beyond me saying that the universe is made of kittens and then demanding that somebody prove me wrong.

 

Sensory data, empricism and logic have practical and tangible value. We can create a space ship and land on the moon with sensory data. Magical thinking doesn't create anything tangible, it just creates a mind blowing experience for somebody smoking a good joint.

Ah, hi Vagabond :)  The more the merrier (ughghg).

I do not decry logic in any way; it's true and necessary.  But empiricism has no more practical or tangible value than my own philosophy, in that it's practicality is measured only by itself, which would be true of any method of truth.  We landed on the moon, yes, but we know that through empiricism.  Yes, we have sense data.  But I could roll dice and pick a statement and come up with something just as likely as true as empiricism could manage.  Empericism is an assumption, with no assuredly measurable benefits, and to select is to do exactly what I've done; just picked something.  My magical thinking (as it were) is all there is.