To choose a single moment of initiation would be reductive. The addition of the metaphysical onto the spiritual was gradual, yet that does not mean th...
Looking at abrahamic religions, it seems that the desire for rationalization grows as religious movements turn from their prophetic and/or tribal orig...
Followup question: are we still a nation anymore? We all know the state is alive and kicking, but when's the last time somebody bothered to check on h...
Roosevelt was the sort of leader needed during the depression because he fostered the ideals of civic nationalism; unlike in certain European nations,...
Is the personalist god really a modern idea? Obviously, polytheistic religions are much more prone to this viewpoint (it's hard to justify multiple on...
I'd like to point out that in general the metaphysical arguments for a deistic god create an entity untouchable by logic and metaphysics as a way to s...
The gradual neural replacement experiment only really works because the physical change is executed in such a way that continuity of consciousness is ...
It only contradicts itself in one unique case, when the objective morality is referring to itself. We could modify the statement to be "Should (object...
Yes, I agree. Therefore, an objective morality must advocate that its existence is just. But I don't see how that proves that the broader, universal c...
I understand that, and I was a bit unclear in my wording. My point was that objective morality, which we presume is true, proves only that the existen...
An Image of Rome by Erich Gruen, 1969. From the library, compiles some great primary sources from ancient prose and poetry Inferno by Dante Alighieri,...
Then isn't your proposition only proving that objective morality itself should exist, i.e. is a moral end? I don't see why it would apply to any other...
But religion isn't a natural condition, nor did it exist "prior to it being taken up by cultures". It is part of our social system, the direct result ...
I don't think there's one "essence" to religion that can. Religion satisfies numerous social needs, which is why it is so pervasive. It bonds and unif...
I agree, and I wasn't clear enough with my wording. I think those are examples of the outliers which don't illustrate society's values as a whole. How...
Yes, it doesn't have to be a good or legal reason. Excluding certain outliers, the overwhelming majority of jobs are necessary to support our current ...
By hardness, do you mean Firmness? Resolve? Constitution? Principle? I certainly think the last three are all admirable qualities, but before you go a...
Given the situation, those notes would be exceedingly poignant regardless if they fail to capture their desperation. The mere act of recording one's f...
I must object to your phrasing. Nearly all work should be considered "real work". Every job that exists exists for a reason: modern society demands it...
Just as religions must conflict if each claims to be the only correct ideology, science and religion must conflict when their domains overlap if eithe...
But wouldn't he still feel as if time passed? He would be able to estimate how much time passed based on his awareness of his own thoughts, creating a...
Sorry then, I misunderstood your previous response (hence the coma digression). Then I guess we reached an impasse. I would argue that in the absence ...
A being surrounded by nothing physical, including its own body (disregarding the science, it's a thought experiment) would still be aware of its own e...
Whether it is possible is beside the point, so long as it's not logically inconsistent. We are imagining something almost identically similar to Avice...
There are probably some things he could conjure a priori, mainly math, some philosophy. Either way, the hypothetical helps us better understand the co...
Great point, you articulated what I couldn't. If something (namely consciousness in a nonphysical form) could exist outside of the 3 dimensions, I do ...
Time is a way of explaining change. If nothing changed, and everything was a static state, it would seem as if no time passed, and the idea of time wo...
The fact that we are thinking and feeling beings means that everything has some sort of meaning, because we associate physical stimuli with our memori...
A few months ago, I explored the possibility of a responsive fundamentally socialist system (prompted by discussions on the Forum). As a thought exper...
Just because one is unable to accomplish certain actions does not mean they lack free will. Free will means that they have the knowing ability to choo...
Which was the sole result of economics. It was profitable, it was immoral, and it was done. This is exactly what would happen without the protection o...
While we can live in smaller communities (which tend to have their own, if small, form of government), the fact that the state persists throughout his...
Just because some governments fail (and actively hurt their people), that doesn't mean government in general won't work. That situation wasn't caused ...
Amazingly put. This is a neat balance between existentialism and determinism. The first, most basic responsibility is that of the self. Not for its pr...
It certainly depends upon the extent to which one believes that personality and dispositions affect our actions. And if I am reading this correctly, i...
Well, value is an inherently subjective thing, so is it an objective fact that something is valuable? No, but it is a fact that it is valuable to us, ...
So long as it doesn't contradict itself, logic, or science, the aesthetics really don't matter, though some assumptions would certainly be more likely...
Why should we reject the first god you proposed but accept the second? You say that it is irrational or illogical, but provide no evidence for that cl...
And even so, does it matter if the subject in question has certain values at all? If we accept the principles mentioned, it seems that the newborn can...
Exactly. Even if we disregard the truth of our beliefs, it is clear that science is far more likely to survive from a rational perspective. Science ac...
It seems any explanation for a fundamental statement on which everything relies would fail to be complete. If one uses God or the Big Bang or any othe...
Hah! No, I don't do that. I love reading and discovering new topics. Diving deep into a new subject gives an amazing feeling of wonder and eventually ...
While I am slightly inclined to disagree with your premise, that is a very good point. Suppose it is the case that all our decisions stem from uncontr...
That is an interesting way of thinking about it! And because the speaker and the listener both benefit from free speech, they both have a responsibili...
I think creativesoul is including the justification for belief in the truth statement. The belief qualifies as knowledge if both the justification and...
Comments