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Scientific Knowledge

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Topic: Scientific Knowledge

nwr

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Message 15 of 377 (633534)
09-14-2011 2:46 PM

Reply to: Message 13 by Straggler
09-14-2011 2:31 PM

Re: Scientific Knowledge In The Necessary Absence of Certainty

Do you agree that objectively evidenced conclusions are far more likely to be correct than evidentially baseless ones (no matter how untestable these evidentially baseless propositions may be)?

Mathematics is evidentially baseless, yet far more likely to be correct than is anything that is based on mere evidence.

Fundamentalism - the anti-American, anti-Christian branch of American Christianity

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nwr

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Message 18 of 377 (633546)
09-14-2011 4:07 PM

Reply to: Message 16 by Straggler
09-14-2011 3:02 PM

Re: Scientific Knowledge In The Necessary Absence of Certainty

But in science when we talk about "correct" we are ...

That gets to the point that was implicit in my post. There isn't just one kind of truth (or correctness). Mathematical truth is different from scientific truth, and one cannot compare them. Similarly, religious truth is different from other kinds of truth such as scientific truth and mathematical truth.

People often talk as if there were some single notion of truth, and that everything fits within that one kind of truth. Theology is particularly bad about that manner of speaking. We need to recognize that there are many kinds of truth, and we easily switch between them depending on context.

Fundamentalism - the anti-American, anti-Christian branch of American Christianity

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nwr

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From: Geneva, Illinois

Joined: 08-08-2005

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Message 20 of 377 (633556)
09-14-2011 5:46 PM

Reply to: Message 19 by PaulK
09-14-2011 5:18 PM

Re: Scientific Knowledge In The Necessary Absence of Certainty

Can a thing be a "religious truth" and also false under more normal standards of "truth" ?

It seems so. Otherwise evcforum would not exist.

Fundamentalism - the anti-American, anti-Christian branch of American Christianity

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nwr

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Message 35 of 377 (633768)
09-16-2011 10:40 AM

Reply to: Message 31 by Straggler
09-16-2011 6:11 AM

Re: Scientific Knowledge In The Necessary Absence of Certainty

Straggler writes:
Can you give an example of a "religious truth".....?

The Adam and Eve story is a religious truth for some religious groups.

The existence of a spiritual soul is a widely held religious truth.

nwr writes:
Mathematical truth is different from scientific truth, and one cannot compare them.

Straggler writes:
They both share something rather important in common. Objectivity.

For some meanings of "objectivity."

Straggler writes:
And where there is a conflict between different "truths" what do we do?

We argue (and sometimes we start wars).

Fundamentalism - the anti-American, anti-Christian branch of American Christianity

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nwr

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From: Geneva, Illinois

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Message 39 of 377 (633800)
09-16-2011 1:46 PM

Reply to: Message 37 by Straggler
09-16-2011 1:19 PM

Re: Scientific Knowledge In The Necessary Absence of Certainty

Straggler writes:
Is it a truth or is it believed to be true?

Sigh! I said that it is a religious truth. I did not say that it is a truth.

I have no interest in participating in a ridiculous inquisition conducted by Pope Straggler.

That ends my participation in this subthread.

Fundamentalism - the anti-American, anti-Christian branch of American Christianity

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nwr

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Message 213 of 377 (635461)
09-29-2011 11:17 AM

Reply to: Message 208 by Percy
09-29-2011 7:17 AM

Re: Is the Scientific Approach The Same As The "Open Minded Skeptic" Approach?

Percy writes:
I'm curious, how many people actually read all of Message 205?

Not I. It exceeded my VTQ (Verbosity Tolerance Quotient).

Fundamentalism - the anti-American, anti-Christian branch of American Christianity

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nwr

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Message 376 of 377 (636609)
10-08-2011 10:53 AM

Not much to summarize, but ...

The general understanding of how science works continues to be rather poor.

In my opinion, New Cat's Eye, RAZD and xongsmith understand it better than most.

Fundamentalism - the anti-American, anti-Christian branch of American Christianity

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