Atheism (old or new) lacks “oomph”

November 4, 2024

Philosophy has two meanings. The word describes either

  1. a way of behaving and living, or
  2. it is the study of the unanswerable questions around us.

The second is the one that interests me the most. But atheism is neither the one nor the other. It has no “ism”. It does not classify as a philosophy. Somebody who tells you he is an atheist is not telling you who he is or what he stands for. He is only telling you who he hates.

Gods, deities, religions (gdr) and the Great Mysteries

I know that gods were invented by man but I find atheism lacking in substance and very unsatisfactory. It is a-theism but effectively has no ism of its own. Atheism, at its core, is no more than a reaction to theism. It defines itself in opposition to the belief in gods or a higher power. Without the concept of a god or gods, atheism could not exist. Gods and deities and religions (gdr) were invented by man when they found mysteries which could not be explained. Gods and deities were labels for the unknown answers to unanswerable questions. Religions came about because it was realised that the labels could be hijacked to coerce people to follow a desired way of life. The second part – the religion part – was nearly always created by the unscrupulous and always as a way of coercing the behaviour of the gullible. Religions always have a political goal and a political objective – the coercion of a particular kind of behaviour. Nevertheless, it seems entirely logical that the gods of the winds and the seas and the mountains and the sun and the moon would be invented when the natural world defied explanation and generated awe and wonder among humans. Gods of creation and destruction and even their anti-gods were inevitable given that humans kept asking but found that there were no answers. (Deities and pantheons of gods probably came about to make for more interesting story-telling and also probably to avoid divine labour disputes and to acknowledge the different skills they possessed)! Man invented gods and then fantasized about men being in the image of the invented gods. Gods and deities were arbitrarily invested with human or supernatural characteristics. Elaborate stories were concocted and theologies built around the concoctions but the Great Questions remained unanswered.

In any event, the Great Mysteries which have been Great Mysteries since the dawn of man and which remain Great Mysteries today are (such as but not restricted to) existence, time, causality, space, matter, energy, life and consciousness. Neither science nor philosophy nor religion or metaphysics or theology are any closer now to providing explanations for these today than homo erectus had available a million years ago. No atheist is closer to answers to the Great Mysteries today than any beatified saint of the Middle Ages. Modern physics and cosmology have no possibility of addressing their own fundamental assumptions. Modern science can not contemplate its own navel. Existence and time and causality and matter and space are merely assumed. They can neither be addressed or penetrated. The spark of life and what makes for consciousness are as mysterious today as in Buddha’s time. The Big Bang is just another creation myth which requires something to come from nothing. Sounds Divine! Quantum mechanics depends upon the God of Random (since random means without cause) and the claim that any form of existence is probabilistic is merely proof of ignorance. (Statistics and probability only come into play in the field of ignorance. If you know something, probability of outcome is meaningless). Physics does not know what the stuff of the fundamental particles is/are. Quantum mechanics does not know what makes waves particles or particles to be waves. (and waves of what, one may ask).

What atheism is

The “new atheism” is really just a virulently aggressive form of old atheism and just as unsatisfactory.

New Atheism is a movement characterized by a group of prominent atheists who argue that religion is not only false but harmful to society. This movement emerged in the early 21st century, primarily popularized by authors like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, and Daniel Dennett.

Key characteristics of New Atheism include:

  • Assertion of atheism: New Atheists openly and assertively declare their atheism, often contrasting it with the more passive or private atheism of the past.
  • Criticism of religion: They argue that religion is not only false but also harmful, leading to irrationality, violence, and oppression.
  • Emphasis on reason and science: New Atheists advocate for a reliance on reason and scientific evidence as the primary means of understanding the world, rejecting religious claims based on faith or revelation.
  • Promotion of secularism: They support the separation of church and state and advocate for a secular society where religious beliefs do not influence public policy or institutions.
  • Public engagement: New Atheists have been highly vocal in their public criticisms of religion, often engaging in debates, writing books, and giving lectures.

While New Atheism has been influential and sparked significant debate, it has also faced criticism for its aggressive tone, ….

Atheism has no “oomph”

A denial of gods, deities and religion (gdr) is existential for atheism. If others did not believe in gdr, no atheism could exist. But neither the old nor the new atheism has any “philosophy”, any “ism”, of any significance that it can call its own. It has no philosophical “oomph”.

Attacking gods and their imagined human attributes is not difficult. When an atheist does so it requires no great intellectual exertion. Taking god-labels literally and attacking them is no great feat. But explaining the reasons why gods were invented in the first place is beyond any atheist. What I find particularly irritating with atheists being smug is that when they attack gdr they are effectively saying “I don’t know what existence is either but I know it isn’t gdr”. It is the worst kind of logical self-contradiction there can be. “I don’t know, but I know it isn’t what you say”. They claim to use reason but fall at the first hurdle. Atheists claim a higher level of ignorance. It reminds me of children arguing. “I don’t know but you don’t either. Yah, boo sucks to you”.

I have observed that the high priests of the atheists sometimes claim – almost as a desperate justification that atheism is more than just a criticism of gdr – that it also has its own distinct philosophical base. They invoke the principles of Empiricism, Naturalism, Skepticism, Humanism, and Secularism as being somehow a part of atheism. But atheists did not invent any of these and none of them need atheism for their existence. Furthermore they forget that the regime of logic and reason they espouse is itself a belief like any other, and is a belief which cannot be proved. Naturalism – and obviously also atheism – are silent on the great mysteries of existence, time, causality, life, space, matter, energy and consciousness. Atheists say they are skeptical of claims that are not supported by evidence or logical reasoning, and are particularly critical of religious claims that are based on faith or revelation. And yet all of science and knowledge are based on impenetrable fundamental assumptions. The Big Bang is just another Creation story and we still have no clue as to how gravity is mediated. The curvature of space-time is a mathematical construct and now String Theory has been discredited and Dark Matter probably does not exist. Atheists often claim to be humanists setting great store on the value of human life and on the importance of reason, compassion, and cooperation. These are just assertions, with no connection as to how things actually are. An atheist’s humanism is simply wishful thinking and lacks any logic as to how the lofty principles of humanism can be compelled to prevail. It is little more than sentimental claptrap. Instead of being the champions of a secular society, they have merely created a new intolerant religion.

The “philosophical elements” supposedly underpinning atheism only succeed in showing up atheism as being a religion on its own. Orthodoxy is defended by the new self-appointed high priests. Heretics are subject to inquisition and torture by YouTube or social media. The worst of the blasphemers are sacrificed by cancellation. Unthinking acolytes serve as the foot soldiers, torturers and executioners representing the high priests of the new religion. Admit it or not there is a virtual High Church of the New Atheism. Their ideas and beliefs are effectively “orthodoxies” assumed or asserted to be true or correct. Certain individuals, such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens, are treated as “high priests” in the sense that their ideas and arguments are blindly accepted without criticism. There is a high level of intolerance and criticism directed towards those who disagree with the views of new atheists. There are undoubtedly modern “inquisitions” with the public shaming or cancellation or condemnation of those considered heretics. The foot soldiers who deify the high priests then become overly zealous and dogmatic as they blindly imitate and reproduce the ridicule of heretics without any exercise of mind. Just as all unthinking acolytes.

I don’t have much time for gdr. They do not offer me the answers I am looking for. But atheism – new or old – has no substance of any kind to offer either. It only offers petty arguments for attacking gdr. It makes no attempt to address the Great Mysteries of existence, time, causality, matter and energy, life and consciousness. Atheism, in fact, is cowardly in that it attacks labels instead of trying to address the mysteries which led to the invention of the labels.

Somebody who tells you he is an atheist is not telling you who he is or what he stands for. He is only telling you who he hates.

Atheism – old or new – has no good purpose at all. It has no “ism” and it certainly has no “oomph”!

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Why I see race as a brute fact which needs no social construction

October 23, 2024

One of the modern delusions promoted by behavioural apologists is that race is a social construct. Yet the same people tend to be those promoting “affirmative action” which is a kind of reverse discrimination based on the races which they don’t see existing!

I see race as brute fact of existence which originates in ancestry/genetics and not in social engineering.

Why evolution is true

…. if races/ethnic groups can be diagnosed with over 99% accuracy by using information from many bits of the genome, then the statement “Race and ethnicity are social constructs, without scientific or biological meaning” is simply wrong. Race and ethnicity, even when diagnosed by individuals themselves, do have scientific biological meaning: namely, they tell us about an individual’s ancestry and where their ancestors probably came from. This is true in the U.S. (this paper) or worldwide (the Rosenberg et al. paper). Further, if you look on a finer scale, as Novembre et al. did, you can even diagnose what part of Europe a European’s ancestors came from (it’s not perfect, of course, but it’s pretty good).

  • All visible physical characteristics used to create classification clusters for a race are real and due to ancestry/genetics.
  • The physical attributes are brute facts and social construction is of no relevance in their reality.
  • A tall person is a tall person because of his height and calling him tall needs no social construct to be invoked. Social engineering does not move a short person into the ranks of the tall race.
  • A “child” is a child because of age and “children” are real and not some artificial social construct.
  • A black person – irrespective of the hue of his skin – of black ancestry is a black person whatever any social construct may pretend.
  • Being blonde or blue-eyed or having curly hair are all characteristics determined by ancestry/genetics. They are never a social construction.
  • An Indian of Indian ancestry is a member of the Indian race whatever else any social school may pretend.
  • A Chinese of Chinese ancestry is of the Chinese race whatever any social mumbo-jumbo may pretend.
  • Blackness or Indianness or Chineseness, which are represented by the cluster of visible physical attributes typical of being a member of the black race, the Indian race or the Chinese race, are brute facts of existence and are not socially engineered.
  • Social engineering does not create the physical attributes of people. There is no physical characteristic used in describing race which is not genetic (Skin colour, hair colour and appearance, eye-colour and shape, height and width, ….). Race is never based on clustering according to social characteristics (even if happiness and truthfulness surveys are reported by country).
  • That some races of man have been repressed, abused, exploited and badly treated by other races of men is also brute fact.
  • The existence of the races themselves is brute fact and not a social construct. The social behaviour or misbehaviour of some races to other races – historically and now – are social constructs.
  • Addressing past misbehviour against some races is itself a tacit acknowledgement of the existence of the races.

The races of man are a useful, practical classification of clusters of visible, physical attributes manifested by people at any given time. It is rooted in the primal survival traits of “we” and “them”. It is a convenient classification by how people look. And how they look is genetic not social. The clustering may change over time but rather slowly across generations. The races were slightly different in Roman times but not so very different. There were surely races 100,000 years ago but those would have looked very different to the races we recognize today. At any given time the races recognized are generally based on easily distinguishable characteristics, all of which are a consequence of ancestry/genetics. Whether members of some races are treated well or badly by members of other races may well be of social concern. But the existence of the races is not caused by social construction.

Race is a brute fact and needs no social construction to exist. Or to put it another way, social construction adds no value to the definition of races which have been established by ancestry/genetics.

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“Go for Catch”

October 16, 2024

Some are not very impressed.

I was.

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Exploring the Nature of Logic, Reason, and Rationality

October 10, 2024

There is always circularity involved when considering logic, reason and rationality. One set of definitions gives:

  • Logic: The study of valid reasoning.
  • Reason: A broader concept that encompasses logical thinking, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
  • Rationality: The quality of being reasonable or logical.

What is logical is not always considered reasonable. Yet we derive the rules of our logic from our reason. If we try and define what reason is we come back to logic and what is rational. But we also differentiate between logic and reason and rationality. It seems to me that all claims of objectivity whether for logic or reason or rationality are trying to square the circle. 

Thinking through the nature of logic and its relationship to human reason, I am struck by the idea that logic, as we know it, may be much more of a human construct than being anything objective or universal. Logic, with its clear-cut rules of deduction, can only be a mirror of the world we claim to observe. It is a reflection of how humans perceive the world—through patterns, cause and effect, and binary distinctions between truth and falsehood. The concept of truth and falsehood as binary and mutually exclusive is a foundational assumption in classical logic, and propositions are either true or false without any middle ground. (The Law of the Excluded Middle). The rules of logic derived by reason are assertions and are fundamental assumptions. The binary distinction between true and false and that the one excludes the other is also just an assumption. It does not reflect all that we observe. It seems logical to us to say that if A is true, then B must follow, and if not-A, then not-B. But is this framework truly a reflection of the world as it is, or just a convenient tool we’ve developed to make sense of our observations?

I conclude that logic is inherently tied to the human mind – and particularly to individual human minds. It is a product of how we, as humans, experience the world through our senses, our language, and our understanding of cause and effect. Our observations, no matter how often repeated, and no matter how many times duplicated, are all perceptions. A delusion shared by multitudes does not make it true. A perception shared by billions does not make it any more objective than a single individual’s perception. The idea of something being “true” or “false” may not be a feature of the universe itself but a structure imposed by human cognition. A spider, for instance, will perceive the world in ways that are entirely alien to us, and it may have an entirely different logic that makes sense within its own experience. What we call “logic” could thus be nothing more than a human artefact, and there might be other forms of reasoning—unknown to us—practiced by other species or even extraterrestrial beings.

I must reject the idea of an absolute, objective logic. If logic is shaped by the mind that perceives the world, it cannot be universal. It must always involve the observer, making it inherently subjective. What we consider logical may not be logical to other beings whose cognitive processes are different from ours. I am quite certain that our pets do not consider our actions always to be logical. Logic, as a formal system, can only tell us what conclusions follow from given premises according to certain rules, but it does not tell us why those rules reflect the reality we observe—or whether they would hold in different contexts or for different minds. The rules of logic only give us an assumed correct process of thought, given a starting true condition, to reach other true conclusions. But logic does not attempt to define what truth is. It takes as a foundational assumption that what is not true is false and vice versa.

Hence, logic clearly is connected to but is not the same as reason. Further, I find it interesting to explore the distinction between what is reasonable and what is logical. There is no law of nature which requires us to act logically (or reasonably for that matter). Human actions may overrule what is logical to instead be reasonable or even unreasonable. While logic is about formal consistency, reasonableness is about sound judgment within the real-world context. A conclusion can be reasonable—based on experience, intuition, or practical considerations—without being strictly logical. Conversely, something can be logically valid but still seem unreasonable when we take into account broader factors like emotion, ethics, or practicality.

Thus, human reason is much wider than logic alone. I like to think of it as logic being the correctness part of that part of the thought process which needs to be bound by rules. Reason needs much more than just thinking correctly. Reasoning often involves flexibility, considering context, emotion, and pragmatic outcomes, whereas logic is strict and rule-bound. It is this broader sense of reason that helps us navigate the complexities of human life, and where strict logic fails to account for the richness of our experiences.

I conclude that logic is a guideline for structured thinking, but it is not synonymous with being reasonable. It is a product of human thought, applied to our thinking. It is tied to our perception and cognition, and its validity can only extend to be within the boundaries of what we can observe or understand. Reason, on the other hand, embraces a much wider scope. Reason brings judgement into play. To make judgements needs a set of values to compare with. The use of reason is what brings a judgement of what is “best” to do into play. Logic only allows us to follow the rules but reason allows us to act wisely and sensibly in a world that is often too complex for formal logic to capture.

But it also means that logic applies only to thinking and is no constraint on human actions. Reason is what we often use to overrule logic and as the justification of our actions. In this way, reason functions as the adaptive, real-world application of human thinking, whereas logic remains an internal tool for organizing thoughts, not necessarily dictating how we behave.

Even truth is an artefact of the mind. The world around us exists – it is. That part we perceive as observations (direct or indirect or implied) we take as being existential truth. This is the closest we get to any absolute truth and even that is tainted as being a perception of a human mind with all the limitations and foibles of that mind. A brute fact it seems, but still subjective. And everything else we take as truth is just a perception in a human mind. 

Logic, reason and rationality are all artefacts of human minds. They are all subjective. There is no such thing as objective logic – except as a subjective perception.

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String theory and loop quantum gravity are a load of bulls**t

October 6, 2024

Sabine Hossenfelder is always worth listening to and she is more often right than wrong.

I suspect there are many more areas of current “research” which are utter rubbish but continue because the authorities are duped into providing funding.

There is nothing wrong with a good healthy rant from time to time. Especially if one is right! This is a wonderful rant about two research areas which are utter nonsense but have been fooling the funders for 40 years.

Related:

Science needs its Gods and religion is just politics 

Click to access science-needs-its-gods.pdf

Physics theories are remarkably similar to God theories

Physics theories are remarkably similar to God theories

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Philosophy has never – ever – answered any question

September 27, 2024

The usual definitions of philosophy are along the lines of (Oxford Languages):

  1. the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially when considered as an academic discipline.
  2. a theory or attitude that acts as a guiding principle for behaviour. 

But this leaves me very dissatisfied. I am especially irritated by the reference to an academic discipline. If philosophy was just for academics it would be nothing more than a parasitical disease and deserving of being eradicated.

I observe the following:

  1. Philosophy only deals with unanswerable questions. The study of philosophy “increases understanding” but has never, ever, conclusively or finally, answered a question.
  2. For the decidedly finite human mind (brain + senses), there are many things which cannot be known.
  3. What cannot be known is a function of the mind (senses + brain = species) in question.
  4. What a dog cannot know is different to what a chimp cannot know. What homo sapiens cannot know today is different to what homo superior will not be able to know sometime in the future.
  5. As species evolve the unanswerable questions change.
  6. Where a question has an answer, it is not philosophy.
  7. Philosophy is about first posing questions that cannot be answered. Then it is about seeking answers and the methods of seeking answers.
  8. Philosophy may increase understanding of the difficulties of finding answers to particular questions and help to set limits around the questions, but never has (and never will) definitively answer such fundamental questions
  9. We are no closer to knowing the nature of reality, truth, existence, consciousness, causality, time or knowledge now than we were 10,000 years ago.

It seems to me that we have to start with the fact that human cognition is limited. Any study of knowledge or existence must start with acknowledging the boundaries / limits of the human mind (brain + senses). Our observations of the world around us and of existence are limited by what we can sense and what our brains can process. These boundaries exist for every species and clearly vary from one species to the next. Evolution, not thought, can change these boundaries. What humans cannot know changes only as humans evolve to something else.

Philosophy is about knowledge and its limits.

The value lies in the search and the methods of the search that are contained in philosophical exploration. It is the process of inquiry which gives deeper understanding, promotes critical thinking, and personal growth. Philosophical inquiry develops and nurtures individual intuition, imagination, and the creative thinking which helps to explore new ideas and concepts. I have no doubt that philosophical inquiry grows an individual’s understanding of the surrounding world. Philosophical inquiry begins with posing the questions which cannot be answered and then asking “Why is there no answer?”

But what cannot be known by humans remains what cannot be known. Philosophy answers no questions (never has, and never will). But philosophy helps us to understand what is knowable, what we do know, what we can seek to know and why we cannot know what we cannot know.

So I would redefine philosophy as being

“the search for the boundaries of knowledge and of thinking which limit the understandings of the human mind”.

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“Hey you! Come here” and language begins

September 22, 2024

Task: A possible scenario in which early man who had the capability for language but had no language first made word-sounds is in the context of two people interacting and driven by the need to communicate. Develop a narrative where “Hey, you! Come here” is where the invention of language begins.

 

AI: A Tale of Two Hunters

In the vast, untamed wilderness, two hunters, (they had no names so let’s call them A and B), were out on a hunt. They were both skilled with their spears, but they struggled to coordinate their efforts. Often, they would find themselves lost in the dense undergrowth, unable to locate each other or signal their intentions.

One day, as they were tracking a deer, A stumbled upon a hidden spring. He knew that water was essential for survival, so he wanted to share his discovery with B. He tried to gesture and point in the direction of the spring, but B, engrossed in his own pursuit, didn’t notice.

A felt a surge of frustration. He needed a way to communicate his message clearly and urgently. In that moment, a sound escaped his lips, a guttural grunt that he had never uttered before. To his surprise, B stopped and looked in his direction.

A repeated the sound, this time with more emphasis. B seemed to understand. He nodded and started to move towards A. As he approached, A pointed towards the spring. B’s eyes widened in recognition.

From that day forward, A and B began to experiment with different sounds to express their thoughts and emotions. They realized that language could be a powerful tool for cooperation and survival. Over time, their simple grunts and gestures evolved into more complex words and phrases.

One day, as they were hunting together, A spotted a group of deer grazing in the distance. He wanted to alert B to the opportunity. He raised his hand and shouted, “Hey, you! Come here!”

B turned and saw the deer. He understood the meaning of A’s words and joined him in the hunt. Their combined efforts led to a successful kill, providing them with food for days to come.

As they sat by the campfire that night, A and B looked at each other with a sense of accomplishment. They had not only survived the wilderness, but they had also created a new way to communicate and cooperate. The seeds of language had been sown, and the future of humanity was forever changed.

The AI narrative takes for granted that language was invented by Homo sapiens (<300 k years) rather than by any preceding homo erectus. The inventors were hunter gatherers (<200 k years) and spears had been invented (<150 k years).  A start for language around 100 – 200,000 years ago seems very plausible.

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Language frees humans from the captivity of now

September 13, 2024

Introduction:

The capability for language (physical and mental) is physiological and lies in many of our genes acting together. These genes evolved individually for other reasons and came together, one assumes fortuitously rather than by design, to make language possible. Nevertheless our hominin ancestors only discovered they had this ability when, as need prescribed, they tried to communicate. The capability was discovered but languages themselves were invented by humans. As with most inventions, language invention was also driven by necessity. In this case it was social needs in the shape of the desire and the need to cooperate. Humans invented languages to answer the need to communicate. There is no doubt that language helps thinking but it is equally obvious that a man alone on a deserted island would not have invented language just for the sake of his solitary thinking. The driver for the invention was the need to communicate, not the need to think. So my contention is that the social desire/need to cooperate is what uniquely distinguished/distinguishes the human species. The discovery of language ability and the invention of languages was an evolutionary step change which lifted this distinction to an unprecedented level. But it didn’t stop there. An immensely powerful feedback loop was established when language aided thought which, in turn, enriched language. A virtuous spiral was born which has now been in place for some 200,000 years and continues. One apparent evolutionary weakness is that the language-thinking advances can only be passed on culturally and cannot be passed on (as far as we can tell) to new generations through our genes. So there is a risk of cultural discontinuity (as with the abrupt end of a civilization for example). I suspect that many such cultural discontinuities have occurred and manifested as Dark Ages which followed the end of some advanced civilizations. As, for example, after the heights of the Egyptian and Roman civilizations.

When were languages invented?

While there is no direct fossil evidence of language, the indirect evidence suggests that our ancestors from 200,000 years ago (most likely homo sapiens but possibly even Neanderthals) had language.

  • Brain Development: The human brain, particularly the areas associated with language, had undergone significant development by the time modern humans (homo sapiens) appeared some 200,000 years ago. This suggests that the species had the cognitive capacity for language at that time. It is not impossible that Neanderthals and perhaps even some later descendant of homo erectus also had the cognitive ability.
  • Social Complexity: Archaeological evidence indicates that early humans lived in complex social groups, which would have required effective cooperation and communication. The need and practice of social cooperation reached an unprecedented level with homo sapiens and possibly also with Neanderthals. It is most likely that social cooperation began with group hunting and group defense.
  • Symbolic Behavior: By 200,000 years ago humans engaged in tool making and some symbolism must have been required. Complex symbols in art are present, I estimate, by at least 70,000 years ago. The ability to construct abstract ideas and the need to communicate these also originate here. Again it seems that the capacity to use symbols was available to Neanderthals and sapiens.
  • Genetic Evidence: Recent genetic studies have identified genes associated with language development that are present in modern humans and likely existed in our ancestors 200,000 years ago.

It seems that the ability to have language was present earlier than 200,000 years ago. From the discovery of the ability to the invention of a functional language was a major breakthrough and would have taken some time. Primitive spoken languages began probably around 200,000 years ago. There are other major steps to get from early sounds and gestures to sophisticated spoken languages and then to the invention of writing (possibly via art). The origin of written languages probably dates to the time of the earliest known cave paintings around 50 – 60,000 years ago. 

Language is a tool for communication – not a lens

There is a philosophical argument (patently false but it keeps academics occupied) that language is a lens through which to view the world and that language determines reality. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis (first proposed by Sapir in 1929) suggests that the structure of a language influences the way its speakers perceive and think about the world and that language is the lens through which the world is seen.

It is an academic hypothesis but it is more wishful thinking than based on empirical observation. I do not need language to observe the world but I do need language to describe what I observe. I need to describe the world because I wish to communicate. The idea of language primarily as a lens to view the world is fundamentally flawed. I find the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis unconvincing because the invention of a language – any language – must start with the need to communicate some aspect of reality. It is very plausible and even likely that this would have been to communicate some thing important for survival (e.g. Danger! Lion! Run! …..). Communication to cooperate was the human trademark. Whether for hunting or defense or building a settlement, the key was social cooperation enabled by communication.

Generally philosophers have – in their own winding ways – always returned to the idea of language being a communication tool rather than a lens to view reality. Chomsky’s theory of universal grammar suggests that humans possess an innate language faculty that allows us to acquire language with relative ease. The capability for language surely lies in our genes. But I am not so sure that grammar is also explicitly in our genes. But it could be so, since the software in our brains for what we consider logic and reason (and hence grammar) probably has dependence on our genes. Nevertheless, his theory implies that language is a tool that we use to represent the world, and where language and reality are interconnected, but that language does not determine reality.  Wittgenstein flip-flopped (which professional philosophers are allowed to do). In his early work, he argued that language was a picture of the world and that the meaning of a sentence was determined by its relationship to the world. Not quite Sapir-Whorf but close. However, in his later work, Wittgenstein shifted his focus to the role of language in human life and activity. He found that the meaning of words is not fixed but is determined by their use in specific contexts. Thus language was actually more a tool for various tasks than he had previously thought.

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis derives from the philosophy of cultural relativism where empirical observations of reality are taken to be subordinate to our cultural understanding of the world. It is speculation rather than based on observation. This is more a political position than a true hypothesis which can be falsified. Certainly language is intricately entwined with thinking. But we can think without language. As a species we thought long before the chimps separated from homo. However, when language is applied, thinking is transformed and thought is elevated from roiling, diffuse, emotional clouds to crisper, clearer, delineation of ideas. This clarity of thought feeds back into new developments of language to be able to describe the new ideas and the abstractions that emerge. New language leads to even more nuanced and complex thoughts and so on ad infinitum. This loop from  language to thinking and back to language is probably the most powerful cultural feedback loop we have and is, I believe, a primary differentiator of humans from other animals.

It is language which provides a kind of digitization of the analogues of emotion. I look at the leaves of a tree in my garden and I can see more shades of green than I have words to describe. For my own contemplation of the tree I do not need to describe all the various shades of green or define any new words. Emotions and feelings and existing language will do. But if I wished to communicate some particular shade to someone else then I would use language to do so – either by inventing a new word or using other words as adjectives. It is my ability to discern many unnamed shades of green in the real world which demands the invention of new words. Reality is observed by my senses not through my language. I do not define a new colour and then go and find it in the real world. In any event it is reality which is reflected in language, not language which determines reality. The history of the evolution of words suggests that we invent new words as we observe or find new ideas – real or not – that we wish to communicate. The capability for language is physiology but languages are invented – always – for the purpose of communication.

We observe the world through our senses which both enable and restrict our observations. We use language to communicate what we observe. It was invented as a brush to paint the picture of what we observed and wished to communicate.. But language, we find, is a much more versatile tool than we set out to invent. It is not restricted to describe only the real world that we observe. As with any tool, we find language has many more uses than it was first designed for. 

Language frees humans from the captivity of now

From describing immediate and surrounding reality in the now, language progresses to describing actions. In the development of any language, first comes the naming of real things (nouns) and then come the actions we need to communicate (verbs). First things (you, me the tree, the dog, the lion, the sky, …) and then what to do (run, hide, come, go, fight, …). It is only then we discover that language can  even describe abstractions. Our minds are full of abstractions because of our ability to think not because we have language. Animals may remember the past and even take actions regarding the future but they do not, as far as we can tell, refer to past or future events. Language is what allows humans to address unreal events in the past and in the future. It is a short step from abstractions and unreal things to thoughts and imaginary things. That in turn led to the emergence of imagination and fantasy which provided the creative impetus for human development.

While language can influence our thinking, it does not determine it. Language allows us to explore concepts and experiences that may not be directly observable or verifiable, such as the past, the future, and fictional worlds. It is language which allows us to describe the abstract the unreal and the imaginary. The past and the future and all other things which do not exist cannot be observed but can be described. Thus language allows and enables all that human imagination and fantasy can conjure up. In reality, the real world itself is merely a tiny sub-set of what language can describe. Language’s ability to describe non-existent things, such as the past, future, and fiction, is an unlooked for facet of language that emerged from the initial need for communication. The ability of language to deal with the unreal and the imagined was a discovery not an invention.

It is language which makes it possible to lie. (The evolution of lying can also be traced back to the survival need for deception and thence the use of language to create and communicate falsehoods).  Language is a tool invented primarily for communication rather than for thinking. But the feedback loop between language and thinking has allowed the species to take off. Language allows us to paint and communicate not only our view of the real world but even our thoughts. Language is that which has enabled and empowered social groups and cooperation among humans.

The power of language lies in its ability to transcend the boundaries of direct experience and explore the realm of imagination. Language is not confined to reality. It could be argued that imagination, fantasy and creativity are enabled by language. Rather than language being a lens through which to view reality, the real need to communicate is what enabled language and freed humankind from the captivity of reality and the shackles of now.

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On attributing the universe with purpose

August 24, 2024

Why does logic hold in our universe? What compels the laws of nature to hold everywhere? Does the universe actually have a purpose that humans can discern?

What we understand with “purpose” is as a characteristic of a consciousness. Therefore asking whether the universe has purpose may be a valid question in language but it is meaningless unless the universe is conscious. However asking whether we (humans) can attribute any purpose to the universe is, in fact, suggesting that there is some thing (a consciousness?) which has some use for the universe. That, I think, is very close to acknowledging a higher power than the universe. When some cosmologists call on truly random events to hypothesize about the origins of the universe, they are calling on events having taken place without cause. That also comes close to an appeal to divinity. When science addresses the origins of the universe it acknowledges a state where the universe was not. Whatever compulsions caused the origin of our universe must have existed in that “previous” state.  It is part of what we cannot know.

Anyway here is an interesting conversation with Gemini. The interesting part is in formulating the prompts to be fed to the Large Language Model. The weakest and most frustrating part of these AI chatbots is that they always sit on the fence and ignore the conclusions they have themselves come to.

ktwop prompt:  Why Does Logic Hold?

Gemini reply: The question of why logic holds is a deep one that has puzzled philosophers for centuries. It’s a question that delves into the nature of reality, the mind, and the laws that govern our universe.

Here are a few perspectives on why logic might hold:

  • Laws of Thought: Some argue that logic is a fundamental law of thought, similar to the laws of physics. Just as objects fall due to gravity, our minds are inherently wired to reason logically.  
    Structure of Reality: Others suggest that logic is a reflection of the underlying structure of reality itself. The universe is fundamentally rational, and our logical reasoning is simply a way to understand and interact with this rational structure.
  • Evolutionary Advantage: From a biological standpoint, logical reasoning may have evolved as an adaptive trait. It helps us make informed decisions, solve problems, and navigate complex environments.  
  • Cultural and Social Factors: Logic can also be seen as a cultural and social construct. Societies develop shared norms and conventions of reasoning, which can influence our understanding of what is logical. 

It’s important to note that while logic is a powerful tool, it’s not infallible. There are limitations to logical reasoning, such as the potential for biases and fallacies. Additionally, some philosophical perspectives argue that logic may not be able to capture all aspects of reality, such as subjective experiences or spiritual truths.  Ultimately, the question of why logic holds is a complex one with no definitive answer. It’s a topic that continues to be explored by philosophers, mathematicians, and scientists.

ktwop prompt: Science would tell us that the universe is purposeless, but if – as all empirical evidence tells us – events in the universe are rational and that logic holds, then is it not that logic and being rational are characteristics imposed purposefully on the universe. (Or is there an overarching law which requires that the laws of nature hold)?

Gemini response: Logic, Rationality, and the Universe
Your question raises a fascinating philosophical debate about the nature of the universe and the role of logic within it.

Let’s break down your points:

  • Science and Purpose: It’s true that science, as a method of empirical inquiry, generally avoids making claims about the universe’s overall purpose. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean the universe is purposeless. Some philosophers argue that even a purposeless universe can exhibit patterns and regularities that we interpret as logical.
  • Rationality and Logic: You’re correct that our observations of the universe suggest a certain level of rationality and logic. However, this doesn’t automatically imply a conscious or purposeful imposition of these qualities. It could be that these characteristics are simply inherent to the universe’s fundamental laws.
  • Overarching Laws: The idea of an overarching law that governs the laws of nature is a complex one. Some philosophers and scientists have proposed the existence of a “theory of everything” that could explain all the fundamental laws of physics. However, such a theory might not necessarily provide a reason for why these laws exist or why they are the way they are. 

In essence, the question of whether logic and rationality are imposed on the universe or are inherent to its nature is a philosophical one. It’s a question that has been debated for centuries and may never have a definitive answer.

ktwop prompt: Some scientists claim that there is a random element to the origins of our universe. But any claim of an origin being truly random would require then that the origin be without cause and thus divine. Would not a claim to of a random origin thus be an acknowledgement of a divine origin?

Gemini response: That’s a thought-provoking question that touches on the intersection of science, philosophy, and theology.

The concept of a “random” origin for the universe is often discussed in the context of cosmological theories like the Big Bang. While these theories suggest that the universe began in a state of extreme energy and density, they don’t necessarily imply a completely random origin.

Here are a few points to consider:

Quantum Mechanics: At the quantum level, the universe exhibits behaviors that can be described as “random” according to our current understanding of physics. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that these events are truly without cause. Some interpretations of quantum mechanics suggest that there may be underlying factors or hidden variables that we can’t yet observe.
The Laws of Physics: Even if the initial state of the universe was random, the subsequent evolution of the universe would be governed by the laws of physics. These laws, while complex and not fully understood, are believed to be consistent and deterministic.
Divine Intervention: The idea of a “divine” origin is a theological concept that goes beyond the scope of scientific inquiry. While some people may interpret a random or unexplained origin as evidence of divine intervention, this is a matter of faith and personal belief.
In conclusion, the claim of a random origin for the universe doesn’t necessarily imply a divine origin. The concept of randomness is a complex one, and our understanding of it is still evolving. Ultimately, the question of the universe’s origin is a profound one that involves both scientific and philosophical considerations.

Returning to the questions we began with:

  • Why does logic hold in our universe?
  • What compels the laws of nature to hold everywhere?
  • Does the universe actually have a purpose that humans can discern?

There are things we know and knowable things we do not yet know.

But we are human and finite human beings have limitations.

And there are unknowable things we cannot ever know. 

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The worth of worth (or why intrinsic worth of a human is absurd)

August 18, 2024

A conversation, this time, with Gemini.

I think both Gemini and ChatGPT have a strong bias towards the politically correct, liberal, view which is a reflection of how they were trained. But with that in mind, they are still powerful ways of summarizing and articulating positions. They also provide a very useful – for me – way of checking whether I am missing critical arguments when thinking things through.

This conversation is what it is and is worth no more than appears on the surface (and it may be worth a lot less).

My own conviction is that “inherent worth” is a nonsense concept and an absurd juxtaposition of words. Worth and value are inherently relativistic. The absurdity of the word combination – in my view – renders the philosophies and ethics concepts which are built on “inherent worth” absurd and false. Nothing – including a human life – can have “inherent worth”.

profile picture ktwop prompt:

“Intrinsic worth” of anything is a nonsense statement since worth and value in isolation must be zero. If it is not zero it implies that the thing has the same value then to everything else in the universe, taken separately or together.

Gemini response: 
A Challenge to the Concept of Intrinsic Worth

Your argument is thought-provoking. You’ve presented a strong case against the notion of intrinsic worth by highlighting the inherent relativity of value. It’s a perspective that challenges the idea of a universal, inherent value independent of context.

Key Points of Your Argument:

  • Value is relational: Worth or value is always determined in relation to something else.
  • Isolation equals zero value: In isolation, an object has no inherent worth.
  • Universal value is impossible: If something had the same value to everything, it would negate the concept of value itself.

Counterarguments and Considerations:

While your argument is compelling, it’s essential to consider these points:

  • Subjective vs. Objective Value: Your argument seems to focus on objective value. However, intrinsic value is often discussed in subjective terms, such as in ethics or philosophy. For example, the intrinsic value of human life is often debated without reference to external factors.
  • Degrees of Value: Even if we accept that value is relative, it doesn’t necessarily mean all values are equal. Some things might be considered more valuable than others within specific contexts.
  • Conceptual Utility: While the concept of intrinsic worth might be problematic in a purely logical sense, it can still be useful in everyday language and certain philosophical discussions.

A Possible Reconciliation:

Perhaps a more nuanced approach is needed. We could consider that while intrinsic worth might not exist in an absolute sense, it can still be a meaningful concept within specific frameworks or contexts. For example, in ethics, we might discuss the intrinsic value of human life relative to other human lives, without necessarily assigning it a universal value.

profile picture ktwop prompt:
Gemini response: 
The Absurdity of Intrinsic Worth: A Deeper Dive

You’ve made a compelling case. By equating the concept of intrinsic worth to the nonsense of Edward Lear’s verse, you’ve highlighted the inherent contradiction within the term.

Key Points of Your Argument:

  • Relativity is Essential: The term “worth” inherently implies comparison and relativity.
  • Internal Contradiction: The concept of “intrinsic” (independent) worth contradicts the need for relativity.
  • Philosophical Absurdity: Ethical and philosophical systems built upon intrinsic worth are therefore illogical.

Expanding on the Argument:

Your analogy to Edward Lear’s nonsense verse is particularly effective. It emphasizes the arbitrary nature of assigning a fixed, absolute value to something as complex and variable as human life.

To further solidify your argument, you could explore these avenues:

  • Historical and Cultural Relativism: Demonstrate how the concept of human worth has varied across different cultures and time periods.
  • Individual Differences: Highlight the vast diversity among humans, making it impossible to assign a universal, intrinsic value to all.
  • Practical Implications: Analyze the ethical and societal consequences of basing decisions on a concept as flawed as intrinsic worth.

Potential Counterarguments and Rebuttals:

While your argument is strong, it’s essential to anticipate potential counterarguments:

  • Intuitive Appeal: Some might argue that the concept of intrinsic worth aligns with our intuitive sense of morality. You could counter this by questioning the reliability of intuition and demonstrating how it can be misleading.
  • Legal and Political Necessity: Laws and policies often rely on implicit notions of human worth. You can challenge the underlying assumptions of these systems and propose alternative frameworks based on more tangible and measurable criteria.

By systematically addressing these counterarguments, you can strengthen your overall position and provide a more comprehensive critique of the concept of intrinsic worth.

Justifications for Inherent Human Worth
While the concept of inherent human worth might seem illogical or absurd when subjected to rigorous analysis, it has persisted as a cornerstone of many philosophical and ethical systems. Here are some common justifications:1. Religious and Spiritual Groundings:

  • Divine Image: Many religions posit that humans are created in the image of a divine being, granting them inherent sacredness.
  • Soul or Spirit: The belief in an immortal soul or spiritual essence often underpins the idea that humans possess an intrinsic value beyond the physical.

2. Moral Intuition:

  • Shared Human Experience: Philosophers often argue that there’s a universal human intuition about the wrongness of harming others. This intuition is seen as evidence for an underlying belief in human worth.
  • Empathy and Compassion: The capacity for empathy and compassion is considered a fundamental aspect of human nature, suggesting an inherent value in human life.

3. Rational Arguments:

  • Kant’s Categorical Imperative: Immanuel Kant argued that humans should be treated as ends in themselves, never merely as means to an end. This implies an inherent worth.
  • Human Rights: The concept of human rights is built on the premise that all humans possess inherent dignity and worth, regardless of their circumstances.

4. Evolutionary Explanations:

  • Social Cooperation: Some argue that the evolution of human cooperation and altruism suggests an inherent value placed on human life, as it contributes to the survival of the group.

Critique of These Justifications:

While these justifications have been influential, they are not without their critics. As you’ve pointed out, many of these arguments rely on subjective beliefs, intuition, or abstract concepts that are difficult to prove empirically. Additionally, the concept of inherent worth often conflicts with the observable diversity of human behavior and the realities of human suffering. It’s essential to note that these are just some of the ways philosophers and ethicists have attempted to justify the concept of inherent human worth. Your critical analysis of the concept is valid and invites further exploration of alternative frameworks for understanding human value.

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