What do you think?

[Smoogles]

Question 1: Scientific Knowledge,

First off I am basing this off the scientific knowledge point of view on truth. The three kinds of propositions in this view point:

Keep in mind that only Analytic and Synthetic are accepted as true scientific knowledge, nonsense (not stupidity) is just that it has no sense to it

1.) Analytic- Truth/falsity can be established by definition.
Ex: 2+2=4

2.) Synthetic- Established by observation
Ex: "All crows are black", the only way to tell is to go out and look

3.) Nonsense- No way to determine the truth/falsity of a proposition
Ex: "Life-Force" (Chiropractors original belief), "I like pizza."

Germ Theory of Disease: The most globally accepted theory in common medicine; germs cause sickness. How they actually make one sick, no one knows.

-How does aspirin work?
-How does introducing your body to the flu, via the flu shot, make your immune system stronger?

Medicine just does whatever works, no one knows how the polio vaccine works, or many other compounds that bench scientists work with to put on the shelves. Which is why after around five years, some medications get pulled off the shelves for unforseen long term affects. All they really know is, it works, low side effects, lets push it to get cleared for store release. Although there are some like penicillin, in which we do know how it works. But how is Medicine a science if there is no real knowledge of how medications work, or how the body gets sick in the first place. It is known that no one knows why people get sick, yes bacteria, yes viruses, but not how.

I would love to hear some theories as to how you guys think people get sick, if you think Chiropractition should be considered scientific knowledge, and if behavior should belong under which proposition, suggestions welcome.

Question 2: Rationalist vs. Empiricism

Rationalist: Basically believe that reality is not existence, there is an overlying or underlying truth to knowledge. (Ex: Plato's Heaven: You are born knowing the forms of everything that has existed or ever will exist, it's just a matter of recollection; Descartes: Who believed there was an equation to explain everything, and even eventually even an equation for abstract things such as beauty, B=?)

Empericist: Believe that all knowledge comes to us from the outside into the inside through the senses. You are born with a clean slate and everything you experience is slapped on to that slate, memory, reason, and imagination act as an organizers sort of putting the pecies together from past experiences. For example you touch a stove when you were two, IT BURNS, after that you are very unlikely to touch it again because you remember the pain it caused. (Ex: Aristotle ;) , John Locke, and Scientific knowledge)

I would like to ask which one you believe to be true why, and why you think the other is false. Back up all of your answers with proof and such, blah, blah, blah.

Question 3: Dualism

There is a mind and a body, (this is from the point of view of a dualist) they are two different entities. How would you (or who's theory do you think) explain(s) the idea of how a nonphysical entity pulls the levers and pushes the buttons to make a physical being move, do physical things, feel compelled to do something (even irrational Ex: suicide, fall "in love", make me write these questions... etc.)?

Responses welcome to all three questions, agruments too :( . But please be logical.

[Swamidragon]

about question1 - man, you try to approach questions too philosophicaly. Try to imagine that body is a machine. It can work perfectly for years or to fall apart even in stage of design :) . And of course this machine is surrounded by factors that can and WILL affect it because natural order of things is chaos (read mollecular physics) so all forces tend to break down a thing.
about question2 - do you realy expect to get some real answers? i mean there are many factors that can influence ones answer, like: if one believes in reincarnation he will say that you can have a vast life experience, you just have to recollect it, remeber it. Others will tell that brain is a blank paper that is filled with knowlege that you gain through life, or knowlege that you can aquire by deduction and if it isn't passed down somehow(written or oraly) it just dies with you etc.
question3 - well, i think of mind as a brain activity, so it's not realy hard to figure out how it pulls the strings of body. Oh and none of actions that an individual performs are irrational to him, at least at that particullar momment. Taking your exemples: suicide - it is seen by victims as a method to release the pain caused by a problem that cannot be solved, falling in love - i think love is not blind, one don't just fall in love, there are factors that influence ones decisions, for exemple - i had a classmate: a beautiful, inteligent and funny girl but few liked her and even fewer loved her. You'll probably ask: why? because we understood that she was out of our league, being rich and all the other things mentioned above = desturbance factor.

[jgweed]

It would perhaps have been better if you made each of the three into separate posts, since each is philosophically important.
I am afraid that the responses may become extremely broad and simply encourage everyone to express their "opinions" about the topic.
Question 2, Rationalist vs. Empiricism, seems to ignore the many (valid) philosophies that would reject both. The same can be said for Question 3.
I will attempt, as I get time or if the thread continues to be of interest, to present these philosophies as best I can given the nature of these forums. Hopefully, this will encourage further thinking about the subject and help further the discussion.

[Swamidragon]

well man try not to forget - every man is philosopher and there are as many philosophies as there are men. So, it would be realy interesting to see what every man think about it. I don't need to read some philosophers point of view because i have mine on these matters. So either you respect my point of view or you just go and read some more books thus making this thread a pointless waste of time.

[Smoogles]

jgweed

yea I was thinking about making it into three different posts but it would've taken up too much space I think and mods would probably get mad. But Short and sweet replies will suffice, quality not quantity. But if you want to be thorough be my guests. But I would like to hear from you jgweed on question two if you'd please do so.

And come on people I know you have thoughts, don't be lazy :crash: . I would like to see different views on this topic... :thumbs_up