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Atheist Forums › Community › Philosophy v
The Question of Why

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The Question of Why
Perhaps Offline
Why?
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Religious Views: Pantheist
Posts: 281
Threads: 11
Joined: December 10, 2011
Reputation: 4
#10
RE: The Question of Why
December 21, 2011 at 11:41 pm
(December 21, 2011 at 4:36 am)genkaus Wrote: A rather simplistic view, isn't it? There are other options available.

1. The reasoning could lead back to the original argument - "Why do you eat good food?" "Because it helps me live" "Why do you want to live?" "So that I can eat good food". Though this would be the fallacy of circular reasoning.

This is circular as you stated, and also subjective, which supposes assumption of correctness or validity.

(December 21, 2011 at 4:36 am)genkaus Wrote: 2. The burden could be shifted to another person. "Because my mom said so". "Why did she say so?" "Ask her".

One could then pose the question of 'why' in response to 'ask her' which would return to the original hypothesis.

(December 21, 2011 at 4:36 am)genkaus Wrote: 3. The final answer could end up being an arbitrary wish: "Why do you want to continue living?" "I just want to. If you don't then don't".

This combines both my answers to 1 and 2.

(December 21, 2011 at 4:36 am)genkaus Wrote: That being said, if the discussion is truly rational, that is, everything is based on a valid reason, then the final "assumption", would be a part of a set of axioms that forms the basis of reason and logic itself. These axioms cannot be called assumptions because no meaningful statement or argument can be made that don't assume the validity of these axioms. These don't have an answer to the "why" because the very concept of "why" depends on them.

"In traditional logic, an axiom or postulate is a proposition that is not proven or demonstrated but considered either to be self-evident or to define and delimit the realm of analysis. In other words, an axiom is a logical statement that is assumed to be true. Therefore, its truth is taken for granted, and serves as a starting point for deducing and inferring other (theory dependent) truths." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axiom

Brevity is the soul of wit.
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Atheist Forums › Community › Philosophy v
The Question of Why

Messages In This Thread
The Question of Why - by Perhaps - December 20, 2011 at 5:30 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Jackalope - December 20, 2011 at 5:45 am
RE: The Question of Why - by genkaus - December 21, 2011 at 1:58 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Jackalope - December 21, 2011 at 2:26 am
RE: The Question of Why - by genkaus - December 21, 2011 at 3:06 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Jackalope - December 21, 2011 at 4:45 am
RE: The Question of Why - by houseofcantor - December 22, 2011 at 1:11 am
RE: The Question of Why - by genkaus - December 22, 2011 at 1:45 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Perhaps - December 25, 2011 at 3:40 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by genkaus - December 26, 2011 at 5:12 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Norfolk And Chance - December 20, 2011 at 8:41 am
RE: The Question of Why - by houseofcantor - December 21, 2011 at 2:44 am
RE: The Question of Why - by genkaus - December 21, 2011 at 4:36 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Perhaps - December 21, 2011 at 11:41 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by amkerman - December 25, 2011 at 3:03 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by The Grand Nudger - December 25, 2011 at 6:48 pm
The Question of Why - by Mind42 - December 26, 2011 at 5:44 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Epimethean - December 26, 2011 at 6:37 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Erinome - December 26, 2011 at 11:21 am
RE: The Question of Why - by amkerman - December 26, 2011 at 1:40 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by Erinome - December 27, 2011 at 7:35 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Epimethean - December 27, 2011 at 1:41 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Welsh cake - December 27, 2011 at 2:06 am
RE: The Question of Why - by amkerman - December 27, 2011 at 3:15 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Epimethean - December 27, 2011 at 9:17 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Erinome - December 27, 2011 at 9:27 am
RE: The Question of Why - by The Grand Nudger - December 27, 2011 at 9:49 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Perhaps - December 27, 2011 at 3:08 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by Norfolk And Chance - December 27, 2011 at 3:37 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by Perhaps - December 27, 2011 at 3:59 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by Cinjin - December 27, 2011 at 3:59 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by The Grand Nudger - December 27, 2011 at 4:35 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by Perhaps - December 27, 2011 at 6:48 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by The Grand Nudger - December 27, 2011 at 7:19 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by Perhaps - December 27, 2011 at 7:28 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by The Grand Nudger - December 27, 2011 at 7:37 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by Perhaps - December 27, 2011 at 7:39 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by The Grand Nudger - December 27, 2011 at 7:40 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by Cinjin - December 28, 2011 at 12:59 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Welsh cake - December 28, 2011 at 3:18 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Perhaps - December 28, 2011 at 3:33 am
RE: The Question of Why - by houseofcantor - December 28, 2011 at 5:21 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by Welsh cake - December 28, 2011 at 4:01 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Perhaps - December 28, 2011 at 11:46 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by Perhaps - December 28, 2011 at 4:15 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by Epimethean - December 28, 2011 at 4:53 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by Welsh cake - December 28, 2011 at 6:33 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by The Grand Nudger - December 29, 2011 at 12:34 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Perhaps - December 29, 2011 at 12:50 am
RE: The Question of Why - by houseofcantor - December 29, 2011 at 1:25 am
RE: The Question of Why - by The Grand Nudger - December 29, 2011 at 2:08 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Perhaps - December 29, 2011 at 2:17 am
RE: The Question of Why - by Welsh cake - December 29, 2011 at 4:26 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by Perhaps - December 29, 2011 at 4:43 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by Norfolk And Chance - December 29, 2011 at 4:29 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by Norfolk And Chance - December 29, 2011 at 5:08 pm
RE: The Question of Why - by xntubes - January 31, 2012 at 5:29 am



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