Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: St_Bill who wrote (33152)	10/16/2001 12:03:50 AM
From: cosmicforce	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

Can't argue that. I see problems when people who are actually relativists claim access to some absolute higher authority, some universal ethic that allows them to do any horrible thing because that absolute authority dictates it (like God, or Allah, or the Sun God). The famous 'God is on our side' cry is always true for a conflict. The side that wins has God on their side. The side that lost didn't. Utter crap.

To: St_Bill who wrote (33152)	10/16/2001 7:48:48 AM
From: thames_sider	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

Some opinions are indeed better than others, depending on quality of the reasoning and evidence used. This is why, although I'd certainly class myself as a relativist, I distinguish 'opinions' on matters of fact from matters of feeling. An opinion on what has happened in history, say, can certainly be strengthened or weakened by the quality of supporting evidence and its interpretation, by logic and by likelihood. An 'opinion' in science, backed by prediction, experiment and results, is likely to be the accurate theory depicting fact - although it may be replaced or superseded if a more accurate or specialised theory is in its turn proven. OTOH if I claim that "X is the most beautiful woman in the world" and someone else states "No, it's Y" - I may disagree with their opinion but I have to class it as equally valid to mine - which doesn't mean it can be imposed to override my judgement...