The Fallacy Of Believing In Absolute Certainty.

[ralis]

"Only the Madman is absolutely sure" Robert Anton Wilson.

 

 

[doc benway]

I agree that it makes no sense to believe in absolute certainty.

On the other hand, I have absolute certainty in my experience of the nature of reality.

Perhaps I am mad - I can live with that.

[Captain Mar-Vell]

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Absolutely relative are all the conceptions of the human mind.

 

And all truths are held on probation.

 

Indomitable re doubt is the measure of my tower.

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[Marblehead]

But I do hold to the concept of probabilities.

[suninmyeyes]

What about being sure about "never being absolutely sure "?

[Marblehead]

What about being sure about "never being absolutely sure "?

Hehehe. Yeah, that's a trick we try to play on our selves. Sometimes called circular thinking.

 

But there are some things in life we can take for granted are absolutes, like, if my kitchen stove is fully operational and I have one of the burners turned on to "high" and it has been on for a few minutes I can assume absolutely that if I put my hand on the burner I will get burned. We don't have to "prove" it to be absolute every time we turn on one of the burners. Caution dictates that we assume absolute.

[Infinity]

Just because a particularly good sci-fi writer writes something does not make it true.

 

However I agree that believing in anything absolutely is a fallacy (I also am aware believing that is a fallacy too is it not?...).

 

But I think beliefs are choices of our minds and it is possible to realise something or know something directly and absolutely. For instance I realise and I know that I am aware (what ever I is, unfortunately we have to use words).

 

∞

[ralis]

Just because a particularly good sci-fi writer writes something does not make it true.

 

However I agree that believing in anything absolutely is a fallacy (I also am aware believing the limitsat is a fallacy too is it not?...).

 

But I think beliefs are choices of our minds and it is possible to realise something or know something directly and absolutely. For instance I realise and I know that I am aware (what ever I is, unfortunately we have to use words).

 

∞

 

Wilson wrote more than sci-fi. Many of his books dealt with the limitations of language in which he explored each side of a belief system rather than taking a one sided approach. Furthermore, belief systems are only based on limited semantic constructs. Language offers no absolute knowledge whatsoever.

Edited February 25, 2014 by ralis

[Infinity]

I did not know that about Wilson. In the past have enjoyed a fair few of his books and short stories but never looked further.

 

I totally agree also with the title of this thread.

 

Absolutists to me are sad empty dead ends who have given up their wonder and the mystery perhaps to feel the security of 'certainty'. They are like brick walls that sometimes need to be smashed less they try box me in (specifically atheists, zealots and pseudo scientists).

 

Thinking about it's actually makes me feel the beginnings of rage!

 

∞

[Marblehead]

Well, do some Tai Chi and unrage yourself.

[Captain Mar-Vell]

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To hell with orthodoxy!

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[Marblehead]

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To hell with orthodoxy!

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I thought you had gotten over that by now.

[Captain Mar-Vell]

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Well, you know.

 

I still like to get a bit of that old spirit back sometimes.

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