I dislike saying "[insert theory here] is just a theory" because that saying is often used to dismiss science. However, it seems intuitive to me that saying "gravity is only a theory" is indeed correct. Any theory of gravity is just that: a theory. It's just framework for describing and predicting how nature behaves at a certain abstract physical level. A very successful framework of course, yet it's still manufactured by physicists. Who knows, scientists might even come up with a new theory that rivals Einstein. If that happens, the same things we say about Newtonian laws being inaccurate or "imprecise" will equally be said about Einstein's general theory of relativity.Newton's gravity theory was imprecise when it came to predicting the planet Mercury's behavior. Enter Albert Einstein's theory of relativity and it solved the problem - Mercury's orbit could now be predicted precisely. — TheMadFool
:lol: :up:THE ANTI-URBAN DICTIONARY MANIFESTO
Ah, Wheatley! Wheatley, Wheatley, Wheatley... I would advise you not to cite this (um...garbage) "Urban Dictionary" in your posts. I know that as an intelligent fellow, you are above this. I have, upon occasion, received websearch "hits" of urban dictionary entries, and the inanity that I have always found there has ever left my head a-wagging. This site is only good for informing about how people in the ghetto, as well as "ghetto" people who live elsewhere than in the ghetto (following the cogent distinction originally forwarded by 'Malcolm X'), define the terms of their existence. Now, before anybody "gets their back up" about this, let me state overtly that these are not intended as remarks with any 'racial' connotations whatsoever, there being many 'caucasian' people who are subsumed within the group heretofore defined. This post is serious in nature, and intended to indicate a real folly.
Many most, of the entries in the U.D. are (a) both semantically and/or grammatically incorrect, (b) vulgar, and (c) exhibiting a degenerative mental orientation towards what I might call a "typically American 'ghetto' mythos". I mean, who writes this shit, "Cita" from "Cita's World"? The instant definition of "bandwagon" is illustrative of one of these inherent problems, particularly of "(a)" above, within the "Urban Dictionary". The Urban Dictionary entry for "bandwagon" states:
bandwagon
Taking interest in something just to fit in with the crowd.
"Walker started watching Hockey because the Bruins where in the playoffs and everyone else was watching it. Walker is a major bandwagon."
...wherein the definition is faultily rendered in the sense of a deverbal adjective, to wit, a participle ("bandwagon" is a noun, not a verb or a verbal participle), and the usage example is given in an improperly nominative sense, that is, in the sense of a noun, but still incorrectly for being the wrong type of noun...that is, not as the specific type of derived noun (perhaps "bandwagoner", or "bandwagoneer" would be more correct?) which should be used within the example.
Please guys, let us refrain from ever citing the Urban Dictionary for any reason, as so doing would seem to have the power to reflect negatively upon the level of discourse here on TPF. If you need a lexicographic citation, the just use Wiktionary. At least then, you have definitions generally written by pro lexicographers or others interested in good lexicography. Any appearance of the U.D. on this site just reflects badly... — Michael Zwingli
Because they are both fundamental to philosophy.Why is there a subdiscipline of philosophy where Metaphysics and Epistemology grouped together — Shawn
"Nine times out of ten quotes are made up and attributed to people who didn't say them" - Harry Potter — StreetlightX
Communism does that. Marxism is just a philosophical doctrine that many authoritarian governments have historically incorporated into their ideology. There's nothing inherently wrong with Marxism.Marxism ground Marxism into dirt, not to the mention the millions of people buried beneath it’s rubble. If the bourgeois, unclean, and philandering Marx was able to foresee the disasters performed in his name, I wager he would have written otherwise. — NOS4A2
We know about classical liberalism. You are not stating anything new or interesting here.There hardly was any liberalism. The only thing liberal about what we have now is perhaps the rhetoric used to goad people into accepting increasing paternalistic statism and compulsory cooperation. The self-styled Liberal is taken at the face value of his pretensions, and policies which are put forth as Liberal are accepted in the same unreflecting way. See any Liberal party in the commonwealth. — NOS4A2
That's a very cynical view. It's easy to go with the popular trope that X politician is evil and dishonest or selfish. All politicians now are subject to constant vilification by some "news" agency or partisan hacks. Again, nothing interesting here. Go join the echo chamber. I'm sure there's a Reddit page just for you.At any rate, Biden is none of those. He, like other state careerists, is but a figurehead for a cabal of effete busybodies who want nothing more than to advance the state’s, and thus their own, interests. — NOS4A2
Or they can reformulate "god" (utilizing theology) to evade logic and science.So here's the thing. Believers will keep believing even if science and logic could disprove god/s. — Tom Storm
No systematic approach can disprove the existence of god because there is no universally recognized definition of god. The best we can do is refute different formulations of god. What god are we talking about?Why is it that neither science nor logic can disprove God? — Shawn
I'm not too crazy about liberalism either. :meh:The liberals ground Marxism into the dirt and pooped on it. — frank
hmm... This seems very similar to the discussion I had with @Banno earlier. https://thephilosophyforum.com/discussion/comment/607745 I guess it's just a matter of discussing philosophy the right way. (conduct? :chin: ) Thanks for your time. :smile:Not for every single word. That would take forever an be pointless. No, in philosophy we try to clarify or elucidate the phenomenon in question: free will, idealism, compatibilism, psychic continuity, etc.
That's why we have these topics being discussed, we want to understand them better. — Manuel
I don't believe we have to justify the way we express ourselves. How does one go about doing that? :yikes:By granting it, you are going to have to justify why you are using the (now) technical word "consciousness" to mean something else besides the usual meaning of the word. — Manuel
There are also different ordinary definitions of consciousness. Do we also need justification for one definition over the other?If you can't do that, then I don't see why we should use a technical definition, because it doesn't modify on our usual way of using the word, so it doesn't really serve a purpose. — Manuel
Most people don't think about consciousness the way philosophers do. And I think it's wrong to insist on a "usual definition".Dennett is using the word "consciousness" in such a way that it excludes what most people take consciousness to be. — Manuel
Research has shown that people with a high EQ tend to be more successful — TheQuestion
It seems like you are merging to very different ideas. 'Success' is about how well you do in society. While 'epistemology' is a branch of philosophy.why focus on Epistemology? — TheQuestion
Yeah, but not all the time. It's also not a very practical theory.Is that what Marxism does? Well, yes, we need that. — frank
No need for Marxism then!Power came to the labor class not through solidarity, but through fucking disaster. — frank
We can't have that. It's crucial that we keep the complaints and grievances separate.Only then we end US tyranny around the globe. We shall complain on the streets and sidewalks, we shall complain with growing confidence and growing strength on cable news, we shall defend our US adversaries, whatever the cost may be.I had thought whataboutism was a uniquely American stupidity, but when I complained about Trump on the Trump thread, I was treated to a bunch of stupidity about Biden. — James Riley
No whatabouts. This thread is a platform to complain about Biden. :naughty:So, this is not where I come to say "Well what about Trump? He did etc etc."? — James Riley