[MD] Are theists irrational?

[Ian Glendinning]

Hi Arlo

On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 6:26 PM, ARLO J BENSINGER JR <ajb102 at psu.edu> wrote:
> [Ian]
> In a way, exactly as Platt (and myself) have said many times before .. "As
> Godel's Theorem reminds us, all knowledge is ultimately faith-based."
>
> [Arlo]
> No. Godel shows us that all symbolic systems are essentially incomplete, and so
> perhaps you could say "all knowledge is incomplete". Big difference.

Ian responds - OK with your summary. I did say "in a way". The
difference is not so big ... depends on what view "science" takes of
that incompleteness, and whether it retains "faith" in its methods to
continually push back the boundaries (in ALL areas of knowledge -
moral inlcuded) or whether it recognizes any value in knowledge not
amenable to its methods..

>
> [Ian]
> The scientists are "losing their edge" as John puts it, because they tend to
> ignore their faith in their process and simply claim higher moral ground.
>
> [Arlo]
> Science DOES have the "moral high ground" in the MOQ. Intellectual patterns are
> morally superior to social patterns.

Ian responds:
You kinda prove my point. I agree it mostly has it (maybe even 99% has
it). Science is therefore morally supereior if and only if it really
is an intellectual pattern. In practice it operates through many
social patterns too. In theory science has the moral high ground ...
in practice ...

>
> As I said to Mark, understanding the earthquake that hit Haiti as the result of
> geological forces and plate tectonics is a MORALLY SUPERIOR position to
> claiming it is the result of an angry god punishing them evil voodoo
> worshipers.

Ian responds: no argument there.

>
>
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