From: hampday@earthlink.net
Date: Wed Apr 13 2005 - 06:51:34 BST
Mark--
> I just don't see how your statement can be regarded as fact, that
> is, as something "whose reliability has been universally established
> by observation and repeated testing." Since you say that "any other
> kind of belief may or may not be a fact, but we do not know," I'm
> wondering on what basis you claim to know that your statement is
> true.
This is a dispute over semantics (I think). But, just in case, I want to
be clear about my meaning.
What we call a "fact" is a proposition or statement that has been
established as "true" for the material world. We verify such statements by
observation and experimentation -- or, in the behavioral realm, by
extrapolation from observed events. In neither case does a fact about
physical existence give us truth about ultimate reality. As a student of
Philosophy you are probably familiar with Pierce's term "fallibilism" -- the
doctrine that we have no sure way of knowing whether any belief about the
world is absolutely true or not. All human knowledge is predicated on
finite perception of a differentiated reality (SOM) by the intellect, and is
largely illusionary in terms of ultimate reality. But, as I told Marsha, we
need "facts" to deal with our practical world.
All I'm saying is that human constructs of reality beyond the limits of time
and space
-- including those moral and teleological issues with which philosophy is
involved -- are necessarily metaphysical speculations that cannot be
considered factual.
> I believe you believe every
> word you say. I just think you don't understand what you're saying.
That's your perogative.
Like Bob Pirsig, I am only trying to make sense out of what I see as a
valuistic existence. He writes fictional novels; I write metaphysical
essays. It's all there in black and white for anyone to critique, and I
welcome valid criticism. But I think it's the height of hypocrisy for
someone with an obvious chip on his shoulder to accuse either of us of not
understanding what we believe.
--Ham
MOQ.ORG - http://www.moq.org
Mail Archives:
Aug '98 - Oct '02 - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/
Nov '02 Onward - http://www.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/summary.html
MD Queries - horse@darkstar.uk.net
To unsubscribe from moq_discuss follow the instructions at:
http://www.moq.org/md/subscribe.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Wed Apr 13 2005 - 07:12:25 BST