Tom

I have decided to carry that idea forwards into everyday thinking to see how my perspective might change

I certainty gained a lot by seeing things more as probabilities than absolutes when absolutes are not necessary or justified. It’s helped a lot with predictions, work and being extremely aware of what Nicolas Taleb called “Black Swan Events”…[Read more]

Oh I see unseen so how can you prove that you aren’t hallucinating or in a simulation or a brain in a vat and in reality something fantastical does exist and you don’t have access to this information. Please explain how you prove that reality is as it seems and you are magically able to say with 100% certainty that things are the way they appear…[Read more]

Am I talking with a Philosopher?

Then no I cannot say with absolute certainty that a purple unicorn is not dancing in my bathroom at this very moment. I am as certain as I need to be.

Am I talking with anyone else?

No. There is no purple unicorn dancing in my bathroom at the moment.

_______________

I would never make a metaphysical absolute…[Read more]

There are numerous Gods who are described with non-contradictory qualities. And there are are no small number of Christians who cherry pick from the Christian tradition and believe in a God that does not have contradictory qualities. So if you are making the claim:

The Christian God as described in the Bible and by catholic theologians, all…

[Read more]

Ugh unseen I already covered the difference between The God as some Christians describe with Conflicting Qualities and God in general (or at least a similar God without the conflicting qualities). Pay attention to what people say. Details matter. Every word counts. Zheesh

All rational claims of knowledge are based on what we know.

Then the most rational answer, Unseen, is “I don’t know”. It is an extreme intellectual flaw to not be able to saw “I don’t know” or “I cannot be completely certain” or  “God almost certainly doesn’t exist”. Some people are incapable of adding the proviso “almost certainly” because they…[Read more]

No unseen we don’t have access to a complete list of the laws of the universe. We can make as many claims about what we know, we cannot make any claim (negative or positive) about what we don’t know. Doing otherwise is arrogance.

Yes unseen, if you are saying that a God could not have all the qualities Christians say that he does…I agree. It is impossible. He cannot be all Good and all powerful because pointless evil and pointless suffering wouldn’t exist if he had both those qualities. There are many examples. That doesn’t prove that there is no God, or even a similar…[Read more]

I don’t see the logical contradiction.  If the future already exists, as a 4-d spacetime shape, then God would be free to mould it as He wishes, with His full knowledge.

Indeed Unseen is not batting well today. God could exist outside of time and space if he really had these miraculous qualities so I don’t see why he couldn’t conceive of ev…[Read more]

It is the first time i have heard an atheist with a line like a theist.

There is nothing admirable emulating theologians.

These things are not scientifically testable, much less provable.

Indeed. I would say that just as people believing in magic and stating their fantasies are true with any degree of certainty is the result of evolutionary processes gone utterly haywire in the age of reason, so it is to want to claim certainty about that which we cannot…in the age…[Read more]

Unseen that’s just uber-arrogance. You don’t have absolute knowledge. We cannot answer the question whether God does or doesn’t exist until we achieve omniscience. Are you omniscient? Do you have proof you aren’t in a simulation created by God, a brain in a vat created by God? Under an incredible delusion in an environment where God could exist.…[Read more]

Unseen the difference is in the kind of questions that they ask and their methods of answering them. To say that philosophy avoids the practical is absurd. I’ve never taken a single course or read a single book that avoided practicals except for, and only sometimes, metaphysics.

Again, you have to measure the risk against how obsessed you are over the single issue. Participating in a revolution is extremely dangerous. The revolution could come and despite promises to change things so your single issue is addressed never comes (you are expendable once the revolution is a success). Your single issue could be addressed but…[Read more]

Unseen political philosophy IS dealing with problems in practical terms. What gave you the idea it was anything other than that?

Unseen the United States cannot have a third party without proportional representation which you don’t have. That and the stupid electoral college could be changed with constitutional amendments which, until that happens, you’ll have to do with your imperfect system. In any case, its certainly a LOT easier to get rid of a bad government needing a…[Read more]

Two problems with your original statement:

You live in a country with two party rule (almost zero history of coalition ruling except rarely at a state level). In governments that have proportional representation smaller parties form and they almost invariably must rule together through compromise. That means a small party with a single issue can…[Read more]

We apply rational principles to almost every aspect of our lives. If someone claims you did something wrong you demand evidence. If someone claims a person pulled off an incredible accomplishment you ask for the evidence. And we use technology all the time which is the result of a fierce application of these rational/scientific principles…[Read more]

Additionally i argue that gender roles are highly flexible and we ought to seek equality and self actualization for all.

An entirely obvious statement that seems to fly over a lot of people’s heads.