Why must people force their irrational reactions on a rational world?
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yukichigai
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- Apr 23, 2003
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A lot of these things, especially polytheistic religion, were used to explain phenomenon that at that time fell outside their science and field of knowledge. As time went on, people clung to these beliefs since they were passed on and seen as a convention. These beliefs tend to diminish as more and more knowledge is gained regarding these phenomena. I think its just human nature to want to be able to justify anything that goes on around them.
I'm not stating any of this as fact, this is my opinion
I'm not stating any of this as fact, this is my opinion
- Jul 2, 2001
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I think everyone agrees on the principles of logic. If you make a claim, you need to prove it. The burden of proof lies with the person makingthe claim.
Like Bush had to prove that there were WMD's in Iraq, as there was no reasonable way that it could be disproven.
Well,
Lots of reasons. For one, to say that everything in the world can be rationally explained is very cold and boring, and implies a total lack of free will by humans.
Why did I choose X? Because neuron 123,098 fired at a certain vector = Boring.
Why did I choose X? No reason = More exciting.
Lots of reasons. For one, to say that everything in the world can be rationally explained is very cold and boring, and implies a total lack of free will by humans.
Why did I choose X? Because neuron 123,098 fired at a certain vector = Boring.
Why did I choose X? No reason = More exciting.
I don't think anybody is pretending that the world is a sugjective place, it is a subjective place.
Name these 'lots' of things... YET being able to prove something is not the same as NOT being able to prove something.
Since can't "prove" anything really. It can only provider supporting evidence. It can establish "facts" which are not facts as we know them (aka certainties) but merely working assumptions. To be a "fact" generally it must be considered absurd for the "fact" to be false. Another criteria is statistical improbability.
- Jul 2, 2001
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The way I see it, that's like saying
"I don't live in the real world, that's boring, so I live in candyland which is more fun"
As for the no free will thing, I believe that's an entirely different issue. Why? Simple, from an outside perspective, what you are going to do is 100% predictable given complete and detailed information about the past, but from an inside perspective (your own POV) there is nothing stopping you from acting of your own volition, you do have free will.
So, from the fram of referenc of others, you do not have free will, but from your fram of reference you do.
That's my solution to the free will issue.
Another thing, we do not live in a rational world. Existance is one of the most irrational things ever. There are certain laws that seem to govern everything perfectly on a large scope but then when you get to the sub-atomic level the laws of physics are thrown out the window. Us being here is highly irrational, did the universe just pop out of nowhere or was there something before it?
Think about life for a bit and the irrationality will blow your mind.
Think about life for a bit and the irrationality will blow your mind.
- Jul 2, 2001
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I disagree, Quantum physics are rational, they just defy common sense (at least on the macroscopic level). As for our being here? Completely rational. The reason we can wonder about it is because we happen to exist, if we didn't exist, if the dice hadn't fallen correctly, well, so what? Also, I think considering the size of the univers and the number of planets that are likely out there (from more recent which have upped the number of planets we think exist) I think intelligent life is not all that unlikely.
It's proven fact that "our" tendency toward religion is genetic, as is our tendency toward learning a language, fearing potentially dangerous things like spiders, snakes, heights, and any number of other & less interesting things. I say "our" in quotes because personally I feel not even a vestige of this instinct toward religion. On the other hand, I'm mortally terrified of spiders 
Not small ones or daddy long legs, but big hairy ones, like the 3" legspan wolf spiders in my area. They're harmless, but that doesn't stop me. If I see one I have a hard time getting near enough to kill it, and will have sweaty palms and an elevated heartrate for hours afterwards. I have utterly no control over this. If that's how many religious people feel about their belief in God (remember, it has the same genetic basis) then I can almost understand their point of view... almost . The difference is I don't preach the dangers of not fearing spiders and travel to third world countries forcing people to fear them. It actually makes excellent sense from an evolutionary standpoint; religion has helped our species to form societies and civilizations, which are much better for us than tribal or nomadic lifestyles; more plentiful food, more numbers in case of war, access to medicine.. the list goes on long enough to write a novel. Those who believed were more apt to follow the tenets of religion, and in turn were more apt to be part of a society, hence more apt to live well and pass on their genes.
Not small ones or daddy long legs, but big hairy ones, like the 3" legspan wolf spiders in my area. They're harmless, but that doesn't stop me. If I see one I have a hard time getting near enough to kill it, and will have sweaty palms and an elevated heartrate for hours afterwards. I have utterly no control over this. If that's how many religious people feel about their belief in God (remember, it has the same genetic basis) then I can almost understand their point of view... almost . The difference is I don't preach the dangers of not fearing spiders and travel to third world countries forcing people to fear them. It actually makes excellent sense from an evolutionary standpoint; religion has helped our species to form societies and civilizations, which are much better for us than tribal or nomadic lifestyles; more plentiful food, more numbers in case of war, access to medicine.. the list goes on long enough to write a novel. Those who believed were more apt to follow the tenets of religion, and in turn were more apt to be part of a society, hence more apt to live well and pass on their genes.I've never read that it is "proven" that religion is genetic. Do you have a source for that? Last time I read it, it was a hypothesis supposed by a famous philosopher.
Well defined explanation? Hahaha. How about non-existant explanation.
The matter that is currently in the universe that we all reside in had to have come from something and that something had to have come from something else and so on.
Regardless of how you cut it, the matter that is here had to have come from nothing. Something coming out of nothing is a very irrational idea. I really hate to bring semantics into an argument as profound as this, but touching on my previous post about existance being subjective, if we(as humans) are unable to comprehend how something can come out of nothing would that not mean that it is irrational?
Heh the only proof you people would accept would be God saying something is so, anything else is theory Excellent insulation from reality...
Excellent insulation from reality...The only proof that I would accept any explanation for existance would be concrete proof and the very nature of existance prevents this congrete proof so, yes, all of my ideas about where we came from are simply theories and nothing more. Even if one realises it or not, a belief in a god is nothing more than a theory too.Originally posted by: Gurck
Heh the only proof you people would accept would be God saying something is so, anything else is theory
I personaly think that existing with no real idea of what any of this sh!t is about is about as close to reality as one can get. Thinking that one knows the answer, regardless of what is is, is about as insulated from reality as one can get.
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