(January 5, 2023 at 10:32 pm)Jehanne Wrote:(January 5, 2023 at 8:53 pm)GrandizerII Wrote: Putting aside the fear factor, someone who's strongly physicalist might still say it must be aliens using super advanced technology to manipulate us, because to them that will always be more plausible than truly supernatural (non-physical) beings. I think for many, the core of their worldview assumes things like physicalism and they use that to judge whether some hypothesis/theory/view is falsifiable or not (but not physicalism).
I can only speak for myself; at the heart of my reality are the conservation laws; when those go, by my own reasonable lights & judgment, I am done with physicialism, scientism and atheism. Anything beyond that, in my opinion, would constitue religion.
This will be my last post for this thread; I really have nothing more to say on this subject. Besides, the House GOP thread is way too much fun!!
There is very little difference between a detectable pattern (which is what is required for science to be possible) and a conservation law (conservation of the pattern, if nothing else).
Pure randomness would not allow science, but it would also not allow much else.
the main difference between science and religion is one of attitude: the determination to subject ideas to testing and throwing out those that don't pass the tests. The key difference is between skepticism and faith. And faith is the attitude that destroys understanding.
