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Politics : The Left Wing Porch -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: The Philosopher who wrote (4064)	2/14/2001 11:08:37 PM
From: cosmicforce	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6089

all we have are opinions and definitions. I think that is disingenuous. Some opinions appear to be tightly held with only a belief. Other opinions appear to be more externally referenced and transferable. I think saying that all there is are opinions is tantamount to saying that spiritual healing, western medicine and shamanism are all equally valid in all circumstances. Personally, I hold the opinion that the track record for people that believe in western medicine is better for some ailments and worse for others. This point can be argued but presumably such argument would be based upon data. I'm certainly open to any system that can produce results. Opinions on the subject of medical efficacy that don't rely upon data are highly suspect IMO. Now see, that is my opinion. I could be wrong, but I'm willing to go head to head with a believer in some form of potential quackery and test the prediction power of my theories versus their claims. I would gladly accept I'm wrong if the data said so. If a theory isn't predictive it isn't very good. An opinion not based upon a data-based theory is empty.

To: The Philosopher who wrote (4064)	2/15/2001 8:53:19 PM
From: St_Bill	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 6089

Been gone for a while, just getting back. All we have are opinions and definitions? I think we may be struggling over some word usage here. What I call a belief is the willingness to admit that some statement is true, whether it's a statement about the existence of hotdogs in my fridge of the existence of God. Opinions usually count as beliefs when you look at the way the word is often used. "I am of the opinion that..." But sometimes it can mean something a little weaker. "Opinion" is sometimes used to connote a tentative belief. Definitions? These are statements that express the meaning of a concept and are likewise believed or not. I believe that bachelors are, among other things, unmarried males for example. So I guess I would agree-- all we have are beliefs and definitions or maybe just beliefs in what we believe to be true about the world and beliefs in what our statements actually mean when we TALK about events in the world. the tricky bit is that some beliefs certainly are better than others, often by a long shot.