This is where the real evaluation takes place in my view; that is, what (ultimately) groundless presuppositions are the most plausible? — John
'truth' being understood here in the Heidegger kind of sense of 'aletheia' (disclosedness, unconcealing or revelation). — John
I consider myself an agnostic that is leaning towards atheism — darthbarracuda
So how could they miss something that I find to be obviously absurd? Isn't it more likely that me, the novice, has missed something? — darthbarracuda
it seems absurd that the theistic philosophers are just idiots. — darthbarracuda
Is the only rational position to take, agnosticism? — darthbarracuda
This distinction between real and notional assent underlies my research on spiritual exercises — WhiskeyWhiskers
Once again, atheism and agnosticism are answers to different questions. Do you have knowledge that God exists? No? Then you are an agnostic. Do you believe that God exists, irrespective of whether you have knowledge that he does? No? Then you are also an atheist. — Thorongil
If you don't find that the arguments theists (masquerading as deists most of the time) — Thorongil
An atheist isn't just someone who doesn't believe that God exists; he's someone who believes that God doesn't exist. — Michael
It's a different thing. — Michael
So how would you describe someone who neither believes that God exists nor believes that God does not exist? I'd call them an agnostic. — Michael
Agnostic deism seems to be where I fit the best, at least currently. — darthbarracuda
The agnostic claims that there is no evidence to suggest either that God exists or that God doesn't exist, — Michael
and so doesn't believe either. — Michael
Nope, the agnostic claims that they have no knowledge that God exists. The Greek word gnosis means knowledge, while the prefix a is a negation. So the agnostic is "without knowledge," in this case, of God. — Thorongil
Again, no. You can be an agnostic theist OR an agnostic atheist; in other words, you can be without knowledge of God and yet still believe that one exists or you be without knowledge of God and choose not to believe.
And how is that different to the weak atheist? He also claims that he has no knowledge that God exists. — Michael
And you can also be without knowledge of God and not believe either that he exists or that he doesn't exist. — Michael
How can one believe it is true (understand) that God does or doesn't exist if there is no knowledge about God to be had? — TheWillowOfDarkness
Belief (either way) supposes God is knowable. — TheWillowOfDarkness
No, it presupposes that he is possibly knowable. — Thorongil
That's believing you know the Sasquatch exists without having the empirical evidence which shows it to be the case. — TheWillowOfDarkness
and that's what the version of agnosticism you talked about denies. It says there is no knowledge about whether God exists of not. — TheWillowOfDarkness
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