it's never been to clear to me how much science should play a role, say, in metaphysics — Manuel
Physics is mathematical not because we know so much about the physical world, but because we know so little; it is only its mathematical properties that we can discover. — Wayfarer
The relationship between science and mathematics is one that perplexes me. This is an interesting quote. It has set me thinking. — T Clark
Well yes, that's true actually. What I should have said is that I don't think that science is the whole of metaphysics. I'm using science extremely narrowly here meaning physics basically. — Manuel
But I think the whole of science includes much more than physics. One such domain where we know very little is in psychology which includes our conception of the world, our perceptions too. These latter aspects can be called "philosophical", without too much controversy I'd think, although parts of perception and common-sense conceptions can be studied empirically. — Manuel
Then there's the topic of monism, pluralism, dualism, idealism, physicalism and so on. At this point we just call these topics "metaphysical" ones, because I don't think these can be settled by empirical demonstrations. — Manuel
you might want to take a look at his An Outline of Philosophy — Manuel
I think what I wrote is important, but it does go both ways. I strongly resist the idea that quantum mechanics has any metaphysical implications. It's physics. That's hard for me to maintain sometimes, given how much it has changed the way people think about the world. It's probably true that keeping the distinctions clear and definite has become something of an ideology for me. I probably need to work on that. — T Clark
On the forum we see a lot of seems-to-me theories about consciousness that don't take the results of lots of fairly recent work into consideration. — T Clark
For Strawson "metaphysics" is about the nature of the world, but part of it is a-priori. But as he says, some a-priori facts are facts about reality, just as much as empirical demonstrations are matters of fact. But not everything in metaphysics can be settled, far from it. — Manuel
Based on a case study of one? With possibly no tests for further covid infection? That's bad science.For the record, I've been partially vaccinated, and I fully accept that the vaccine is safe and effective. — Wayfarer
Not for those who had serious side effects or who died from it.And when you look a the numbers, it turns out that vaccines afe safe. — Banno
It's the other way around - metaphysics plays a role in science. It sets the ground rules. The scientific method is metaphysics. The Principle of Relativity we've been talking about is metaphysics. — T Clark
In my understanding, scientific statements have truth values, they are either true or false, while metaphysical statements do not. — T Clark
It's important for people to know the risks. — frank
It's up to the individual of course. — Janus
The risks from being vaccinated are demonstrably far smaller than the risks associated with getting the disease.
I put anti-vax on the same footing as young-earth creationism and climate change denial. In that sense, I'm not the least 'anti-science'. — Wayfarer
Sure. But 5 in 200,000 is a very small personal risk. I've had my shot, and I think you have made a poor choice. I wonder how you took into account the risk, should everyone follow your example. — Banno
But 5 in 200,000 is a very small personal risk. — Banno
Science is pragmatics, not metaphysics — Janus
Can you give an example of a coherent metaphysical statement that is not truth-apt? — Janus
So, who decides what matters more? — Janus
As I indicated, the scientific method is metaphysics. It establishes the rules by which science is performed. Science is the systematic study of the world following procedures consistent with the scientific method. — T Clark
so it is as yet unknown whether the majority of any society would mandate vaccination. — Janus
Also, you seem to be alluding to the well-attested fact that people are constitutionally incapable of viscerally caring about more than some fairly small number of people; namely those who matter personally to them. — Janus
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