According to Pim van Meurs:
> Again science does not lay claims to that which cannot be observed. If it
> falls outside the realm of science it is inappropiate for scientific
> investigation and methodology but truth or rationality of it cannot be
> addressed.
Gene:
I agree with this, although you sometimes seem to say that anything *not*
subject to the scientific method is therefore *not* true or rational.
If you think that there is truth and rationality which cannot be addressed
by the scientific method, as you seem to say above, then we agree and I
can stop wasting your time.
If you *don't* think that there is truth and rationality apart from the
scientific method then I challenge you to show you the scientific method
itself rests on premises that can be derived from the scientific method.
(In case you don't know of Goedel, I believe that he showed that every
system of "truth" must rest on premises that cannot themselves be derived
from the system but *can* be derived from other systems. Of course, since
Goedel's arguments were almost entirely constructions of mathematics and
don't consist of observations from the "real world" I'm not sure that his
work would qualify as "true" under what I take as your understanding of
the scientific method.)
> Keithp: Everything outside of science is a matter of mere belief and
> subjective opinion, of which rational assessment is impossible. Science,
> exclusively and idealloy, is our model of intellectual excellence (p. 14).
Pim:
> If it cannot be observed then it is a matter of belief and subjective
> opinion. Science is our model of the best intellectual effort to describe
> our understanding of observations of the perceived world around us.
Gene: I guess I must slog on. This view excludes most of mathematics,
including certain fundamental concepts of geometry which are not subject
to observation.
Peace,
Gene
-- ____________________________________________________________Gene D. Godbold, Ph.D. Lab: 804 924-5167Research Associate Desk: 804 243-2764Div. Infectious Disease/Dept. Medicine Home: 804 973-6913and Dept. Microbiology Fax: 804 924-7500MR4 Bldg, Room 2115 email: anselm@virginia.edu300 Park Place Charlottesville, VA 22908 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""