Posts tagged ‘Philosophy’

February 10th, 2010

I don’t know

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Image by † David Gunter via Flickr

Does the universe have an end, is there a literal and physical end to the universe? Or is the universe persistent and infinite? If finite, what lies beyond the boundaries of this universe?

I don’t know.

Not only do I not know, the sources I regularly depend on to keep me current on scientific research and speculation don’t appear to agree on the topic, either. At the moment they can only propose hypothesis based on mathematics. IMO, it’s one of the two major questions of life we may never find an answer to. The other is what happens after we die to our consciousness and self-awareness. I am pretty confident we won’t be any closer to an answer in my lifetime.

Since it’s unlikely any possibility we suggest will be completely disproven any time soon, we can enjoy science fiction. This is one arena in which I enjoy contemplating several possibilities with no reason to settle on one as most likely.

Due to the limits of our human imagination, we cannot easily conceive of the notion of infinity except through the language of mathematics. We lack experience with the concept of infinity. Our entire Earthly experience has been in the realm of the finite. We know that everything has a beginning and an end. The finite is intuitive, the infinite is incomprehensible.

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February 18th, 2009

Relativity is Absolutely Right

One of the most common reasons I hear from theists who are beginning to question their faith is their discomfort with the notion of the absolute rightness of their beliefs. They know and like gay people, they may be liberal politically; something in their life doesn’t quite mesh with the absolute morality of their faith.
absolute
Religious beliefs allow, even encourage, people to accept unproven allegations as absolute facts. In most every other aspect of our lives we reserve our strongest beliefs for those things that have the most evidence. The more solid evidence we have to believe something, the more passionately we believe that thing. Except in the case of religion.

Religious belief introduces the concept of absolute without justification. It cannot philosophically justify an absolute state other than to contend that because they believe it, it has to be true. “Absolute” exists in the abstract to be sure, but theism cannot offer physical evidence of absolutes which would establish absolute as more than simply a philosophical hypothetical. “Absolute knowledge” is solely the province of faith.

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June 10th, 2008

Why are we here?

Trying to extract meaning or purpose from nature is what philosophy is all about.

meaning of life

Trying to impose meaning or purpose on nature is what theology is all about.