Possibilianism

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Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
74,335
6,653
126
So I guess another thing that bothers me with this is that it has been shown that many people feel they require some form of philosophical underpinning to their lives. Something that they can hold onto and strongly assert. For many religion plays this role. For others Atheism plays the role. In this sense Atheism is indeed a theism. Atheists, me included, strongly assert that there IS no god, in the face of there not being any evidence for or against one. While I agree that Possibilianism is in some way a more logical world view it doesn't fill the emotional and philosophical role that atheism and religion does. And I don't agree that it's ANYWHERE near as close/simple minded as religion. Stating that something as complex and fanciful as a supreme Deity DOES exists despite a total lack of evidence is NOT the same as stating that such a thing does NOT exist despite a lack of evidence. Yes for me atheism is a "belief" one that DOES have emotional and philosophical underpinnings (see existentialism!). I don't feel I'm stupid for holding such a "belief" however.

A possibility you might what to keep open is that the God you don't believe in is not the God that exists. You rejected a God you believe in by defining what you don't believe. The God you don't believe in does not exist.
 

actuarial

Platinum Member
Jan 22, 2009
2,814
0
71
Basically it can be translated by what you're saying in this cited portion, that the possibility of aliens are false until science proves they are aliens?

In retrospect, to show that a god exists requires a form of science testing to prove it.. but god can also 'modify' the study without our knowledge to throw us off track and show it is not him?

I'm just not understanding, because how can someone assume that aliens exists when there is no scientific proof of one out there yet.

To be honest I'm confused by your question of my cited portion

My criticism was in the basis that under possibilianism ANYTHING is possible. The scientific method itself requires some assumptions that possibilianism breaks, rendering the scientific method useless. It's possible that gravity doesn't exist, and even though we can test it it's possible that the results are a clever disguise by our alien overlord because it's a requirement of his science project.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,256
9,759
126
Possibilianism is a waste of my time because by definition it cannot provide answers. Even IF God came down, explained everything to us and then flew off, we still have the possibility that it was just some Alien troll and it was all lies. Or that it was a dream, we are still in the dream, and we will soon awake in the world where God didn't come down. Or, Or, Or. It doesn't seem scientific to me in the least, because you should at least consider the possibility that God can bend all of our scientific tests to fudge the results

I don't think it requires answers. Near as I can tell, it only requires an open mind. It's more a philosophy, than a "club" to belong to. The only danger is it becoming a "club", with all the associated ritual, and BS that entails. The website is just the start....
 

gaidensensei

Banned
May 31, 2003
2,851
2
81
To be honest I'm confused by your question of my cited portion

My criticism was in the basis that under possibilianism ANYTHING is possible. The scientific method itself requires some assumptions that possibilianism breaks, rendering the scientific method useless. It's possible that gravity doesn't exist, and even though we can test it it's possible that the results are a clever disguise by our alien overlord because it's a requirement of his science project.

Ok, it appeared I misunderstood the context. I thought you were stating that god did not exist, but you had accepted that aliens were (by the mentioning of alien trolls).

But who's to say answers are always immediately needed? It stated a bit earlier in the thread that we are plagued by this problem nowadays; people always want immediate answers to something whether it can be 'solved' or not.
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
74,335
6,653
126
One can have philosophical disagreements without being a fool. One only descends to the level of a fool when it becomes a shouting match. See my post above. I'll give this philosophy it's place and accept the ideas but I still remain a staunch atheist. No shouting from me.

In short, you know enough about the many religions to question how any of them can be right, but you are sufficiently unaware of what you do not know to be an atheist. This, it would seem is your philosophical argument and one I think can be supported only with that kind of arrogance, in my opinion.

You are basically saying that despite the fact that I know almost nothing I refuse, I close the door to certain possibilities. You should know that such an irrational position can only result from unconscious motivations.
 

Locut0s

Lifer
Nov 28, 2001
22,205
43
91
A possibility you might what to keep open is that the God you don't believe in is not the God that exists. You rejected a God you believe in by defining what you don't believe. The God you don't believe in does not exist.

I am fully open to such a suggestion. However which god would you posit the existents of? I do indeed reject any of the gods as defined by practiced religions. If you mean a more existential definition of god, more idea than reality then I would argue that is not a god.
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
74,335
6,653
126
I am fully open to such a suggestion. However which god would you posit the existents of? I do indeed reject any of the gods as defined by practiced religions. If you mean a more existential definition of god, more idea than reality then I would argue that is not a god.

Read my previous posts in this thread. I suggested the possibility that God exists because you were born in perfection, unity of being, to be fragmented by language, the separation of unity into one thing and another with names, and the imputation of good and evil via the abstractions possible with word, the imputation that you were worthless if you did not conform, the death thereby of your true self in favor of an ego, and the projection of that inner lost state of perfection, out there on a universe that created you as perfect, such that whether you are god or god is you can't ever be known, but that that very state of perfection, a conscious state of awakening, can take you back there. Is it possible to die to the false self and retrieve a state of being that is without boundary or limit, to be the universe and the universe you? If you can't be open to the possibility you won't pursue the question.

To know is to live in a room full of closed doors.
 

SunnyD

Belgian Waffler
Jan 2, 2001
32,674
146
106
www.neftastic.com
The only truth is in what one believes. If you do not believe, then your truth is a lie.

Funny thing is, nobody is right, and nobody is wrong. You're all liars and zealots at the same time.
 

slayer202

Lifer
Nov 27, 2005
13,679
119
106
The only truth is in what one believes. If you do not believe, then your truth is a lie.

Funny thing is, nobody is right, and nobody is wrong. You're all liars and zealots at the same time.

I'm not sure why people are talking about belief and truth as though they are related.
 

actuarial

Platinum Member
Jan 22, 2009
2,814
0
71
Ok, it appeared I misunderstood the context. I thought you were stating that god did not exist, but you had accepted that aliens were (by the mentioning of alien trolls).

But who's to say answers are always immediately needed? It stated a bit earlier in the thread that we are plagued by this problem nowadays; people always want immediate answers to something whether it can be 'solved' or not.

I agree. My position on creation is that we are not capable of the intelligence to understand it. My point wasn't that possibilianism doesn't give us answers (I don't care about that), just that it couldn't give us answers.

I could walk up to you, slap you in the face, then immediately say "it's possible I didn't just slap you". If we're going to consider the total realm of possibilities, then that's a perfectly reasonable thing to say. It's possible you slapped yourself and then projected that action onto me.

In short, in my opinion is possibilianism doesn't have any practical application, even if it's technically correct.
 

slayer202

Lifer
Nov 27, 2005
13,679
119
106
I can think of at least one possible application. perhaps if a person never leaves their home they would form some sort of bond with the structure, and find a way to live forever. Seems possible. After all, doesn't it have to be true if I can imagine it? Maybe someone else can think of another application, that one took a lot out of me
 

actuarial

Platinum Member
Jan 22, 2009
2,814
0
71
Defeatist. "Never gonna know, so why bother?"

I'm as much a defeatist as anyone on this forum thinking that they couldn't beat Lebron 1-on-1. I'd love to be able to know, I just don't think we have the capacity. I guess I should say "think" every time (so people don't infer that I'm certain), but I don't because it shouldn't be necessary.

I think our issue with ever figuring out creation is how we perceive time. Until we can overcome that hurdle we're going to have a lot of trouble.

Then again, it's not like I'm the peak of human existence, so maybe it's just arrogant to think another human can't view the universe in a completely unique way.
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,670
6,246
126
I'm as much a defeatist as anyone on this forum thinking that they couldn't beat Lebron 1-on-1. I'd love to be able to know, I just don't think we have the capacity. I guess I should say "think" every time (so people don't infer that I'm certain), but I don't because it shouldn't be necessary.

I think our issue with ever figuring out creation is how we perceive time. Until we can overcome that hurdle we're going to have a lot of trouble.

Then again, it's not like I'm the peak of human existence, so maybe it's just arrogant to think another human can't view the universe in a completely unique way.

The thing is, we already have a good understanding of the bulk of "Creation". It is called Evolution. What we don't know is how it started or what caused the beginning of the Universe, but in time I'm confident we will know the answers to both of those questions as well.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,256
9,759
126
The thing is, we already have a good understanding of the bulk of "Creation". It is called Evolution. What we don't know is how it started or what caused the beginning of the Universe, but in time I'm confident we will know the answers to both of those questions as well.

Maybe they aren't the right questions ;^)
 

Malak

Lifer
Dec 4, 2004
14,696
2
0
The thing is, we already have a good understanding of the bulk of "Creation". It is called Evolution. What we don't know is how it started or what caused the beginning of the Universe, but in time I'm confident we will know the answers to both of those questions as well.

How it started is what creation is. Contrary to popular belief, creationism and evolutionary theory describe 2 different concepts. They could coexist and both be true.
 

slayer202

Lifer
Nov 27, 2005
13,679
119
106
How it started is what creation is. Contrary to popular belief, creationism and evolutionary theory describe 2 different concepts. They could coexist and both be true.

so you can twist the definition of creationism to fit your own agenda AND twist the definition of atheism at the same time, again, fitting your agenda? sweet bro
 

Nik

Lifer
Jun 5, 2006
16,101
3
56
so you can twist the definition of creationism to fit your own agenda AND twist the definition of atheism at the same time, again, fitting your agenda? sweet bro

Typical Malak. When you ask a decidedly pointed question that he can't twist, he just disappears from the conversation. You win, he quits.
 

actuarial

Platinum Member
Jan 22, 2009
2,814
0
71
The thing is, we already have a good understanding of the bulk of "Creation". It is called Evolution. What we don't know is how it started or what caused the beginning of the Universe, but in time I'm confident we will know the answers to both of those questions as well.

Sorry I should have clarified I was only talking about finding the starting point. I'm confident that we'll figure out the spark of life eventually. I'm also confident we'll figure out what started our universe. I'm not confident we'll explain the beginning of time (not just the beginning of this universe) as any beginning (in my uneducated opinion of course) is incongruent with our perception of time.
 

Zebo

Elite Member
Jul 29, 2001
39,398
19
81
Good stuff and where I lie as well.

Atheism is absurd if you understand how little we know. Religion(s) are equally absurd given how it's debunked over time and knowing man's penchant for dark matter fill in the blanks which can't be proven. The only possibility left is "I don't know"
 

Malak

Lifer
Dec 4, 2004
14,696
2
0
Good stuff and where I lie as well.

Atheism is absurd if you understand how little we know. Religion(s) are equally absurd given how it's debunked over time and knowing man's penchant for dark matter fill in the blanks which can't be proven. The only possibility left is "I don't know"

"I don't know" is the beginning, not the end.
 

zerocool84

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
36,041
472
126
Or how about I don't care and I don't intend on living for something else (god) and do good things because I feel like it? I don't need to believe in a higher being to be a better person. If that's what you need to help you to be a better person then so be it but I don't. If your religion is true then so were the Greeks with their gods and so is Scientology with their beliefs. Every religious belief in all of history is just as valid as yours no matter how weird you may think it to be. Since no one has proof that your religion is wrong, then that means all other religions cannot be proven wrong as well. Scientologists are on the same level as Christians and Muslims.
 
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