(August 5, 2012 at 8:58 am)mralstoner Wrote: Truth is an ungraspable goal. The brain is geared to seek reliability, not truth. We can never be certain of anything at all. Nothing. Zip. Nada.
So you are fighting your brain in a losing game.
There are, however, foundational values. They're called feelings. Feelings are our motivational drive and we form beliefs in pursuit of those emotional goals.
So seek reliable beliefs in pursuit of emotional goals. That's all we humans can do.
And that is exactly what leads us astray. Our emotions and feelings are not tools of cognition. They do not provide us knowledge. Any beliefs gained by pursuing emotional goals would, by their nature, be unreliable. Truth may be an ungraspable goal but it is only in pursuit of truth that reliable beliefs can be acquired. Notice the distinction - pursuit of emotions such as comfort and security lead us to religion, whereas, pursuit of truth lead us to science. If feelings are our foundational values, then its time to change some foundations.
