Down The Rabbit Hole

I'm an agnostic too. I don't think there is any reason to believe universes tend to give rise to life, let alone multiple spawns of life - we could we...

I remember having a debate with @"fishfry" over whether a quantum field can be an ultimate explanation. I argued it is as good of an ultimate explanat...

In my view, the fetus should get moral consideration at all stages of the pregnancy, as abortion will prevent its future pleasure and suffering. It is...

Is something coming from nothing any more absurd than something existing forever? Your point still stands though. Whether something or nothing gave ri...

It wouldn't be peaceful as people could still suffer? If you're getting rid of suffering, it defeats my foregoing objections.

Why is it logical to refrain from causing suffering, if we can get away with it? What if it saved resources by killing someone (for example the disabl...

As our emotions are the foundation of our moral principles, there would be no reason to refrain from causing others suffering, provided we can get awa...

There is debate on whether we are primarily shaped by our genes, or our environment. I am tempted to say genes, but I haven't given it serious thought...

People are shaped by their genes and environment. Even the smartest people have to fight against their prejudices.

In an infinite duration anything that can happen, probably will. Either some-thing or no-thing, has existed for an infinite duration. Even things that...

Which as @"elucid" alludes to, is a case against the most popular, including Christianity. As an agnostic I'm not convinced of any arguments against a...

How can a good god condemn people to infinite suffering in hell for finite offence/s. Infinite punishment will always exceed just punishment for finit...

I completely understand and agree with your reasoning for morality being subjective. Our disagreement is academic rather than practical, and I appreci...

I was arguing from the grounds that our intuitions are the only basis that exist for moral beliefs. In which case the moral beliefs are not based on o...

@"Deus" Yes, I'm a soft atheist, an agnostic. Richard Dawkins on the other hand is a hard atheist, believing there is no god. It's probably about time...

The definition just says that atheism is, disbelief (non-belief) in God. It doesn't mean the atheist rules out the existence of God.

How does the atheist rule out the existence of God?

If our intuitions are subjective, it follows that everything stemming from them including our values are too? In any event, our intuitions are the sol...

No. What's the name for someone that sees no reason to believe there is a god and no reason to believe no god exists? An agnostic. And that doesn't me...

When I say "feelings" I am referring to our intuitions. That our intuitions are the only basis we can have for moral beliefs, is surely a reason for l...

That's a good way of putting it. The only honest answer for why someone holds their moral axioms is because they feel the axioms are right. I think @"...

My answer is No I don't know whether or not I'm a brain in a vat. On the basis that there is no reason to believe either way.

Q. Why does this first cause exist? A. There is no reason for its existence. Q. Why is there no reason for its existence? A. Because nothing caused it...

I've witnessed fish being caught at the sea-side with crowds of dozens of people forming. I do think some of the people would have said something if t...

Ahh "I don't know" doesn't end the regress. Luckily my interrogator let me off the hook there. If we regressed back to a first thing that has always e...

Yep, I've been subject to a child's "why treatment" :groan: In each round it didn't take long before I had to admit "I don't know". I guess it can onl...

I did predict that most respondents would vote morality is not objective, but I am surprised the majority of those voted it is relative. EDIT: Subject...

I did want to push the respondents to give the best label for morality as a whole. For example, some people say that although the goal (wellbeing etc)...

I am sympathetic to the case you're making. As I said in the brain-in-a-vat thread, there is no reason to believe we are even in reality. Nonetheless ...

Yes, if this were a simulation there is no way for us to know the energy available in the real world. It could be unlimited. Even going off what we se...

I think we still have the same problem if we remove the "why". If one asserts "suffering is a bad thing" they still have to have a basis for this beli...

No. There is no reason to believe we are a brain-in-a-vat, but there is equally no reason to believe we are in base reality - the experience would fee...

"The apple is likely to drop to the ground when unrestricted as it has always dropped to the ground when unrestricted before". You are justified in pr...

I think there is objective foundation for non-moral beliefs. For example "X usually happens when I do Y, therefore now I am doing Y, X is likely to ha...

Sounds nice to me. Losing the ego?

The regress of asking why things are bad eventually has to end with the honest answer "because I feel it is". For example: Q. why is undue violence a ...

"Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education." - Bertrand Russell

I like the idea of using it to increase well-being, but this could be outweighed by the reverse.

I don't think everyone gets there through logic. A new born baby is a non-believer, and ostensibly does not get there through logic. I'm sure it's the...

To believe something, my evidential threshold is higher than "more likely than not". However a civil court's is not. One thing that goes to credibilit...

There's so many variables it's hard if not impossible to say. When I think of the people in my life, particularly the women, shopping brings them so m...

You mean by encouraging lucid dreaming?

I'm going to have to do some research. I can only remember the subject of two dreams since childhood - one of which I remember none of the sequence of...

That study suggesting happiness peaks at $75,000 was done by Angus Deaton, the 2015 Nobel laureate in economics, but a new study from the University o...

All I've eaten for the last few years is plants :lol: And even before this I always had a relatively healthy diet, nothing like the "Standard American...

I don't dream anymore. Not that I can remember anyway. :sad:

Yes, ostensibly good looks, social skills etc trump money in that regard. I think all of these other things being equal, money brings more friends, se...

Yes money buys opportunities for achievement. I suppose on average the amount of friends, sexual partners, and stable relationships go up with wealth,...

The data shows that happiness increases with income up until about $75,000. There would be no need to obtain more, but there is no point in giving up ...

And if anything is worth the effort, happiness and contentment are. I wonder how many of them would have traded it in for a more contented life. :chin...