Posted: 1/20/2003, 9:50 pm
It wouldn't be Star Trek if he didn't. I love Star Trek..........Darmak and Gilad at Tanagra was on today. I like that one.
Narbus wrote: And another basic concept is the careful choosing of our variables. If you make the mistake of picking the wrong ones, or define the ones you pick improperly, your entire train of logic that follows is going to be erroneous.
Ah, but are not apples and oranges both fruits? So if we define A to be "fruits," than Apple = A and Orange = A. So Apple = Orange, given that we are talking about fruits. It all depends on perspective, and how you define that variable.
Not true. Man can be thinking in some cases, and not thinking in others. Just because we choose once in our lives to think does not mean that we always do.
Define rational. It was already tried, and didn't work.
NikitaTheIrishesqueSpy wrote:Point taken. However, the variables in this argument seem to be everyday situations. Thus, the question is: can one man be one thing, and be the exact contradiction of it in the same moment? One cannot be both alive and dead. Nor can one be both tall and short. These are objective characteristics, and they cannot be interchanged.
Apples and oranges are both classified as fruit. Let me use a more applicable example to the topic at hand. Suppose I am caucasian. I cannot be of a black race at the same time. Thus Caucasian= A, Black= B. A does not equal B. Granted, you can twist these premises to suit yourself and make your conclusion correct, however what Objectivism deals with is concrete situations. It deals with people, thus objectivly speaking, I cannot change my race. What is objective retains its objective characteristics, and that is the basis of Rand's definition of Objectivism.
Thank you for reiterating my point that one can always choose. The difference between what you wrote and what I wrote lies in the fact that we always choose, whether consciously or subconsciously. Only when a choice is conscious does it become a part of human rationality. This is the type of choice that Objectivism deals with. A non-thinking choice is not equated with human reason.
Rational, according to Webster's dictionary is a. Having reason or the faculty of reasoning. Or in psychological terms, it is the investigation into the nature of the mind. Thus, it follows that REASON is defined as: The faculty of thinking; the intellectual power of understanding; the faculty which draws inferences from facts; the logical premise of an argument. Therefore, reason and rationality are human traits. In order to separate ourselves from animals, we must employ these cognitive faculties. I believe that your issue with these concepts lies in your misunderstanding, or misinterpretation of LOGIC as it pertains to Objectivism and reality. It is true that we technically cannot prove that Descartes and other non-existentialists are wrong, however it cannot be proven that they are right. All we can know is what we think (Cogito Ergo Zum), and what lies before us as object fact.
Narbus, I don't believe anyone has asked you specifically what your beliefs are as far as your applied philosophy on life. How do you live? It is one thing to talk, but actions DO speak louder than words.
No. I am arguing that people believe different things to be moral, and that morality is reliant on perspective, so different people really do have different morals. There is no absolute. It is relative.
Alright. The child dies a slow, painful death from starvation. Did you know that you can survive over a week without eating anything? That's a very, very long week.
This is what's called a "logical fallacy." You are assuming there are only two options here for me to choose from. There are more. For example, there is the choice that we both are right, since morality is relative. Just because I have certain feelings on an issue doesn't mean the whole world has to live by those feelings. People can make their own decisions.
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I'm color blind. The color green isn't the same to me as it is to other people. Eat it.
And if you'd mind pointing out where I said I was a nihilist, I'd appreciate it, because I didn't.
Oh. OH OH OH. So, given a certain scenario, all people don't have the same rights. Look at that! Morality is dependant upon the situation, or as some would call it, relative. Go figure.
I have to go to work now, but in the meantime, go watch a movie called "Memento." It's a great example of how perception influences your reality.
Ah, but are not apples and oranges both fruits? So if we define A to be "fruits," than Apple = A and Orange = A. So Apple = Orange, given that we are talking about fruits. It all depends on perspective, and how you define that variable.
Well, at least you got the point
And I respond "Says who?"
Because you're on one side or the other. If you're in the US or Afghanistan, one side it right, the other is wrong.
I ask again, where are you getting this list of whats right and whats wrong? Are you basing it on your own values?
Yes they are, TO THEM! How many times can I say this? If you are a southern slave owner, blacks are like farm animals, if you're someone like me, they are equals.
Are you saying if Hitler had won, he'd be walking around talking about how wrong he was?
No, because as I said, I make my own moral decisions. Society simple enforces the majority rule. And the majority is right by default
*rolls his eyes*
That IS the argument. Everyone believes their actions are right, no one does something thinking "This is wrong, but I'm doing it anyway, just cause" They say "This is wrong, but it's for a better good" or "This is right"
xchrisx wrote:Well, at least you got the point
no, you missed it. i repeat, for the one zillionith time, your beliefs do not define reality. if i believe that there is a new car on my driveway, will one appear? even if i hallucinate that it's there, will it be there? i know you're probably going to say "yes, to you", but i dont' care about what's going on in my crazy mind. i want to know if other people are going to see me cruising around in a new car or if i'm going to be walking.[/b]
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what? correct me if i'm wrong, but did you just ask me to prove to you that the KKK are not superior to black people?
objectively, the answer is no. their beliefs may be relative, but they are still incorrect.
ok, since you insist, why don't you take a look at any professional sport, wherein you'll find hundreds of black athletes perfoming on or above the level of their white team mates. we also have black scientists, doctors, writers, artists, muscians etc.
i can't believe you just asked that. uh, duh.![]()
contradiction. paradoxes don't exist in reality so you'll need to come up with something that does.. and i don't see how the soil you were born on has anything to do with innocent lives being lost.
must be nice to be so sheltered as you to be able to say "well who cares about the 3000 innocent afghani that died, because i live on this patch of dirt so now it's ok."
must be wierd to think that the preceding was a logical train of thought.
reality. i live there.
so what, are southern slave owners superior to all of us, too? what magically makes blacks inferior to just them? if i could own slaves today, would i magically become superior to the race of my slave?
now you've really gone off the deep end. basically, you're just sort-of rascist, is that what i am to assume?
you just said to me that only "some" white people are superior to black people, the slave owners of the deep south, o well and the KKK i guess. nice.
no, because as i have stated one hundered times over, hitlers beliefs on the right/wrongness of his actions have no effect on the fact that they are objectively wrong.![]()
ok dude, before it was just a little bit of bullshitting but i'm really starting to think you're some kind of elitist. if the majority is always right then the minority is always wrong. hey, that's an absolute! furthermore, you just said you don't agree with the concept of minority rights in any way shape or form.
[b]so? beliefs are NOTHING. they're just what you think about an issue. that doesn't change shit. if i believe with all my heart that i am superman and can fly, and i jump of a building, I WILL FALL AND DIE. holy crap, this is not rocket science here, skippy.
xchrisx wrote:the same thing cannot be right and wrong at the same time. it is impossible. it can only be one, or the other. this is simple metaphysics, man.[/b]
there are only two choices here. either you are right, and slavery is wrong, or slavery is right, and you are wrong. you cannot both be right, because that would be a contradiction, which is illogical. i don't care if you "answered that in another post" because your answer was wrong. contradictions are illogical. this is an object fact. that you sit here and deny something as elementary as this is outright mind boggling.
you're ignorant and you don't want to be educated. from now on, this discussion will be purely for my own amusement purposes.
logical fallacy.
a. apples are a fruit
b. oranges are a fruit.
c. therefore apples are oranges.
watch this.
a. hitler was a human
b. narbus is a human
c. therefore, narbus is a nazi.
see?
damascussteel i'm really not going to reply to you because you are clearly so outside the realm of rational thought it's not even funny. therefore, your posts aren't amusing to me. you're just nuts.
i don't care where you place your "value" becaue your value is wrong. what you believe about morality is wrong.
YourJesus wrote:is it your position that an object [ie an apple] can be one thing and it's opposite at the same time? Is it your position that my skin can be both black and white at once? Is it your postition that objectivity is not real?[/b]
By saying there is no morality, or rather, that it is different to different people, you are giving them a free pass to take whatever action they choose.
suppose a person suscribes to the moral code "baby killing". to him, strangling helpless babies is a way to practice his beliefs. He is also a realitivist, like you, so he believes he is right in taking this action. since there is no morality, who is to say he is wrong? nobody. because to him, his action is right, and as we all know, there is no such thing as objective reality, and everyone's beliefs and opinions must be respected, right? therefore he should be permitted to continue strangling babies until his heart is content.
a person has been strangling babies. when confronted about this heinous act, he has defended himself by saying he believes morality is realitive, and to him, babies are meant to be strangled. objectivley, we can see that this is not a rational choice and that his action violates the rights of the baby. therefore, the individual has commitied an evil act and must face the full concequences of his decision.
i do see things in terms of right and wrong, black and white. i do make blanket statements like "murder is wrong" because the moral value of an action is not created by the circumstances that surround or provoke that action.
xchrisx wrote:you completely ignored the bulk of my post to you. any reason?
you keep getting what people believe confused with what is. i for one, am tired of repeating myself.
xchrisx wrote:of course stealing is wrong.
xchrisx wrote:stay out, and die. you do not have the right, no matter what your circumstance, to rob somebody else.
YourJesus wrote:damacus. read my most recent post to narbus.
DamascusSteel wrote:And I'll say it again, you've done nothing but give your beliefs to define reality. When you give me some other neutral morality that is in no way dependent on a person's beliefs, you'll have some proof.
You know, I can come up with pieces about how inferior blacks are. Based on intelligence, economy and what not. Some KKK guy spouting out about how they have smaller brains, to look at Africa and so on. Why am I supposed to believe they are superior just because they can show intelligence? I didn't say prove they were human, I said prove they weren't inferior.
It's called nationalism you twit, are you trying to tell me that EVERYONE in the entire world was completely devastated? No, in fact, some people were damn glad. And as to the attack againest Afghanistan, some people, including some people here, were very glad "That we killed those ragheads"
Whether they were innocent or not.
xchrisx wrote:go outside and look around and you'll see the proof of what i am talking about. reality cannot be modified by your thoughts. go ahead and try it for yourself. believe you have a new car on the driveway of your place and see what happens.
But my opinions can be modified, can they not? Right and wrong are opinions.are you seriously arguing that white people are superior to blacks? jesus man. take a look around. anything and everything white people do these days, black people can do at least as well and sometimes even better. i cannot believe you are sersiously trying to imply there is any credible evidence to the contrary.[/b]
No, I'm not telling you they, I'm telling you people have proof to the contrary. They believe, based on their facts, that they are.this is object fact. it is not refutable, it is not debatable. the very fact that you try to argue that people of a certain skin tone are superior to those of a different skin tone is preposterous.
It's fact because you say it is, not because it really is
SO FUCKING WHAT? for the millionith fucking time, you twit, your beliefs don't shape reality. i'm not talking about how people "felt" about the killings, because i don't give a shit. all i'm pointing out is that exactly the same thing happened to both groups of people.
So wait, it doessn't matter if they think it's right or wrong, because you know its wrong, therefore everyone is wrong? Your morals don't apply to everyone.IT IS IMPOSSIBLE, in the realm of logical and reasonable thought, as well as in reality, for two things to be opposites. this is the first rule of metaphysics, a philisophy invented by aristotle that has stood for thousands of years.
Wait, invented? Like before him it didn't exist?Again, this is not math, these are opinions. Aristotle never went into opinions
you expect me to believe that a person who has never studied aristotle, or any other philosophy for that matter [ that's you ] can refute metaphysics in 10 minutes on a messageboard?
How do you know I never took philosophy? Because I don't agree with you?[b]by repeadately denying what is obvious and object fact you have demonstrated to me that you are either trolling or incredibly unreasonable. therefore, i'm done with you. furthemore, the rascist overtones of this discussion are souring it for me.