But if a relative view is taken, we can validly say 'God exists for believers' because the concept has utility for their interactions..And 'God does not exist for atheists' because the reverse is true. The consequences (i.e.what matters) of this relativity view are that atheists' seeking to argue against 'God's existence' on the basis of 'evidence' are barking up the wrong tree. — fresco
Of course believers would not admit to the 'utility' argument, anymore than a naive realist would admit it equally applying to 'the existence of trees' ( or 'rocks', or any other 'thing')!
From a philosophical pov, the term 'naive realist' neatly avoids 'confusion'. — fresco
At the risk of extending this discussion far beyond its original bounds, given (among many other things) the on-going history of most major religions to impose their belief systems on non-believers, I do not consider these situations to be ephemeral; they are essential components of many of mankind's past & current conflicts.The OLP situations I raise are ephemeral context bound episodes.
The post structuralist view recognizes that transience and seeks to generalize about them. — fresco
Is it not obvious that it supports my 'human relationship' comments above ? — fresco
I can't see it can be otherwise since all 'thinking' is done via a socially acquired language. — fresco
From where I'm sitting it appears that you are using the word "environment" in the same way that most people user the word "existence". Please note that there are other substitutes for the word "existence". 'Reality', 'the universe", 'state of affairs', 'mind-independent and language-independent world', 'things in their own right', etc, etc.Yes. We obviously unconsciously 'engage with our environment' as well, just like other non verbal species. — fresco
For the word 'objects', substitute the word 'existence' or any of the other synonyms.Common species physiology tends to imply large areas of agreement which we tend to call 'objects'. — fresco
Now is there a 'mind-independent and language independent world'? No one knows — EricH
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