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Is there a name for the widespread logical fallacy in which you prove your point by 'eliminating' anyone who contradicts you?
I've encountered this relentlessly in my life. You offer proof that someone is wrong, or even simply state something more obvious than the sun that they don't like, they ban you or do something else to silence you, as if that proves their point.…
user44643
9
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The problem of philosophy?
“The problem of philosophy is a linguistic problem, and every disagreement can be traced back to a difference in interpretation.”
“No wonder we know that the deepest problems are not really problems at all.”
— Ludwig Wittgenstein
The reason for the…
Zara
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Is there anything more fundamental than quantification?
In the prevailing view of the concept of "Existence," it is well-known that it isn't a property of individual objects, but rather a property of properties. As Frege would put it: It is a second-level concept. And you could also phrase it as…
Johnathan Green
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Is it true that a technological society has to weaken family ties and local communities if it is to function efficiently?
From The Unabomber Manifesto by Ted Kaczynski:
The breakdown of traditional values to some extent implies the breakdown of the bonds that hold together traditional small-scale social groups. The disintegration of small-scale social groups is also…
Nitin Sheokand
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Do distant stars still exist or are they just images?
This question might sound quite odd and is a mix of philosophy and physics. Suppose we observe a star that is 50 million lightyears away, and suppose it is a type of star that has a lifespan of only 30 million years. The question is, does this star…
Augs
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Why was Aristotle almost like the only Greek philosopher studied during the Middle Ages?
Reading about scholasticism, medieval natural philosophy, liberal arts, it appears to me that, of all the Ancient Greece philosophers, only Aristotle was studied.
For instance, this passage (Blair 2006):
Rather than singling out the Renaissance as…
Starckman
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Is it possible to deny that affirming a logical contradiction implies every possible proposition?
I find myself aligned with the motivation behind paraconsistent logic, they seem to me reason enough to warrant an attempt to structure logical systems which deny logical explosion. It does seem very odd to me that classical logic automatically…
Tofusoul
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Learning metaphysical truths by introspection
There might be many psychological benefits of meditation and other introspective habits. I'm looking for something different. What metaphysical facts can we discover by this process? How many of these can we trust? Consider the following…
Razor
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Can philosophy be useful?
I cite the article by Hans Radder entitled "Everything of value is useful: How philosophy can be socially relevant", published by Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective. He concludes that many social, scientific, and personal issues can…
Meanach
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What basic metaphysics should every philosophy student know?
Put another way, what background knowledge do you suggest that I brush up on to make me more sensitive to the lurking philosophical issues when I read philosophical texts and papers? Particularly Greek philosophical texts.
I've found that a…
ssss qqqq
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Who am I? Mind, body, mind and body or something else?
The mind with it's thoughts, emotions, memories, perceptions, and various mental processes. Including the conscious and unconscious aspects of mental activity, shaping one's identity and influencing behavior.
The human body which is complex…
user68850
9
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23 answers
Do atheists bear the burden of proof in showing why/how the reasons presented by theists are unconvincing?
In conversations and debates between atheists and theists, is it enough for the atheist to assert that they are skeptical of theism without providing justification, or does the atheist bear the burden of proof to show why/how the reasons for belief…
user66156
9
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10 answers
How is AI changing our view of consciousness?
Consciousness doesn't reveal itself except through behaviour. We can't see others' minds, but we can hear their voice and what they say. This leads the observer to conclude that their interlocutor has a mind which has consciousness. We can't…
Stas Medvedev
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Does Dissociative ego disorder challenge Descartes‘ „cogito-argument“?
In the 17th century Descartes set out for a new start in philosophy. Applying the method of systematic doubt he searched for a philosophical statement whose truth stands firm and cannot be questioned by further doubt. In his Discourse on the Method…
Jo Wehler
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On the claim that science is an offspring of Christian thought?
The claim that science is an offspring of Christian thought is often made in Christian-atheist debates. Theists argue that Christianity provided the necessary foundation for science to develop, such as the belief in a rational and orderly universe…
More Anonymous
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