(September 19, 2016 at 11:00 pm)Mudhammam Wrote: Speaking more broadly, the connection between truth and utility is obvious in a number of instances, but one can also conceive of scenarios where truth might be harmful or a falsehood beneficial. For example, if it were discovered that intelligence correlated in a significant way with a particular race; as a species, we would, I think, be better off continuing to ignore such differences. Or if it were shown that belief in some fabulous myth increased health and happiness by X percent, and there were no obvious costs; in which case, it begs the question, which is that I don't see why our knowledge of the factuality or fantastic nature of some given matter should necessarily increase or limit its value, and if it does, how one goes about measuring its extent?
It seems to me that false belief is intrinsic to the human condition, in the form of our instinctive motivations. For example, most of us have the idea that it's good to reproduce. And the most solid moral social argument you can make, ever, is a hysterical "But the kids! What about the kiiiiiiiiddddds!?!??!!?"
There's nothing intrinsically important about anything we do, and yet even the philosophers among us continue to act as though there WERE something intrinsically important. For example, while I think there are far too many people in the world, and especially in Korea, I'd probably run into a burning building to save a child. Surely, there's an instinctive narrative at play there.
