Re: The Existential Crisis
Posted: Sun May 31, 2020 11:27 am
FlashDangerpants wrote: ↑Sat May 30, 2020 2:59 pm I don't see it as particularly cooperative that you insert and insist on your choice of random axiom without bothering to introduce a reason. You are playing Calvinball.![]()
Yes! I am insisting on a "random axiom". Fucking literally!
I am insisting that we must have NO AXIOMS when we begin reasoning.
I am choosing not to choose an axiom.
My non-choice of non-axiom IS randomness - I am a blank slate.
To you it feels like I am playing "Calvinball" because my non-determinism fucks up YOUR axioms.
It goes by a bunch of names. Entropy. Agnosticism. Non-determinism. Ignorance.
I am literally insisting on the principle of maximum entropy as the departure point when we attempt to assign truth-values to propositions. If you have a better non-axiom to start with, please share it with me - I would like to use it.
Rather than assume a proposition is True OR False, I assume that it is True AND False (or, contra-positively: neither true, nor false).
I am representing my state of knowledge about the truth-value of the proposition as a Qubit
Do you need me to give you a reason for this? OK... here is a reason.
Hypothesis A: X causes Y
Hypothesis B: X does not cause Y
P(A) = 1- P(B) = 0.5.
Which in the English of a 5 year old translates to: I DON'T KNOW!!!!!
Which is a perfectly accurate representation of the "state of affairs".
The entire purpose of "arguing" is for us to design; or examine the design of; some process (any process!), which can sway the probability distribution towards A or B. Your notion of "weak" and "strong" argumentation is fucking moot.
There can be strong/weak evidence for A (against B).
There can be strong/weak evidence for B (against A).
This is empiricism formalised. if you are answering questions that "cannot be answered", if you have somehow collapsed the probability distribution, you are DOING empiricism. You have measured something.
I am being cooperative in attempting to understand the process by which YOU have arrived at an answer - I am trying to understand what it is you are measuring and how.
If YOU can determine the answer to an "indeterminate" question YOU have a process!
If YOU don't have such a process then YOU can't possibly determine the answer to an indeterminate question.
My "egotistical tendencies" (your lame attempt at a dismissive pejorative) completely misses the mark as an insult.
We are doing empiricism - of course it's all about me and my fucking experiences. I am the observer! I am the scientist.
Your continued attempts to remove the human element from the process is as misguided as rawdogging a crackwhore.
The remainder of your points will be addressed either later or never. We'll see...