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Metaphysician Undercover

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Yeah, just like a watch is a natural occurrence. You know, the principles employed by modern scientists tend to break down the division between artifi...
October 12, 2019 at 12:27
Who else would make a universe?
October 12, 2019 at 11:52
Try looking at it this way fishfry. There is a difference between what a symbol "means" (as said in your fist paragraph above), and what a symbol "ref...
October 12, 2019 at 11:51
That's actually a straight inductive conclusion. We see that watches are made by watch-makers, and conclude that all watches are made by watch-makers....
October 12, 2019 at 11:19
No, reasonable people discuss things. Sometimes it takes a long time, many years of discussion, but there's no rush, and no need to shout, that's impa...
October 12, 2019 at 01:41
It's not a matter of giving you a reference, it's just a matter of whether you understand the reason or not. Do you know how to count? Say you have "1...
October 11, 2019 at 10:54
I just explained this. When the symbol "4" is used twice in "4+4=8", it must signify a different thing in each of the two instances, or else 4+4 would...
October 10, 2019 at 22:03
I went through this with Zuhair already. It is impossible that the numeral, the symbol "2" represents the same object every time it occurs. If it did,...
October 10, 2019 at 10:57
I disagree, metaphysics can guide us in the right direction through the use of logic. So for example things which are impossible and don't need to be ...
October 10, 2019 at 10:39
Well I went through this already. An object must really be a static thing, because if it changes it is no longer the same object. Sure we say that it ...
October 10, 2019 at 02:23
I don't know how it could be a plane, but I don't believe in fate and determinism, so I've never given it much thought.
October 10, 2019 at 01:03
"Across the set of all possible worlds" implies necessity. So that meeting was necessitated. This is sometimes called "fate", which determinists take ...
October 09, 2019 at 10:39
Speculative physicists are headed in the wrong direction.
October 09, 2019 at 10:27
I suppose Trump's pulling the troops from Syria was just the fulfilling of an election promise - one made to the Russians.
October 09, 2019 at 01:35
Do you not see a difference between measuring an object, and measuring the distance between two objects? In the first case, you would be dealing with ...
October 09, 2019 at 01:17
This is ridiculous. I've explained numerous times in this thread how equality differs from identity. "Identity" applies to one thing, the same thing, ...
October 08, 2019 at 10:58
There is no single acceptable definition of "space". We discussed this already, there are two distinct conceptions of space. One is derived from our m...
October 08, 2019 at 02:29
That itself is a misunderstanding. As you seem to have taken Thrasymachus' position on justice, 'might is right', you would probably benefit from a mo...
October 07, 2019 at 10:52
I've provided arguments for my position, based on the definition of "space" which you gave, evidence that I'm not "talking past" you. If anyone is tal...
October 06, 2019 at 13:12
That "force", is a force of division. Whether a divisive force within a people is better than a unifying force within a people depends on one's attitu...
October 06, 2019 at 12:04
We're talking past each other because you are not listening to what I am saying. The point I was making, is that the space which is between objects (w...
October 05, 2019 at 12:06
That analogy doesn't provide a solution to the problem. The problem is that not only is there space between objects, but objects also occupy space. Yo...
October 04, 2019 at 10:58
Streetlight thinks we ought to change the topic of the thread to discuss politics rather than character. But we're the peanut gallery here, and we lik...
October 04, 2019 at 01:16
That takes character, to jump in and intervene, make a political difference. Trump did it, he's got character. The reasons for doing it define the cha...
October 04, 2019 at 00:44
As I explained, a body is full of empty space, and that empty space is treated as part of the body, and therefore substantial. You might model the mot...
October 03, 2019 at 10:43
The problem is not so simple though. One object hitting another is nothing but a transferal of force or energy from on solid body to another. But when...
October 02, 2019 at 12:09
Clouds are lonely?
October 02, 2019 at 01:53
It couldn't have been a typo because you continued afterward, to make the same mistake. Look: No, I said that equality in ZFC is not based in the iden...
October 01, 2019 at 00:06
It is exactly a matter of what they think they know. The problem is that we take some things for granted, because they are assumed to be "the common u...
September 30, 2019 at 10:56
We may have discussed this briefly before. Plato makes this reference to the female aspect, in Timaeus, referring to ancient myths. He might be critic...
September 30, 2019 at 02:24
If we're talking about qualitative identity, then only one quality need be the same in order that we call it "the same", the same colour, the same wei...
September 30, 2019 at 01:51
This is what you said: You were clearly associating "what is" with something independent of any observer's perspective What I pointed out is that it d...
September 30, 2019 at 01:41
How can you not see that you're talking nonsense? If they are identical then they are not two acts but one and the same act. You are starting with an ...
September 30, 2019 at 00:07
Good and bad are measured by degree, that's why there are differing punishment sentences for "the same" criminal act. It is the fact that each of thes...
September 29, 2019 at 21:45
Now the point I was making to Janus is that if we divide events up, or put events together, which is what we have to do to say "this is a rock", or "t...
September 29, 2019 at 21:20
See this is evidence of what I said, you don't listen. Instead of addressing my point (that "is" necessarily implies temporality present, now) directl...
September 29, 2019 at 12:20
It's very easy to find fault with Janus' principles. But Janus doesn't listen, so I've given up on that. Here's some examples: There is no such thing ...
September 28, 2019 at 14:51
Problem is, these are not two acts. You are referring to one and the same act, and calling it "two acts". That's why your premise is self-contradictin...
September 28, 2019 at 14:27
OK, I've reconsidered. I recognize that making stupid comments about conventions which one is totally ignorant of is not good for a person's integrity...
September 28, 2019 at 14:23
That is done by making statements of fact. That's all NOS4A2 does, states "the facts" over and over again.
September 28, 2019 at 11:33
The real problem with the commons was not from the greed of the individual, who wants more than one's fair share of cows, it's a problem of too many i...
September 28, 2019 at 11:29
Yes it is hard. I find it to be impossible. This is like saying imagine two people who are exactly alike except they are different. It's nonsense. Car...
September 28, 2019 at 10:41
OK, let's say equality is a "qualified" identity. This means that it is a relative identity. In relation to the specified theory, the two objects are ...
September 28, 2019 at 00:56
That's the key point, the limitations of the language. The law of identity puts identity of the thing within the thing itself, such that even if the h...
September 27, 2019 at 11:09
A similar act in different circumstances cannot be called the same act. They may have different intent. Therefore it is possible that they could diffe...
September 27, 2019 at 10:26
No, because the acts are carried out on different planets with differences between them so reason tells me that they are not identical. If they are no...
September 27, 2019 at 02:01
It's not just humans though, each individual animal has its own way of being.
September 27, 2019 at 01:42
What do you mean by "numerically distinct"? If there are differences, what are the difference between them? These differences could amount to the act ...
September 27, 2019 at 01:39
The election is not far off. The Republicans need to seriously consider who their candidate for presidency will be.
September 27, 2019 at 01:36
If the planets were exactly the same, then by the principle of the identity of indiscernibles, they would be one and the same planet, and everything w...
September 27, 2019 at 01:31