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Sunday, September 14, 2008

A Philosophy TA Reads Ray

This was a humorous thread someone had over at Ray's blog recently. He had basically said that Ray's blog was entertaining to read for "virtually every fallacious mode of reasoning," to which Ray replies with a fallacy that Alex can't explain his purpose in this universe, and Alex responds, in part:
Ray,

I don't know what the purpose for mankind's existence is. I don't know that it has a purpose, (though I'm sure many different purposes are possible, i.e. defensible). I don't even know what or whether my purpose is. It's a question that must be asked, but has far more than one correct answer.

I do know this, however.

If your arguments are bad, then their conclusions, if any, are not justified. So believing your conclusions becomes more like playing roulette than making a rational inquiry about the nature of reality.

If your arguments are bad, then they don't offer any reason(s) for your conclusions. But other than reason to connect premises to conclusions, all we have is chance, so if your arguments are bad, then believing their conclusions is like picking beliefs at random, by chance.

[...]

1 comment:

  1. This made me laugh:

    tomby stone said...
    Ray, please heed this warning. Steve Buscemi is mad at you and he's going to use his psychic powers to destroy you and everyone you love if you don't go on public access television and dance around with no pants on. I don't know how many times I can give you this warning before your foolish heart decides to listen to me. Please don't be like those foolish hurricane victims Ray, for your own sake. Appease the mighty Buscemi with a televised pantless jig before you feel his awesome wrath.

    ReplyDelete

Unlike Ray we don't censor our comments, so as long as it's on topic and not spam, fire away.

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