76 Reply by Justinian I (edited by Justinian I 20-Feb-2009 21:48:19)

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Re: Maths Sux

The only thing I can prove is Pyrrhonism, the extreme skepticism that posits that we presently can not be certain of the truth of any position, and therefore you should suspend judgment. In your case, it's a double edged sword. While you can press me in to admitting that an empirical standard for belief is a matter of personal preference, I can also show it's also the case for any other belief. So asking me to prove positivism or any other conceivable belief is a futile exercise, but this does not mean I don't have other reasons for operating as though it were mostly true.

But for the record, I am not asserting positivism. Rather I am asserting a personal preference for experience, and my reason for doing that is it's apparent utility. Illustrating its apparent utility doesn't require a detailed proof, because any idiot understands the utility of not touching fire again if they were burned by it in the past.

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Re: Maths Sux

so basically you're saying that because nothing be proven, you have decided to take the position of a dunce over that of an intellectual.

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Re: Maths Sux

"'We know God exists because He told us.'

..."

who are you talking to, Justinian?

The core joke of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is that of course no civilization would develop personal computers with instant remote database recovery, and then waste this technology to find good drinks.
Steve Jobs has ruined this joke.

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79 Reply by Acolyte (edited by Acolyte 20-Feb-2009 22:33:22)

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Re: Maths Sux

@avo

I don't think he's saying that at all. In fact, I would agree with the statement that you can not prove /anything/.

Caution Wake Turbulence

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80 Reply by avogadro (edited by avogadro 20-Feb-2009 22:37:25)

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Re: Maths Sux

there is a limited amount of stuff you can prove, but that doesnt mean you throw away human progress and have the philosophy have a caveman because nothing can be proven. or at least i wouldnt do that, and i think lowly of someone who would do that.

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Re: Maths Sux

Nobody is suggesting to throw away human progress simply because nothing can be proven. Science, for example, does not deal with proofs. Rather, it attempts to model the behavior of the physical universe in a way that best conforms with observation, experimentation, and the available evidence. Sometimes, these models aren't perfect, and less perfect models may be more relevant in certain applications than others. For example, an engineer constructing a skyscraper would find Einstein's Relativity utterly useless for his task. The alternative, the more dated Newtonian mechanics, on the other hand, would serve him much better. It's not really about proving things, it's about seeing which piece fits the puzzle best, according to your perception of the puzzle.

Caution Wake Turbulence

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Re: Maths Sux

"Nobody is suggesting to throw away human progress simply because nothing can be proven"

Justinian is thowing away all progress that cant be proven empirically.

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Re: Maths Sux

We know Justinian exists because he told us so.

The core joke of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is that of course no civilization would develop personal computers with instant remote database recovery, and then waste this technology to find good drinks.
Steve Jobs has ruined this joke.

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Re: Maths Sux

I am not convinced that there is enough experience supporting your proposition of Justinian's existence to find utility in accepting it. As far as I am concerned, until more experience supports your proposition, Justinian does not exist.

[I wish I could obey forum rules]

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