Here is my certainty statement:
"The certainty with which I approach the complexities and mysteries of life is not droll but rich and rewarding."
This was a response to one of Solon’s slams: ” but I am happy that it presents no major impediment to your own droll certainty.”
Within the context of my statement you see that I recognize life as being complex and full of mystery.
Solon's jab was in response to the named source I presented (a religious philosopher).
The fact is I do feel certainty in life. I am certain that I am alive and I don't have to go through an existential analysis to prove it. I am certain that I am not all powerful or all knowing. I am certain that I do not control anything in life but am able to act as an agent in life. I am certain that there is goodness and evil, as well as right and wrong actions one can take in life. There are also grey areas that are neither. I understand that there are principles to promote a good life, just as there are principles that promote good scientific inquiry. I am certain that there is purpose in life. I am certain that the Universe has order and purpose. And much more. None of this do I see as a reason not to study, research, invent, or just learn for the sake of learning. Those are your conclusions not mine.
"I don't think science should be approached with certainty.." Why not. If you don't have a certainty that things are learnable why are you investigating them. I am absolutely certain that all things are knowable. I am very confident that I wont know all things in this life time but that doesn't stop me from inquiring about mysteries that bug me.
"Good scientists don't do that." Of course, good scientists don't claim to know the answers to things they are studying because that isn't the basis for scientific inquiry. They do, however, have certainty that answers to the operation of the Universe are available.
"You claim you have no such doubt." BS, show me where I stated that I have no doubts. Having certainty in the context that I framed it opens everything to doubt, except that life is a purposeful opportunity.
"That makes you suspect in my book." Ah..you have a book of suspects. Well, you are not a very good investigator pally. For example:
"They are always reasons a belief should be subject to question..." I question whether particular religious practices or statements have any thing to do with the purpose of my life. When you judged me on my beliefs, did you know what my beliefs are?
"However, the general envelope of error for science demonstrably shrinks whereas the nominal envelope of error based upon beliefs remains the same." So what. Travel and communication seems to be getting faster and more efficient while the amount of water in the world seems to remain the same. You going to stop using water?
"This is a provable statement because if you survey all the beliefs you will find that MOST of the strong tenets are in conflict with other such belief systems. They also have almost no predictive value." Not true.
I believe, for example, that fidelity is a good principle to live by and that it is more likely to lead to the kinds of rewards I seek in life than infidelity. This is a belief that meets well with our human condition and has been proven true throughout the ages of recorded history. They also have almost no predictive value. wrong.
"Taliban believes that it is doing the right thing." and you believe that they are not. |
