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Posted

We all believe in certain beliefs, we hold to be absolute truths.

Many of these beliefs are essential for our survival, but all to often we never care to check if they hold true, perhaps because we are most often preengaged in other persuits, may be we are lazy. The belief is just a convenience.:eek2:

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
I was implying that there is no absolute truth. In regards to anything. All things are relative! C'mon.

 

Every belief ever established has changed and mutated; negating it.

It is my contention that all things are not relative. Saying that it is absolutly true that all beliefs are eventually proven wrong is a belief that contradicts itself. To follow that logic is to say that all beliefs are wrong, therefore it is a fallacy to ever believe anything. At some point you have to take hold of certain things being true and build a life upon those beliefs. Where your chioces in belief contradict those choices of others you need to have some barrier that allows for peaceful coexistance. It is the forcing of belief systems upon people that leads to conflict. And "all things are relative" is just as bad a belief system to force on the unwilling as any other.

 

Bill

Posted

… what do you all make of a “truth” like “the sum of the lengths of any two sides of a triangle is not less than the length of the remaining side?” (the triangular inequality) Is relative, absolute, impossible to determine without additional information, or not a “truth”? (and, of course, why?) :shrug:

Posted

That CraigD depends on the geometry you are considering, in plane geometry it is a truth we cannot question, but in other geometeries? Remember the changes brought about in the past century when we realized spherical geometry!:cup: There are many more geometries to be discovered:) :)

Posted
We all believe in certain beliefs
I am afraid I can't include myself in that category. Please explain to me why it is necessary to believe anything. Why can't you just turn your life over to your instincts and not worry about their being right or wrong. Survival has bestowed you with them so they are very apt to be in accordance with successful interactions with the universe; right or wrong seems to me to be a rather meaningless concept. Plus that, not worrying about things leaves me lots of time to think about them and that's fun. :cup:

 

Have fun -- Dick

 

God save me from people who know what ought to be done; they are the single most dangerous element in the universe.

Posted
I am afraid I can't include myself in that category. Please explain to me why it is necessary to believe anything. Why can't you just turn your life over to your instincts and not worry about their being right or wrong. Survival has bestowed you with them so they are very apt to be in accordance with successful interactions with the universe; right or wrong seems to me to be a rather meaningless concept. Plus that, not worrying about things leaves me lots of time to think about them and that's fun. :confused:

 

Have fun -- Dick

 

God save me from people who know what ought to be done; they are the single most dangerous element in the universe.

So, you are a strick believer in non-belief. How does your tail taste?

 

Bill

Posted
We all believe in certain beliefs, we hold to be absolute truths...)

Anybody here have any interest in defining our terms? :confused:

How is 'believing' distinguished from 'knowing'?

How is a 'belief' distinguished from an 'opinion'?

Can we speak of a personal (local) 'belief' as distinct from a cultural (global) 'Belief'?

What makes a belief (or Belief) 'absolute'?

If you disbelieve a belief, what do you call it? :naughty:

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