Comments on: The Allure of the Unfalsifiable http://aristophrenium.com/hermiene/the-allure-of-the-unfalsifiable/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-allure-of-the-unfalsifiable Proclaiming the truth of the gospel and the centrality of Christ in all things Sun, 20 May 2012 05:32:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Elcorin http://aristophrenium.com/hermiene/the-allure-of-the-unfalsifiable/#comment-19 Elcorin Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:40:47 +0000 http://aristophrenium.wordpress.com/?p=28#comment-19 Hi, aristophrenium.com - da best. Keep it going! Have a nice day Elcorin Hi,
aristophrenium.com – da best. Keep it going!

Have a nice day
Elcorin

]]> By: Hermiene http://aristophrenium.com/hermiene/the-allure-of-the-unfalsifiable/#comment-13 Hermiene Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:19:50 +0000 http://aristophrenium.wordpress.com/?p=28#comment-13 In no way did I intend this as a reason to believe in magic (and I must pre-empt you and say that I don't now mean to imply that this is your position), only that without knowledge of how stuff works, it's very, very alluring to turn to magical thinking. But you say as much. I've read a lot of Russell, and I did know about Russel's China Teapot, but for some reason I'd never read that essay. I thank you for bringing it to my attention; it was excellent. :-) In no way did I intend this as a reason to believe in magic (and I must pre-empt you and say that I don’t now mean to imply that this is your position), only that without knowledge of how stuff works, it’s very, very alluring to turn to magical thinking. But you say as much.

I’ve read a lot of Russell, and I did know about Russel’s China Teapot, but for some reason I’d never read that essay. I thank you for bringing it to my attention; it was excellent. :-)

]]> By: Pierre Mhanna http://aristophrenium.com/hermiene/the-allure-of-the-unfalsifiable/#comment-12 Pierre Mhanna Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:29:41 +0000 http://aristophrenium.wordpress.com/?p=28#comment-12 I can never prove that it's not run by magic, but not in the slightest way would this be an argument for the sake of magic. An "allure" as you chose to describe it, yes. But I believe that the unknowability of things (ourselves included) underlies our existential condition, which we can only describe through anthropomorphic projections. In this sense science gives speech to things otherwise forever silent, as linguistics gives speech to words themselves. It is arrogance on the part of science to presume that it knows things, it might as well succumb to fundamentalism. Reading this piece I remembered Bertrand Russell's essay "Is there a God": If I were to suggest that between the Earth and Mars there is a china teapot revolving about the sun in an elliptical orbit, nobody would be able to disprove my assertion provided I were careful to add that the teapot is too small to be revealed even by our most powerful telescopes. But if I were to go on to say that, since my assertion cannot be disproved, it is intolerable presumption on the part of human reason to doubt it, I should rightly be thought to be talking nonsense. Enjoyed reading and thinking. I can never prove that it’s not run by magic, but not in the slightest way would this be an argument for the sake of magic. An “allure” as you chose to describe it, yes. But I believe that the unknowability of things (ourselves included) underlies our existential condition, which we can only describe through anthropomorphic projections. In this sense science gives speech to things otherwise forever silent, as linguistics gives speech to words themselves. It is arrogance on the part of science to presume that it knows things, it might as well succumb to fundamentalism.

Reading this piece I remembered Bertrand Russell’s essay “Is there a God”:
If I were to suggest that between the Earth and Mars there is a china teapot revolving about the sun in an elliptical orbit, nobody would be able to disprove my assertion provided I were careful to add that the teapot is too small to be revealed even by our most powerful telescopes. But if I were to go on to say that, since my assertion cannot be disproved, it is intolerable presumption on the part of human reason to doubt it, I should rightly be thought to be talking nonsense.

Enjoyed reading and thinking.

]]>