The Logic of Faith
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Science requires Ethics
While Ethics cannot be derived from Science, Science cannot be practiced without Ethics. For the scientific method to produce new knowledge the scientist must be truthful in reporting the results of experiments, prepared to forego material rewards rather than to publish work they know to be unsound and prepared to put the advancement of human…
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Blind Faith
Along with the “Three Lies” which underlie much modern rejection of call to seek an ethical life, the disdain for “Blind Faith” is a feature of our age. The term is confused – the point of faith is that it enables action is the absence of certainly. If actions only follows certainty options shrink and…
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The Turing Test
Alan Turing, probably the greatest figure in the history of 20th Century theoretical computer science and cryptanalysis, in considering the question “can machines think” invented the “Turing Test” (or “Imitation Game” as he originally called it). This sidesteps the hard problem of consciousness by replacing it with a “closely related” easier problem of how do…
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Ethics
Pragmatism must be constrained by ethics or the action cannot be good. Compromise is often inherent in this process – this may undermine both the effectiveness and / or the goodness of the action.
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Pragmatism
Action should always be informed by pragmatism – otherwise it is self-indulgent waste. In acting we select a tool and apply it. The tool has to be right for the job. Experience may tell us a tool will work, or we may “test the fit” to the job. In either case we must be open…
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Action
A one level action cannot be avoided even if it is inaction (see Can’t Change the World). However Action, as I use it here, points towards free will – the possibility of choice and an escape from the tyranny of stimulus and response. It is also used in contrast to contemplation – which has its…
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Cursing versus Blessing
As concious beings we can curse the world or bless it. To put this in physical terms we can spit or we can smile. This is in a sense a religious act which we can choose for ourselves but cannot derive from science. The “spirit of the age” moves increasingly to cursing – perceived as…
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God is Silly
Alternatively – science removes the human need for a God to make sense of human existence. However science can say nothing about the meaning of existence as meaning is not a scientific concept. If we require meaning then we must look elsewhere and that is the essence of religion. To say that God is Silly…
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To seek virtue is to self promote
Alternatively – there can never be a truly altruistic act. The argument is circular and is anticipated in the maxim “virtue is its own reward”. Theories of virtue do not exclude reward – instead they claim that some rewards are good others are not. Few such systems would regard public praise as a fitting goal…
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You Can’t Change the World
A common stated belief which is self-evidently false. By existing we change the world We breathe – we change the physical world We speak to another – we change the social world We pray – we change our concious world To deny these changes collectivity change the world (for better or for worse) requires a…
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Domain Theory Analogy
In simple term the domain theory of magnetism asks us to imagine a potentially magnetic material (such as iron) as being composed to a vast number of mini-bar magnets. These mini-bar magnets continuously attract and repel each other, but as they are randomly aligned the forces cancel each other out and the material as a…
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Collective Pragmatism
Action should always be informed by pragmatism – otherwise it is self-indulgent waste. For individual pragmatism I stated: In acting we select a tool and apply it. The tool has to be right for the job. Experience may tell us a tool will work, or we may “test the fit” to the job. In either…
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Collective Ethics
Pragmatism must be constrained by ethics or the action cannot be good. Compromise is often inherent in this process – this may undermine both the effectiveness and / or the goodness of the action. The same tensions as exist for the individual good action triangle are here also, but are amplified by the interactions of…
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Collective Action
A collective without effective external action lacks purpose. Self-development, theory building and contemplation may be occur, but without outworking self indulgence and waste is the likely end. A collective version of the “Principal of Action” is again required. Some candidates: However organisations often lose touch of their principle of action and revert to a “zombie…
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Theistic religion
Theistic religions expand the religious domain to include hypothesised external entities. In essence they believe “we are not alone” and this assumption should impact of our actions. A succinct expression one ethical religion is given in the Christian Bible, Matthew 22:37 “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all…
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Self-centred and ethical Religions
Any Principle of Action / Religion requires a prior definition of desirable ends. I suggest such systems can be split into two groups Self-centred systems restrict the religious domain to personal experience, present and future. Ethical systems place value on the other – even when this may incur costs to the self.
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Making your own Religion
In the formation of Religion The individual may choose accept the Knowledge of past thinkers and societies, and develop this knowledge or may attempt to derive their own from first principles or personal sentiment.
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Religion of Science
Religious thought and contemplation can draw inspiration and ideas from the scientific world But those inspirations and ideas Can never themselves be scientific. Note that this principle is equally true of religious thought which styles itself As humanistic, agnostic or atheistic.
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Conscious is illusionary
Brain scientists often say that Conscious is illusionary Or an emergent property of neural complexity The logical truth is that Conscious is outside the realm of science. This should not be mistaken for a version of “The God of the Gaps” argument Our experience of human conscious is not a gap It is the totality…
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Consciousness and Science
Science does not require consciousness to explain human (or any other animal) behaviour If it did It wouldn’t be science