RE: Street Epistemology - Practice
December 15, 2017 at 8:42 pm
(This post was last modified: December 15, 2017 at 9:35 pm by vulcanlogician.)
Sorry, I stopped following this thread a while back (but I'm almost caught back up now!).
Yes, not only does SE promote critical thinking, it encourages those who already employ critical thinking (professionally or whatever) to aim their logic at their own personal beliefs. You have done well so far. And keep in mind, you are talking to a Christian who is "hardened" by being a member of an Atheist forum, and he's given his own beliefs some serious reflection. On the "street" you will be given an opportunity to cause your interlocutor to reflect on things "they hadn't really thought about before" which is the real beauty of street epistemology. I think you have been rather Socratic thus far. You are trying to bring out the truth which lies within them --not replace their beliefs with your own. The midwife analogy is appropriate.
I'd like it if you posted the results of your endeavor after you do it in person.
Anyway, I thought about the non-physical evidence conundrum. I can think of things that are evident yet need no physical objects as proofs: What about a priori truths? There is absolutely no physical evidence with them. Things like the pythagorean theorem don't require a physical triangle in order to demonstrate that they are true. So there need not be physicality for something to be evident. (Of course the a priori arguments for God are something of a disaster.)
Anyway, good luck w/ your practice.
(November 24, 2017 at 1:14 am)curiosne Wrote: Also street epistemology promotes more critical thinking into their beliefs and makes them more introspective.
Yes, not only does SE promote critical thinking, it encourages those who already employ critical thinking (professionally or whatever) to aim their logic at their own personal beliefs. You have done well so far. And keep in mind, you are talking to a Christian who is "hardened" by being a member of an Atheist forum, and he's given his own beliefs some serious reflection. On the "street" you will be given an opportunity to cause your interlocutor to reflect on things "they hadn't really thought about before" which is the real beauty of street epistemology. I think you have been rather Socratic thus far. You are trying to bring out the truth which lies within them --not replace their beliefs with your own. The midwife analogy is appropriate.
I'd like it if you posted the results of your endeavor after you do it in person.
Anyway, I thought about the non-physical evidence conundrum. I can think of things that are evident yet need no physical objects as proofs: What about a priori truths? There is absolutely no physical evidence with them. Things like the pythagorean theorem don't require a physical triangle in order to demonstrate that they are true. So there need not be physicality for something to be evident. (Of course the a priori arguments for God are something of a disaster.)
Anyway, good luck w/ your practice.
