Comments

  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    Well, back then...leo

    Yes, back then. And back in times before modern advances in healthcare, I might have been brushing my teeth with wine and having my blood let when ill. This is entirely beside the point.

    Not to say there aren't misconceptions in what the OP said, and surely it doesn't help to use misconceptions in support of a speculative idea, but as a speculative idea I think it is worth exploring, rather than dismissing it right from the start as if we knew better, just because it seems to contradict "what we now know".

    A speculative idea sometimes starts as an intuition, we don't really know where it's coming from, it's just floating there, we don't see how we could test it, but maybe if we discuss it and allow it to grow, something that we don't see yet will come out of it. The OP mentioned repeatedly that his mind works best through dialogue, that much of his thought is subconscious and only takes shape through dialogue, that was an invitation to help that idea grow, but instead he was simply met with resistance and with attempts to nip it in the bud. That's why paradigms take time to change, because ideas that contradict the prevalent one are resisted and rejected, instead of being allowed to flourish. A speculative idea is a bit like a flower seed, we have to water it and let it grow if we want to see the flower that it can become.
    leo

    I don't do speculation, I do evidence based assessments in accordance with principles of reason. I consider the former bad philosophy. My response is not unreasonable. Philosophy is all about critical thinking skills, not, as some seem to think, sharing whatever thought pops into your head that appeals to your fancy. If he's going to assert that there "must" be a consciousness, and that he's going to call it "God", then frankly I'm going to call bullshit.
  • Boris Johnson (All General Boris Conversations Here)
    One is Boris Johnson, the other is Jimmy Savile.
  • Boris Johnson (All General Boris Conversations Here)
    the EU has said unequivocally that it is not open to renegotiation, that the deal that's been offered is the only one available. Johnson's threat of leaving 'deal or no deal' is only that - a threat, or a bluff. So he actually has no room to move, other than to get Parliament to agree with the existing deal, although he's bullshitted everyone to think otherwise. (Trump: 'that's my boy!')Wayfarer

    But that's exactly what you'd expect the EU to say, whether that's a true reflection of their endgame or not. And parliament won't vote through an unchanged deal. And a no deal scenario would be vigorously opposed. So, I reckon it's either a renegotiated deal or a crisis that would trigger a vote of no confidence.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    A wallower.Wallows

    You're far too busy sticking your oar in here, there and everywhere to fit the description of a wallower.

    I think, a lot of what goes on here is identity formation, where you seem to be constantly in dissonance or confusion that is protected/projected onto others.Wallows

    Well, Freud, the dissonance part is largely true. Dissonance being a lack of agreement or harmony between people or things. I don't come here to seek agreement or harmony. That would be boring. I often pass over in silence what seems agreeable, reasonable, and well-informed. Shoddy thinking is much more likely to get a reaction out of me, and I unapologetically don't hold back in my criticism. Why should I? I'm not stopping you from blocking me out. You're free to do and say what the heck you like, within the law of the land, as am I.

    As for confusion, what do you think I'm confused about?
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    S, has nothing to teach. I suggest, learning from someone else if dialectics is your thing.Wallows

    Spoken like a true ignoramus. And how much do you think you'll learn in an echo chamber?
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    Does anyone like you? If so, then they’re probably insufferable pricks as well.Noah Te Stroete

    Yes. My toaster.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    S singles out my posts for some reason. He said I have a “God delusion.” I never argued for a particular god or implied that I know the nature of God. A delusion means having a false belief. This from someone who in other threads stated he had no beliefs about God one way or the other. Now he says it’s “delusion,” and says I don’t care about the truth. Weird.Noah Te Stroete

    Delusion or misleading triviality? Take your pick, it's lose-lose. Regarding the latter, I refer you to my point about your toaster. What makes you think that petty wordplay is of significance? If that's what floats your boat, then good for you, but I see no reason to care.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    I'm not the only one to have claimed that, I do have first-hand experience however. You can use my personal report as a starting point to conduct further inquiry and see whether there is a statistically significant percentage of former materialists who call their former self as narrow-minded, or you can simply dismiss it because you don't like the idea or because you don't care.leo

    Yeah, funnily enough, I'm not going to go out and conduct a survey in an attempt to verify your opinion about materialists.

    I don't see how that addresses what I said, those "science failures" you mention were widely accepted as facts, as truth in their time, whereas someone who would have discussed ideas of 20th century physics back then would have been seen as fanciful or as a crank. And these "science failures" adhered to the "scientific method" just fine back then.leo

    Obviously I'm not assessing those views from the perspective of someone at the time, otherwise my point wouldn't make any sense. I'm assessing them based on what we now know. The speculation in the opening post is comparable, in a sense. It resembles science, but is off track and weakly supported, if at all. As others have commented, it's based on a fairly common misperception about the meaning of terms and logical implications relating to the observer effect. I've seen it all before.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    You took the time to write all of this when you didn't have to lolkhaled

    I don't "have to" do anything. I chose to give him a piece of my mind, because shoddy thinking like that irks me into responding in that manner. And besides, he explicitly asked for criticism. Though I don't like spoonfeeding. I prefer it when people think for themselves. I gave him some pointers.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    I used to be a materialist, and I see now how narrow-minded I was, so there's that.leo

    A sample pool of just one is no basis to support such a judgement.

    I used to be a materialist, and I see now how narrow-minded I was, so there's that. I don't know of many people who turned materialists later in life, sure there are examples of people who escaped indoctrination from organized religion and who find more peace of mind in materialism, but then these were more looking to escape certain people rather than a philosophy that doesn't see matter as primary.leo

    Again, personal experience and speculation doesn't amount to much in the way of strong support.

    Also, the ideas of 20th century physics would have been called fanciful by materialists in the centuries before, and they may be called fanciful again in the next centuries, and maybe what you call fanciful now will be seen as reasonable in the future. Looking at the history and philosophy of science can help shatter some deeply-held beliefs, and lead one to be more open-minded.leo

    There's also a long history of science failures, like flogiston, luminiferous aether, and the geocentric model, as well as a wealth of speculative ideas which failed to even meet the principles behind the scientific method. So what you deliberately characterise negatively with the term "narrow-minded" could actually amount to rightly standing by reasonable principles instead of compromising by lowering the standard. I'm open to anything which meets an epistemic standard worth it's salt, and not otherwise, and there's nothing wrong with that, in spite of your insinuations.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    Still I think that people who believe in the primacy of consciousness over matter are usually less narrow-minded.leo

    I could just as well say that I think that people who believe in the primacy of consciousness over matter are usually more fanciful. I could do this all day. We could just keep on trading characteristics with negative connotations, but it's not productive. It just shows your prejudice.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    There can definitely be benefits to church/religion-based social life, especially if you live in particular locations where that dominates the way that people interact socially.Terrapin Station

    I'd rather keep my principles. If it was that bad, I'd rather move. Besides, it's not like he's living in the Bible Belt.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    It’s just that my life was very lonely and shitty when I was an atheist. :fear:Noah Te Stroete

    So you were motivated by that, rather than a genuine search for truth? That's not a sacrifice that I could make. Nor is it even necessary.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    My point was that I was an atheist for a long time.Noah Te Stroete

    You should go back to being an atheist, unless you don't really care about things like truth, or reason, or science, or evidence.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    ...but without a subjective experience by someone, there would be no notion, knowledge, or experience of this. It would have no meaning. It wouldn’t matter.Noah Te Stroete

    Uh oh. He's stuck in the idealist trap of missing the point. They never seem to realise how stupid what they're saying is. It's like: without feet, I couldn't get a foot massage. Or, without eyes, I couldn't see what you looked like.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    I will not respond to S.Noah Te Stroete

    Because you can't take harsh criticism. I'm not the type to mollycoddle. But blocking it out does you more harm than good.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    That is why a consciousness is required to observe an inflation of a fluctuation in the quantum foam. Without an observer, there would be no Big Bang. This is one theory of how the universe began. A fluctuation in the quantum foam expanded and inflated into our universe. Just as wave functions require an observer to collapse, it would seem that an observer would be required for the fluctuation in the quantum foam to come into existence.Noah Te Stroete

    You're just making things up that aren't justified by the science. It's important to distinguish between what the science says and what some novice science-readers with religious motives have to say about it. The latter is often full of crap.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    By “spirit,” I am giving a name to the basic substance. You can call it “energy,” “force,” or “potentiality,” if you like. “Spirit” just sounds like an amalgam of these ideas, and it jives with consciousness and the nature of qualia.Noah Te Stroete

    Well that's ridiculous. Why don't you just call your toaster "God" and be done with it? Then you can get your rocks off by telling everyone that God exists. You've seen Him with your own eyes. You can show Him to anyone who doubts you.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    By “scientism” I am saying that you put faith in science to explain everything, including consciousness.Noah Te Stroete

    Haha! Nothing whatsoever that I've said justifies that assumption you've made about me. It just highlights your tendency to jump to conclusions.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    I have thought about this for years.Noah Te Stroete

    And? Do you want a badge? Just because you've thought about this for years, that doesn't mean you're right. You could be just as wrong, if not more so, ten years from now.

    Anyone who says things like, "I've written a book", or, "I've thought about this for years", just gives me cause for suspicion.

    What would matter even look like without it being perceived? It takes an observer to make the amorphous and undifferentiated become form and differentiated.Noah Te Stroete

    So now you've just gone into "silly idealist assumption" mode?
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    The world existed long before us and our machines.
    — S

    No kidding.
    Noah Te Stroete

    So then you understand why it was silly to point out that these man-made machines are made through human intentionality, and that they require a conscious mind in design, execution, and interpretation? Well durr! But that has no logical bearing on anything.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    Do you even know what you’re talking about? I was the biggest atheist there was for half of my life. I even wrote a book about it, and you are free to Google me. A divine consciousness is an elegant way to explain reality. You’re just biased. Your love of scientism shows throughout.Noah Te Stroete

    Yes, I know what I'm talking about enough to correct your basic errors. I don't care about your attempt to boost your reputation. It's not difficult to get a book published. Any old hack can publish through the internet these days. Big publishers like Penguin are a different matter. I won't be googling you.

    By elegant, you mean fanciful. And by scientism, you mean science. You speak in coded language, but it's alright, I can translate. And I'm not biased, you are. You clearly put the cart before the horse. You're interpreting the science to lead to God, and you have a poor understanding of the science.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    The machines, computers, and sensors are made through human intentionality. They require a conscious mind in design, execution, and interpretation.Noah Te Stroete

    The world existed long before us and our machines. You just want it to be the case that a consciousness is necessary so that you can justify your irrational God delusion. I can see right through you.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    If you’re talking about machines, then my response would be that it takes a conscious mind to interpret the results.Noah Te Stroete

    There doesn't need to be an observation to begin with. The results don't need to be interpreted. Be honest: you're only pushing this flawed and unoriginal argument (I've seen it plenty of times here before), because you're working backwards from the conclusion that there's a God. This is your predictable God bias, and it hinders your approach to philosophy. You don't actually care about the science. You're just using it.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    The observer has to be conscious.Noah Te Stroete

    No it doesn't. Do your homework.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    I think you’re close-minded, hard-headed, unfeeling, unoriginal, and unimaginative.Noah Te Stroete

    I take that as a compliment from you, because what you really mean by that is that I don't willingly cave in to uncritical speculation and excessive emotion, and you'd be right. There's a time and place for everything. I'm an amateur artist, so I have plenty of creativity.
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    Do you have a specific question or concern? Much of my thought is subconscious and only takes shape through dialogue.Noah Te Stroete

    I don't see why I should spend my time and energy giving a detailed breakdown of your opening post. That would seem like an unfair working relationship: you submit a handful of uncritical thoughts, and I'm expected to give you a detailed breakdown of the flaws? Are you suggesting that you're incapable of reassessing your own thinking, given my feedback?

    Quantum mechanics shows that subatomic particles cannot be pinned down to a specific location and momentum until it is observed.Noah Te Stroete

    It's an unresolved scientific problem. Your own further reasoning is unwarranted. The "observer" doesn't have to be human, let alone God. Even a brief reading of the Wikipedia article on the observer effect clarifies this, so you must have put little-to-no effort into researching this beforehand. Please learn more about this problem in science, and please try to approach the issue in an unbiased manner, meaning hold back on jumping to conclusions about idealism and God.

    It takes an observing mind in order for the elements of matter to take shape on its most fundamental scale. Hence, in order for the universe to begin (the Big Bang) something conscious had to observe the singularity in order for it to BECOME something.Noah Te Stroete

    You've plucked that out of thin air, it seems. Please understand that, unlike yourself, I actually abide by a standard of critical thinking worth it's salt. I don't simply accept claims of that nature, just because you've made them. Do you think me a fool?
  • What is Mind? What is Matter? Is idealism vs. materialism a confusion?
    Feel free to criticize/critique.Noah Te Stroete

    Wild speculation, vague and undefined terms, conclusions without any presented reasonable support, God bias, hand picked scientific theories - why string theory over others?

    Hardly worth taking seriously.
  • What is Philosophy for you?
    Michael and S. I got nothing to say to you, but just wanted to tag you so you might see my fucked up post above.

    You're welcome
    Hanover

    "Gluey mist". I liked that choice of words.

    What is philosophy for you? An intellectual challenge? A vocation? A schema? A mystery?Pantagruel

    An outdated academic discipline where opinionated people spout peculiar nonsense of little consequence.
  • Brexit
    The ones scaremongering tend to be those with a thinly veiled political agenda, such as the Lib Dems, the SNP, and the Brexit Party. That's to be expected. But it seems rather wasted to expend energy criticising these extreme positions when there are more credible arguments for or against to be addressed. Sure, as with the referendum campaigns, there are going to be incredible claims, like the notorious £350m claim and the World War 3 claim. These can simply be dismissed as not worthy of serious debate. But regarding predictions, one thing's for sure: there's a consensus among experts that Brexit will be economically disadvantageous.
  • Boris Johnson (All General Boris Conversations Here)
    Jeremy Corbyn (Labour): "Boris Johnson has won the support of fewer than 100,000 unrepresentative Conservative Party members by promising tax cuts for the richest, presenting himself as the bankers' friend, and pushing for a damaging no-deal Brexit. But he hasn't won the support of our country."

    Jo Swinson (Lib Dems): "Boris Johnson has finally got his hands on the keys to Number 10, but he has shown time and time again that he isn't fit to be the prime minister of our country. Whether it is throwing people under the bus or writing a lie on the side of one: Britain deserves better than Boris Johnson."

    Caroline Lucas (Green Party, no comment from leaders): "Around 100,000 Tory party members have inflicted on us a prime minister with a record of bigotry, racism, lying and incompetence. This is not democracy This is not in our name."

    Anna Soubry (The Independent Group for Change): "It's a very bleak day for our country. It's as stark as that. He's called the great charlatan for good reason. And he is absolutely shameless in his ability to shift his position."

    Nicola Sturgeon (SNP): "I congratulate Boris Johnson on his election as Tory leader and I will do everything possible to ensure that he respects Scotland's views and interests. However, I have profound concerns about the prospect of his premiership and it would be hypocritical not to be frank about these."

    Adam Price (Plaid Cymru): "During the most serious political crisis in decades, a clown is set to become prime minister. But this is no joke. People will soon realise, this isn’t as good as it gets. By electing Boris Johnson, the question of Welsh independence is not of ‘if’, but ‘when’."

    Arlene Foster (DUP): "Congratulations to Boris Johnson on becoming Conservative Party Leader. Look forward to discussing our shared objectives of strengthening the Union, delivering Brexit and restoring devolution."

    Michelle O'Neill (Sinn Fein): "We will continue to work with the Dublin government and the EU27 to protect Ireland from the catastrophic impact of the reckless Brexit being pursued by Boris Johnson and the hard Brexiteers."
  • Boris Johnson (All General Boris Conversations Here)
    Swinson might surprise you. She's got just the pizzazz the Lib Dems need and at just the right time. They won't win it, but they'll complicate matters and that's a huge improvement on being irrelevant.Baden

    They can keep Chuka.
  • Boris Johnson (All General Boris Conversations Here)
    There is nothing funny about sitting down behind a laptop and trying to make jokes at other peoples expense... That's why it's called Stand up comedy! Bahdumtssss...Mark Dennis

    :grimace:
  • Boris Johnson (All General Boris Conversations Here)
    Right. Well, many of us said the same thing about one Donald Trump, and it seems quite possible that he could get re-elected. No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the electorate. If you can fool enough of the people enough of the time, you can get elected and re-elected.Bitter Crank

    Yeah, he has a similar appeal as that of Trump to a certain group. I realise that. But I'm thinking more about the practicalities of what he has to get through in order to stay in power. It's not comparable to Trump's situation. Boris has to deliver on Brexit, and all of his strongly worded rhetoric, whilst at the same time, if he actually took us out without a deal, as he has threatened, or if that seemed imminent, then I predict that the opposition would be so strong as to spell his downfall. So he has no easy task ahead. Remember, Brexit has already been the downfall of two previous Prime Ministers: David Cameron and Theresa May.
  • Boris Johnson (All General Boris Conversations Here)
    I would say there is no "solving" the backstop issue. There is only capitulation from the UK or pretending. For 'backstop', read 'The Good Friday Agreement'. That ain't being given up.Baden

    Boris mentioned "alternative arrangements" to the backstop. Do you think that that's a pretence then? I have to say, I'm sceptical of these "alternative arrangements".
  • Donald Trump (All General Trump Conversations Here)
    You really think that your vote is "wasted" by voting a third party?ssu

    Yes.

    When there is a will, there's a way...ssu

    The collective will for a third party is far too miniscule for it to be considered a serious possibility. There's no appetite for a third party. So, you're right, in a sense: there's no will, and therefore no way.

    Or, on a different interpretation, you're not just wrong, but foolishly mistaken. You keep on willing, and see where it gets you. You think a third party will be a serious contender anytime soon? Pie in the sky!
  • Brexit
    I meant in the poltical sense. I don't think it helps the debate, the discussion of political outcomes, the weighing of options, the understanding the situation when either say predicts the end of the UK if they do or don't Brexit.Coben

    There's no denying that Brexit would damage the union. Scotland was clearly against Brexit. And the SNP - the party for an independent Scotland - have maintained control over most of Scotland for a number of years now. You don't know how future events will unfold, or to what extent they could effect the union. Dismissing the possibility of a breakup of the United Kingdom, as we know it, would be just as bad as rashly predicting it.

    And there's nothing more annoying then someone who comments that we'll survive either way. Survival? Jeez, you're setting the bar real high. We'll be economically worse off in a Brexit scenario, and especially a No-Deal Brexit scenario, but hey, at least we'll still be alive!
  • Boris Johnson (All General Boris Conversations Here)
    I doubt hard right scum like Jair Bolsonaro would be congratulating Jeremy Corbyn if he had just become Prime Minister.

    I don't predict a no-deal scenario under Johnson, as surely that would be political suicide, as, it seems to me, would a delay or an extension to negotiations past his own 'do or die' deadline of 31st October. So it seems he's stuck between a rock and a hard place, and now simply must get a deal through parliament. Although maybe @Baden is right, and we could end up in a scenario where parliament blocks a no-deal and Johnson can then blame them for it.

    Can he really solve the Backstop issue in time? Can he get a deal through parliament in time? I guess we'll see. I also can't see him lasting long. And I hope I'm right. He's for tax cuts for the rich, he has a record of gross incompetence, he has made comments suggestive of racism, sexism, homophobia, and islamophobia, he has a bad character, he deliberately evades giving straight and honest answers to questions, he's shallow and out for himself...
  • Donald Trump (All General Trump Conversations Here)
    You're not the boss of me.creativesoul

    Yes I am.