RE: What's the point of philosophy any more?
March 21, 2018 at 8:33 pm
(This post was last modified: March 21, 2018 at 8:42 pm by Edwardo Piet.)
(March 21, 2018 at 8:29 pm)Khemikal Wrote:(March 21, 2018 at 8:24 pm)Hammy Wrote: There really are truths that you can be absolutely certain of,
-and that may be the case. Note here, even, that we're required to say may...but a person can agree with you there...and disagree with you on the contents of that set.
But we aren't required to say may and the fact someone is capable of disagreeing with the correct position is irrelevant.
Universal agreement is not a prerequisite for one particular answer being absolutely correct to agree with because it's correct. 0% of people could agree that X is X, 50% of people could agree that X is X, 100% of people could agree that X is X... it makes no difference who agrees with what, X is X.
Quote: Asserting that your set is the incontrovertible set is not philosophy..it is the assertion of dogma. It might even be true.....but it;s still dogma....and you'll appreciate this...it;s dogma by definition.
Something isn't dogma just because you say it is. Something has to actually be dogmatic for it to be dogma. There's nothing less dogmatic than starting from a sound premise.
Starting with an irrelevant conclusion is dogmatic, and saying that everything is true or all opinions are equal may be less dangerous, but it's equally absurd. And in many ways it still is dangerous... because moral relatvism is dangerous. Not as dangerous as dogmatic moralism but it's still dangerous. If you can't morally justify yourself to intervene with another culture torturing their children because of moral relativism, and you follow moral relativism because you think truth is realtive, then that's an example where the absurd position of "all opinions are equal" and "truth is relative" is very dangerous, as well as absurd.
The Trumpy "post-truth" era that we now live in is another example of the danger of your absurd position. The notion that objectively speaking "anything is permissible" really ought not to be permissible and for very good (and rational) reasons. The idea that we can emote and express that X is wrong but it's only as good as anyone else's opinion because we can't even be sure that X is X, is not just absurd but ultimately dangerous. Not all opinions are equal because some opinions actually make sense, is not the same as dogma where it's not even about making sense.
Once again, dogma and absolute certainty are not the same thing. It's why someone is absolutely certain that decides whether they're dogmatic or just damn correct. Dogmatic people hold onto certain positions irrationally.
Being absolutely certain that a square is a square is not dogmatic... and if you think it is, then you don't even understand the meaning of the word. You are very confused.