From: David Cake (dave@difference.com.au)
Date: Mon Jul 01 2002 - 07:13:39 MDT
At 7:54 PM -0400 30/6/02, Eliezer S. Yudkowsky wrote:
>The truth does not have this or that sectarian or philosophical
>brand on it, it is simply true.
I think the issue is whether there is any 'truth' for certain
areas of enquiry, particularly those questions normally addressed by
moral philosophy.
Many people would argue that there is no uncontroversial
truth even for those areas where science gives us an empirical answer
(philosopher Paul Feyerabend, for example), but for moral philosophy
you wouldn't find many specialists willing to stand up for the
proposition that you could settle all questions of moral philosophy
by reason alone.
The specific question of Zen is an interesting one - but
ultimately, while religions such as zen do not argue that you can
attain an understanding of their truth through reason alone (as some
religions might), they do maintain that you cannot disprove their
truth by reason alone either.
(unlurking for the first time. Damien tipped me off to the
existence of the list a couple of weeks ago. And a hello to Ben G,
who is unlikely to remember me for my pathetic, work sabotaged,
attempts to be one of his graduate students)
Cheers
David
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