Comments by MPhil

Comment #172580 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 6:47 pm

For the laws of logic they will claim that we do not get to use the laws of logic to force a loose on them as in all the other battles.

I usually get either something along the lines of "Maybe God isn't constrained by logic" (which means I've won, because they in their beliefs are, and thus implicitly affirm: POSSIBLE: p and ~p)

or

"But God is logic/But the laws of logic come from god"

Heard that a hundred times.

602. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172577 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 6:44 pm

I think they can at most claim that there is a Platonic world of mathematical form and people like Ramanujun have an extra sense which allows him to access that world. Mystical, but not necessarily a case for ID and God. I would think
Platonism probably renders personal Gods redundant.

You should read what Craig has to say about this... he denies Platonism because it denies the aseity of God...

http://www.leaderu.com/offices/billcraig/docs/kalam-oppy.html

Should be interesting for mathematicians, physicists as well, if only to see how creative a well-trained and powerful but deluded theological mind can be. Craig is probably the prime example of this.

He takes an almost Berkleyian position, that the (supposed) abstract entities are somehow parts of or contents of god's mind. I like conceptualism, but to think the mind whose concepts these supposed abstract entities are is god's? Ludicrous.

603. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172573 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 6:38 pm

Yes it was, and hadn't it been the addressing, I wouldn't have changed it.

604. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172567 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 6:26 pm

Quine,

many of them already claim that the laws of logic are either a divine creation or a representation of divine nature...

605. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172559 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 6:11 pm

Man, that reminds me of the American Dad!-episode where Stan went to heaven and threatened shooting god :) (great episode btw)

606. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172557 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 6:09 pm

Hey, I love Metallica... have done so since I was 14.
Now I mostly listen to Progrock and Progmetal, classical music, jazz, progjazz and spanish (guitar) music (Concerto de Aranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo is perhaps the most beautiful piece of music I know, especially the second movement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZWO5ROq_aA )

But hey, I started playing e-guitar when I was 13 - and then got into metal, of course I had to grow my hair :)
Okay, then I started singing and playing classical guitar and piano, and the look is somehow at odds with playing Bach et al. :)

So, I certainly don't take offense at that :)

607. Religion a figment of human imagination

Comment #172546 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 5:41 pm

Humans are the only animal that has a grammatical language capable of coding its own syntax and being its own metalanguage.

Humans are the only animal capable of inventing artificial languages (mathematics, logic, programming languages)

Humans are the only animal that can construct apparati (machines, computers).

Humans are the only animal that do scientific investigation (the first item on this list is a prerequisite for that).

608. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172542 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 5:33 pm

Nah, not really :)

609. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172531 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 5:08 pm

You look like Alex from Clockwork Orange (the movie)

I don't know - a girlish looking, homicidal psychopath? Doesn't sound very flattering. Besides, I have a beard :)

I'm quite happy with the animated gif for now.

610. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172514 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 4:40 pm

Brian,

that bad? :)

611. Pat Condell: Anthology DVD available now!

Comment #172508 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 4:24 pm

Condell intellectual? O tempora o mores.

The only "comedy" I would really call intellectual is what we call "politisches Kabarett" in Germany. Volker Pispers, Georg Schramm, Hagen Rether...

It's not his best piece (I disagree with a small portion of it), but here is a five-part piece of Pispers on Youtube, with English subs (quite good, but not perfect translation):

(Part I)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4H_E8b-qmo

612. Pat Condell: Anthology DVD available now!

Comment #172502 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 4:18 pm

I don't like Condell or Carlin (yes, I know - blasphemy... don't care, I find him boring, except for his piece on the "big man in the sky")...

Black on the other hand - very good.
The Brigstocke rant was also quite good, yes.

613. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172492 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 3:59 pm

Oh, I did comment an hour or two ago... and just sent you a PM that I did.

But you already know my position...

:)

614. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172489 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 3:55 pm

I think Penrose is one of the great physicists of the past century.

I never doubted that.

615. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172486 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 3:51 pm

I always copy longer posts to the clipboard - I have lost too many over the years on several boards.

616. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172484 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 3:49 pm

damn... I expected more.

Some may even think Penrose is a crackpot.

When he's talking about the mind and when he affirms Platonism (ante rem universals)... yes.

617. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172480 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 3:43 pm

It seems to be mathematics that attracts (or generates?) that kind of mental instability

:)

...that should make for an interesting reply.

618. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172476 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 3:39 pm

There is no point telling people they are wrong because of their speculations contradict some established ideas or philosophical dogmas.

You're right... good thing that I don't have any then.

But still, it's a long way from entertaining speculations as such, and assuming that they are factual when there are other explanations for the observed phenomena that integrate better into the framework of prior knowledge, are more parsimonious and explain the phenomena more fully and from a well-established scientific framework(someone hearing voices in that way).

In that case there is no epistemic justification for believing that the speculation is factual.

619. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172430 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 2:51 pm

I can still change it if I get more complaints :)

620. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172421 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 2:43 pm

Good with relativity.
Bad with relatives.

621. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172413 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 2:35 pm

but had to get help with the math.

... and reportedly treated the women who did this in a true asshole-manner.

622. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172407 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 2:29 pm

Okay then, how about a compromise?

623. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172378 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 2:05 pm

No hat: 5

Hat: 3

(Corylus, you didn't make the votes even :)

624. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172371 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 2:01 pm

I guess I will just take a third, recent picture, make an animated gif with the three and use that :)

625. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172368 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 2:00 pm

Recent? more than 2 years old.

626. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172362 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 1:57 pm

yep - imgageshack.

627. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172361 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 1:56 pm

There, changed it - I think the lighting is better now.

Use my free will? I'm a philosopher, I can't decide such mundane things :)

628. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172352 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 1:51 pm

Maybe I should photoshop the lighting in the top one... looks a bit strange...

629. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172350 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 1:49 pm

Now we have

no-hat: 3

hat: 2

We need a larger focus group.

630. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172346 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 1:47 pm

Nowadays, I always wear a rather classic ensemble of jeans, shirt, jacket, complete with pocket watch and chain into one buttonhole, sometimes a tie, and the hat of course :)

631. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172334 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 1:42 pm

Al,

MPhil,

Everyone picks the very very very best picture of themselves. It is almost a ruse.

For instance, I am actually a horribly disfigured werewolf, but I found a good angle in my photo.

Werewolf, eh? I would have guessed Sasquatch from that square jaw?

See, I don't even have a picture of myself I'm happy with. I've got two that I could put up, but one is almost 3 years old and the other is about 1 year old....

Okay, a poll...

Which one would you prefer?

My current pic,

this one:

or this:

?

Or maybe both would destroy the authority of my philosophical comments :)

632. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172302 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 12:58 pm

Found it, thanks.

633. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172301 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 12:57 pm

Thanks, Bonzai... I'll see if I can find it.

634. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172298 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 12:55 pm

Pity, I liked her picture :)

635. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172294 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 12:53 pm

The ones by flying goose in the discussion to which you referred.

636. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172289 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 12:50 pm

I'd like to read those comments, Bonzai,

could you provide a link? Or just tell me which thread that was?

637. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172255 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 11:52 am

Oops, rectified...

gave me a good laugh... :)

I liked that a woman once wrote to Bertrand Russell, telling him that she was convinced solipsism was true, and was wondering why more people weren't solipsists.

638. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172250 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 11:43 am

MaxD
I don't know if there's a unified ideology of an "anti-war movement"... I thinks it's more or less many people demonstrating against certain wars for different reasons. Sure, there are those with entrenched, immovable pacifism - against any and all military interventions in any case. They are dogmatic, and incoherent, because their reasons for being against war (namely wanting to avoid suffering) are incoherent with being against military intervention in all cases. But most of the people who went to anti-war demos (I did too, concerning Iraq, and no, I don't want a discussion about that :) are not that dogmatic.

639. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #172223 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 11:04 am

Science progresses through looking at the data, constructing hypotheses according to the scientific method, strengthening them, developing a theory from them that meets the criteria of being logically consistent and being able to produce predictions that can be tested, whereby the theory can be corroborated or falsified.

The combination of Darwin's theory with Mendel's theory, with genetics etc has been doing this for more than half a century now - and has always been corroborated. Through geological findings, through behavioural-biological findings, through genetic findings, through game theoretical findings etc etc...

Evolution is subjected to tests all the time. There are still more or less open questions when it comes to specific points like the scope and focus of selection, but there is absolutely no question when it comes to the statement that the diversity of life has come about through random mutation and non-random, natural selection. That is a fact, plain and simple. Genetic inheritance, random mutation and nonrandom selection are facts. Observed facts, adaptation within species as well as speciation itself are observed.

There are no alternative scientific theories, ID is not science at all. It's all very well when scientists point out weaknesses or less strong points in the specific details of evolution, that is how it is strengthened. But the "attacks" by ID fail on every account. Not to mention that - as I said - they don't provide an alternative scientific theory.

640. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #172213 by MPhil on April 29, 2008 at 10:51 am

Somehow I find it very worrying that "being anti-war" is depicted almost as something negative. I am absolutely anti-war. War is horrible. Doesn't mean that it isn't -in very few cases- the only option... so much is certain (fighting off an invasion for example)
Still, there are no winners in war, only survivors.

641. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #171764 by MPhil on April 28, 2008 at 7:40 pm

...and now I really have to go to sleep.

642. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #171763 by MPhil on April 28, 2008 at 7:39 pm

Goldy,

classic! A friend of mine has a 30 year old BMW, also very nice. The more maintenance-heavy, the more personal I guess.

Posting pictures can be a bit tricky, since any url is automatically converted into a link (at least for me).

Basically, I write the image-tag [img src="url"] (only with "<" and ">" instead of "[" and "]") then copy the url into where it says url, while keeping the inverted commas. Then I post the comment, reload, edit and delete the automatically inserted a href tag, so that it again has the original form of img src="url", save and reload.

643. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #171759 by MPhil on April 28, 2008 at 7:33 pm

And finally:

How many deconstructionists does it take to change a light bulb?
On the contrary, the NILE is the longest river in Africa.

And now off to bed! Night all.

644. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #171758 by MPhil on April 28, 2008 at 7:32 pm

How many theodicists does it take to change a light bulb?
100-one to change the bulb, and 99 to explain why an infinite God of love would allow darkness to occur in the world at all

645. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #171757 by MPhil on April 28, 2008 at 7:29 pm

Max,

about 60-70.

To lighten things up a bit:

How many Quantum physicists does it take to change a lightbulb? (version two)
Depends on the room size--you need to fill the room first with blind-folded scientists. Then, upon a signal, they all remove the blindfolds and look toward the general area of the 'old' bulb. Then, when the waveform collapses, whoever is CLOSEST to the newly 'congealed' bulb, grabs it, and WITHOUT blinking, makes the change. Also, this procedure MAY require one additional physicist to remove a dead cat from the room

646. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #171750 by MPhil on April 28, 2008 at 6:59 pm

:)

Nice... And looking at David Chalmers, I wouldn't be the only philosophy professor (if I should make it that far) with long hair either.

647. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #171737 by MPhil on April 28, 2008 at 6:29 pm

I love Monty Python's International Philosophy!

648. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #171735 by MPhil on April 28, 2008 at 6:28 pm

Yes, I did - thought I'd link to it again (for those who haven't seen it)

I also linked to the "Brain in a vat at the wheel of a runway trolley":
http://www.mindspring.com/~mfpatton/Tissues.htm

But did I link to the Philosophical Light-Bulb jokes?
http://consc.net/misc/lightbulb.html

649. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #171732 by MPhil on April 28, 2008 at 6:25 pm

I hate the discrimination against asian motorcycles... Harley's used to be motorcycles that were loved because they were such crap that you HAD to tend to them so much.

The Aquila is wonderful. Much better than all their earlier stuff. It could be better - but where is this not true? I love it.

650. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #171728 by MPhil on April 28, 2008 at 6:20 pm

Indeed, classic stuff!

More classic stuff (a bit more "in-joke"y though):

Proofs that P

More Proofs that P

Still More Proofs that P

Causes of Death of Philosophers

(including such classics as "Quine: Became the value of a free variable" and "Kant: Found the means to his own end")

A Non-Philosopher's Guide to Philosophical Terms
(absolutely brilliant!)