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Article 3956 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: c89ponga@odalix.ida.liu.se (Pontus Gagge)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: Re: Determinism precludes truth?
Keywords: TRUTH truth
Message-ID: <1992Feb23.223736.16566@ida.liu.se>
Date: 23 Feb 92 22:37:36 GMT
References: <1992Feb17.224820.7895@spss.com> <1992Feb20.231024.5959@norton.com> <1992Feb21.092037.6074@a.cs.okstate.edu>
Sender: news@ida.liu.se
Organization: CIS Dept, Univ of Linkoping, Sweden
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onstott@a.cs.okstate.edu (ONSTOTT CHARLES OR) writes:

>In article <1992Feb20.231024.5959@norton.com> brian@norton.com (Brian Yoder) writes:
>>markrose@spss.com (Mark Rosenfelder) writes:
>> 
>>> 1. Human beliefs are so various, not to say rococo, that it would seem hard
>>> to maintain that the most useful beliefs also tend to be true.
>>
>>If the truth is so useless, why bother studying philosophy?  Or science?  Or 
>>anything else?  Go study you Bible or your Koran and you'll do no worse under 
>>your conclusions.  Would you not say that yours is an anti-intellectual
>>attitude?

[Omitted: Mr. Onstott's lengthy and somewhat incoherent irrationalist credo 
 defending religion and Milan Kundera(!), denouncing soullessness of science]

You are of course entitled to your opinions; however, this group is rather
more inclined toward rational discussion (with the occasional vehement
insult). I prefer rationalism (the critical variety) as it attempts to
resolve questions by discussion and criticism; religion and other 
irrationalist pastimes have no other ultimate recourse than violence,
as history shows. Have you read Popper?

Although I surmise (being atheist, and (being young) a firm adherent of
the ideals of the Enlightenment) that religion may induce noble sentiments;
still, as a "method" for discerning truth, it is woefully lacking, and
encourages unsound methods (I surely need not name them?).
--
/-------------------------+-------- DISCLAIMER ---------\
| Pontus Gagge            | The views expressed herein  |
| University of Link|ping | are compromises between my  |
|                         | mental subpersonae, and may |
| c89ponga@und.ida.liu.se | be held by none of them.    |
\-------------------------+-----------------------------/


