You are viewing the historical archive of The Philosophy Forum.
For current discussions, visit the live forum.
Go to live forum

Agent Smith

Comments

It is impossible to think about nothing; there's nothing to think about! The question "why is there something rather than nothing?" is not something a...
August 29, 2022 at 06:53
What about scientific theories? We can never check for their correspondence to reality as n number of them are consistent with observation and this is...
August 29, 2022 at 06:07
Join the club! :smile: Somehow you don't come across as the type who would succumb to illnesses. Your mind is clear, good recall, well-oriented in tim...
August 29, 2022 at 05:59
:snicker: Think of a universe with only me in it.
August 29, 2022 at 05:47
For "it is raining" (R) to be true, we have to go out and verify or, if you're Sherlock Holmes, you can infer it from wet shoes. The same goes for "it...
August 29, 2022 at 05:41
That's the same problem I face. We're, it seems, in the same boat. Apologies. :smile: Specialized symbols translate into speed & brevity if you're usi...
August 29, 2022 at 05:27
I'm a bit confused right now. The notion of a definition includes a word which can be any damn thing you want (arbitrary) although etymology-based one...
August 29, 2022 at 04:53
Everyone (GP, MC, WG) wants to become rich. The catch is the system that's most conducive to the fulfillment of such aspirations also permits the WG t...
August 29, 2022 at 04:41
The OP is quite clear; if you pick a definition, any definition, of truth, you'll have to explain yourself.
August 29, 2022 at 04:24
Dangerous ideas like this should come with a warning label!
August 29, 2022 at 04:21
I'm most intrigued by the unanswered questions of both how and why the Greeks didn't grab the most obvious low hanging fruits in re morality viz. Kant...
August 29, 2022 at 04:16
What about the coherence theory of truth? 1. If p then q 2. p 3. q 4. If p then ~r 5. ~r 6. q & ~r q and ~r cohere (they're consistent) and so are tru...
August 29, 2022 at 03:45
"Fits" would be the apposite word, not "support". An explanation (how) is the first order of business and only then prediction (why).
August 29, 2022 at 03:31
Yeah, but I was wrong - there's going to be, at a bare minimum, a partial correspondence (it's raining rain OR it's not).
August 29, 2022 at 03:19
The mechanistic worldview is an inevitable consequence of science - just because you're alive, you have feelings, a family who loves you, does gravity...
August 29, 2022 at 03:17
I'm sorry, I don't follow.
August 29, 2022 at 03:00
Ok. I stand corrected. However there's got to be a statement that's true without corresponding to anything, either partially or wholly, oui? I can't t...
August 29, 2022 at 02:58
R = It is raining R v ~ R is true. Does R v ~R correspond to anything? Tautologies like R v ~R are true by force of logic alone, it matters not whethe...
August 29, 2022 at 02:32
Science 1. Explains (causal): The Challenger space shuttle blew up. How (explanation)? 2. Predicts: Such and such will happen and this is why (proof)....
August 29, 2022 at 02:12
Argument form: Tautology (abbrev. Taut) 1. p & p Ergo 2. p --- 1. p v p Ergo 2. p
August 29, 2022 at 01:47
Well, as far as I can tell, what God desires of us is what religious folks would consider our purpose. I just ran with that when I said what we want (...
August 29, 2022 at 01:24
We can only hope that the growth in the ranks of muslims who want to murder Salman will be offset by a similar increase in numbers among his sympathiz...
August 29, 2022 at 01:20
:up:
August 29, 2022 at 01:07
Logic & Epistemology are branches of philosophy along with Metaphysics, Ethics, and Aesthetics. Scientists need to be good at logic and understand the...
August 29, 2022 at 01:05
Events & Objects have beginnings. The marathon began at 6:00 AM, the baby was born at 7:25 PM. Time began at _____. :chin: As you can see a beginning ...
August 29, 2022 at 00:53
Argument form: Constructive dilemma (abbrev. CD) 1. p v q 2. p \to r 3. q \to s Ergo 4. r v s
August 29, 2022 at 00:44
Really interesting stuff! Theater (Greek plays) maybe a more benign way of venting, a safety valve for our bloodust via mock human sacrifice (tragedie...
August 29, 2022 at 00:34
I'm sorry to hear that. I hope Greece isn't damaged beyond repair and also maybe its time to pass on the torch to Europe and the US. Greece takes a we...
August 29, 2022 at 00:27
Interesting points. :up: Maybe... Who you really are = Who you think you are + Who others think you are. Two wrongs don't make a right? :chin: Anyway,...
August 29, 2022 at 00:18
While I sympathize with the anatta (no self) doctrine (Buddhism), I don't quite understand it fully. I read some versions of the argument online but I...
August 29, 2022 at 00:15
:up: Strict blasphemy and apostasy laws - the death penalty (e.g. in Islam) - maybe just a cover for human sacrifice. :scream: Think about that! Vide ...
August 29, 2022 at 00:08
That sounds about right. We do our best in my humble opinion but sometimes ... the best is not enough.
August 28, 2022 at 23:58
You know what, it's not that politicians are not up to the mark; it's that politics (statecraft) is (just too) complex. Would you blame anyone for not...
August 28, 2022 at 17:36
Radix omnium malorum est cupiditas. Sorry folks, it is what it is!
August 28, 2022 at 17:10
:up: Correctamundo! Look forwards and time kinda needs to have a beginning. Look backwards and time with a beginning is ridiculous.
August 28, 2022 at 17:08
Life doesn't suck, people suck! Not that I hold that against people - its just instinct & nature doing their thing. There's ample room for improvement...
August 28, 2022 at 16:53
Government jobs: Make yourself rich by any and all means available, legal and illegal. While you're at it ... can you also please build hospitals, sch...
August 28, 2022 at 16:46
Selfs 1. Who you really are . 2. Who you think you are . 3. Who others think you are .
August 28, 2022 at 15:57
What happened to Greece? It was doing so well - the epicenter of philosophy, culture, art, and so on - and now it's the sick man of Europe. :snicker: ...
August 28, 2022 at 15:45
I don't know what to say except I like spiders. :snicker: Something about them fascinates me to no end. I should've opted for arachnology; oh well, ca...
August 28, 2022 at 13:22
Ok :grin: You see, that's an explanation that needs an explanation in my pathetic universe. Don't worry, I'll work on the gaps in my knowledge, just n...
August 28, 2022 at 13:17
Ok. I don't have the skillset to engage in a worthwhile discussion on this topic. Will heed your advice (for now). --- Can you take a look at a statem...
August 28, 2022 at 12:31
With modern spy satellites its easy peasy to predict war - troop & armor mobilization, a necessity, can be detected months in advance. So, guys & gals...
August 28, 2022 at 12:22
I hope Wayfarer (the OP who some say left TPF for good) is watching this thread. Bon voyage mon ami wherever you are and wherever you're headed!
August 28, 2022 at 12:17
:snicker: Well, to me, modal logic is part and parcel of propositional logic (thank goodness the OP is delimited to that; my predicate logic is rusty)...
August 28, 2022 at 12:05
If there's no causal link between events before a time t0 (the big bang, 13.8 billion years ago) and events after, we could say time began (for us) 13...
August 28, 2022 at 10:50
I thought I saw something ... maybe not.
August 28, 2022 at 10:19
:blush: I don't wanna derail a good thread. Gracias for the explanation. :up: I just looked up natural deduction on Wikipedia & Stanford Encyclopedia ...
August 28, 2022 at 10:13
What is it that you think you're here for? What are you meant to do? What do you want to do with your life? When you answer these questions by yoursel...
August 28, 2022 at 08:31