Can a person be skeptical about everything, or are there limits? Is it possible to doubt everything or almost everything? Does a person have an obligation to use ethical and moral reasoning when examining ones beliefs. Are there beliefs you possess that cannot be challenged or shown to be false? How might the skeptic respond to your claim that such a belief cannot be doubted? Identify one such specific belief and present your response to the skeptic. (If you don't have such a belief, explain how one could live while not accepting any claim as true.)
How does one know something is true? Is there evidence that anything is absolute?
“A well–known doctrine among philosophers is called solipsism; the idea that, for an individual, the only thing that exists in the world is the mind of that individual. On this view, the only thing you have access to is your own mind and its contents. This would mean everything—your body, everyone else, the stars and planets, what you had for lunch, everything—is simply a projection of your own mind. ” (Mosser, 2010).
The skeptic would say certainty is a limited or rare, if not an impossible attainment by which one could thereby not question the existence of anything. If you are for one reason or another thinking that something is not true, you are still analyzing that “something”. I know that I exist, because the reactions I create always impact the world around me.
I have a view that is the opposite of skepticism, which sort of inverts to what the text calls “"absolute gullibility," where one believes that everything is true” (Mosser, 2010).
I actually connect everything with how it is related to me, or as Descarte said, “I think, therefore I am." “We saw his claim that when he thinks, he knows he exists, was a claim that had to be accepted as true and undeniable. But that seems quite different, and conceptually far away, from our being able to accept the reports of our senses.” (Mosser 2010)
Here is a good place to mention a sixth sense.
To quote Rav Michael Laitman of Bnei Baruch, “All of the worlds, upper and lower and this world exists within us. . . we perceive everything. to say, we exists because of our inner properties. There is nothing outside of us. We, as scientists have proven, see an inverted vision. It’s that same inverted vision that causes us to see things as outside of us. It’s just my impression (my ego) that makes me think that the world is outside of me.”
“Now, I sense myself and the world around me which is full of people. There will come a time when beside this world, I will also sense begin to sense and see other worlds. Let’s say that some additional sense will open up for me. Later, I begin to improve my perception. . . then, I will know and feel that it‘s all actually part of me.“
That is, my perception projects an environment, so how and what I perceive as reality has personal relevance, and therefore is true . It’s the epitome of objectivity.
Of course ethics and moral reasoning are necessary for co-creation, because life is an opportunity to connect. Uncouth behavior is a disconnection. “To the extent that souls connect, the worlds disappear. There are between me and the Creator, some sort of filters called the worlds. To the extent that I connect with other souls, I elevate above the worlds, and I attain a state in which I am above them, meaning they enter me.”
The skeptic might doubt the existence of a Creator Source, to which I will suggest that God is a Verb, the attribute of pure bestowal, and if there is something to be certain about, sharing creates. Of course, if the skeptic could point out that the majority of much I perceive is a disconnection to which I would just say touché.
References
Mosser, K. (2010). A concise introduction to philosophy. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Laitman, Michael (n.d). . Kabbalah and Our Perception of Reality. Uploaded on Aug 27, 2006 by ARIfilms, retrieved July 3, 2012 by Joshua Haltom
“A well–known doctrine among philosophers is called solipsism; the idea that, for an individual, the only thing that exists in the world is the mind of that individual. On this view, the only thing you have access to is your own mind and its contents. This would mean everything—your body, everyone else, the stars and planets, what you had for lunch, everything—is simply a projection of your own mind. ” (Mosser, 2010).
The skeptic would say certainty is a limited or rare, if not an impossible attainment by which one could thereby not question the existence of anything. If you are for one reason or another thinking that something is not true, you are still analyzing that “something”. I know that I exist, because the reactions I create always impact the world around me.
I have a view that is the opposite of skepticism, which sort of inverts to what the text calls “"absolute gullibility," where one believes that everything is true” (Mosser, 2010).
I actually connect everything with how it is related to me, or as Descarte said, “I think, therefore I am." “We saw his claim that when he thinks, he knows he exists, was a claim that had to be accepted as true and undeniable. But that seems quite different, and conceptually far away, from our being able to accept the reports of our senses.” (Mosser 2010)
Here is a good place to mention a sixth sense.
To quote Rav Michael Laitman of Bnei Baruch, “All of the worlds, upper and lower and this world exists within us. . . we perceive everything. to say, we exists because of our inner properties. There is nothing outside of us. We, as scientists have proven, see an inverted vision. It’s that same inverted vision that causes us to see things as outside of us. It’s just my impression (my ego) that makes me think that the world is outside of me.”
“Now, I sense myself and the world around me which is full of people. There will come a time when beside this world, I will also sense begin to sense and see other worlds. Let’s say that some additional sense will open up for me. Later, I begin to improve my perception. . . then, I will know and feel that it‘s all actually part of me.“
That is, my perception projects an environment, so how and what I perceive as reality has personal relevance, and therefore is true . It’s the epitome of objectivity.
Of course ethics and moral reasoning are necessary for co-creation, because life is an opportunity to connect. Uncouth behavior is a disconnection. “To the extent that souls connect, the worlds disappear. There are between me and the Creator, some sort of filters called the worlds. To the extent that I connect with other souls, I elevate above the worlds, and I attain a state in which I am above them, meaning they enter me.”
The skeptic might doubt the existence of a Creator Source, to which I will suggest that God is a Verb, the attribute of pure bestowal, and if there is something to be certain about, sharing creates. Of course, if the skeptic could point out that the majority of much I perceive is a disconnection to which I would just say touché.
References
Mosser, K. (2010). A concise introduction to philosophy. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Laitman, Michael (n.d). . Kabbalah and Our Perception of Reality. Uploaded on Aug 27, 2006 by ARIfilms, retrieved July 3, 2012 by Joshua Haltom
| RE: The Limits of Skepticism, I am |
|---|
Joshua,
I can tell through your post that you have an acute awareness of your surroundings and how they affect you. You also are open to new things and as a result are open to new understandings. In my experiences I have found that skepticism can be a hindrance because it limits a person's view of reality. Instead of being open to new ideas a person will only allow themselves to go so far with their believability before they will reel themselves back in which severely limits their ability to thoroughly understand a particular topic. I understand the need for a skeptic to see every possibility before making a decision however, I do not believe that everything in life has to result in absolute certainty. Religion is a topic that brings much debate and can be argued that there is not enough certainty to cause a skeptic to truly believe one way or the other regarding the presence of a higher power. | |||
Solipism is an acute awareness of surroundings,because if
one is never skeptical of oneself, they are more intuitive. The
negative part you shared is also true. All theories of knowledge must
co-exist, and no one should ever dismiss any
of them that are ethical.
The God particle was discovered just a few years ago. It is called the Higgs Bosson. The thing is considered by scientist "to be what gave mass to matter as the universe cooled after the Big Bang." However, you can never prove something is right, you can only ever prove something is wrong."All we can do is rule out more and more alternatives." – AFP (n.d.).
Reference
http://mg.co.za/article/2013-07-02-could-this-boson-be-the-god-particle/
The God particle was discovered just a few years ago. It is called the Higgs Bosson. The thing is considered by scientist "to be what gave mass to matter as the universe cooled after the Big Bang." However, you can never prove something is right, you can only ever prove something is wrong."All we can do is rule out more and more alternatives." – AFP (n.d.).
Reference
http://mg.co.za/article/2013-07-02-could-this-boson-be-the-god-particle/
| RE: The Limits of Skepticism, I am | Instructor Stern
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7/8/2013 1:59:12 PM |
|---|
You cite the cogito as a means of resisting radical skepticism. Do you find Descartes' use of the
cogito adequate to counter the Evil Demon argument he raises?
Your idea about perception projecting an environment sounds like a form of representationalism, of which Kant, in some sense, was a leading exponent. In fact, the direction of your entire discussion on this point sounds Kantian/Hegelian. What do you mean by "objectivity," once the distinction between the subject and the object is dissolved? Would you say we would then be all object or all subject? Something else? | |||
The subject is what the objective is about. Both subject
and object are both nouns and verbs. To subject something to be
subjected is like a proposition. Subject and object are like the
prepositions 'to' and 'for'. There is the verbs
'is' and 'am'. There are many grammatical or logical ways to address
what you pointed out. It all depends on perspective.
I will end this article with a quote from an article written by an agnostic atheist:
"The idea of truth as objective is simply that no matter what we believe to be the case, some things will always be true and other things will always be false. Our beliefs, whatever they are, have no bearing on the facts of the world around us. That which is true is always true — even if we stop believing it and even if we stop existing at all." (Cline, n.d)
Followed by another quote of RaMChaL:
"The entire Wisdom of Truth (çëîú äàîú, Chochmat Ha-Emet, the Kabbalah) comes only to demonstrate the truth of Faith (àîåðä, Emunah). It comes to explain how all the created realms and beings and everything that happens in the universe all emerge from the Supreme Will (äøöåï äòìéåï, HaRatzon HaElyon). It shows how everything is governed in the right way by the One God, blessed be He, to bring the entire cycle of creation to complete perfection in the end. The component details of this wisdom provide detailed understanding of all the laws and processes by which the universe is governed." (Luzzato, 2003)
Cline, A (n.d.).
Luzzatto, M. (2003). 138 Openings of Wisdom. Azamra Institute. Retrieved from http://azamra.org/Kabbalah/Openings/001.htm
I will end this article with a quote from an article written by an agnostic atheist:
"The idea of truth as objective is simply that no matter what we believe to be the case, some things will always be true and other things will always be false. Our beliefs, whatever they are, have no bearing on the facts of the world around us. That which is true is always true — even if we stop believing it and even if we stop existing at all." (Cline, n.d)
Followed by another quote of RaMChaL:
"The entire Wisdom of Truth (çëîú äàîú, Chochmat Ha-Emet, the Kabbalah) comes only to demonstrate the truth of Faith (àîåðä, Emunah). It comes to explain how all the created realms and beings and everything that happens in the universe all emerge from the Supreme Will (äøöåï äòìéåï, HaRatzon HaElyon). It shows how everything is governed in the right way by the One God, blessed be He, to bring the entire cycle of creation to complete perfection in the end. The component details of this wisdom provide detailed understanding of all the laws and processes by which the universe is governed." (Luzzato, 2003)
Cline, A (n.d.).
Objective Truth
Is Something True Regardless of What We Believe?
Retrieved from http://atheism.about.com/od/philosophyepistemology/a/ObjectiveTruth.htmLuzzatto, M. (2003). 138 Openings of Wisdom. Azamra Institute. Retrieved from http://azamra.org/Kabbalah/Openings/001.htm
The Limits of Skepticism
The
term “skeptic” originally meant someone who looked at things, however
in time its definition changed and is now used to describe a person who
doubted various kinds
of claims (Mosser, 2010). Skeptics question everything, that in itself
is not totally bad but it can really limit an individual for he or she
would not be able to grow as a person. Most people their own strong
personal beliefs. I believe that everything
happens for a reason and nothing happens incidentally. Skeptics should
have some limit to their skepticism for they have to believe something
is accurate but they simply want to judge the reality of the belief.
Moral and ethical reasoning should be a must
when examining someone’s beliefs. Both bring significant
characteristics in the decision making process and can be used to obtain
the most correct answer in situations (Rainbow, 2002). A skeptic may
respond to my belief that everything happens for a reason
by arguing with me. He or she might list horrible events, such as the
attacks of 9/11, and ask if it was right all that destruction occurred.
My response would be to reiterate the fact that those events still
happened for a reason. It may not be a reason
I like or agree with but it was someone’s reason nevertheless. Even
though skepticism may be a hassle at times, it is used to evaluate
claims for flaws, mistakes, and inaccuracies which lessen the potential
that we will believe something that is not true (Hill,
2013).
Hill, S, (2013)
Media Guide to Skepticism. Doubtful News. Retrieved from:
www.doubtfulnews.com/media-guide-to-skepticism/
Mosser, K. (2010).
A Concise Introduction to Philosophy. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Rainbow, C. (2002).
Descriptions of Ethical Theories and Principles.
Department of Biology, Davidson College. Retrieved from:
Your post gave grandeur to Skepticism. As the article from doubtfulnews you shared states, If a claim is true, it "is important and extraordinary. So, it would be fitting to apply Skepticism to this claim" (Hill, 2013).
It's a strange way that a word or idea can be watered down through translation. It's like the game of "broken telephone" where one person whispers to the next and what you end up with is less than the message meant to begin. It's really a good thing for truth. A declaration that goes without rebuttal cannot be proven. And, it isn't enough to simply say "I doubt that", Skepticism needs reproval. The solipist, who is the most, almost belittled form of epistemology, must to be sure, doubt the doubt and, as you mention, trust that everything happens for a reason, then, take that reason and receive correction from it.
We are all works in progress in the same world and living under the same sky, we must unite, and skepticism should not be thought of as offensive. It ought to be readily welcomed and appreciated.
"Bothersome, it may be. To the naked eye, nothing is free, but the burden of proof may take more than a lifetime to see."
Apex Theory -- Apposibly (C) 2002
Reference
It's a strange way that a word or idea can be watered down through translation. It's like the game of "broken telephone" where one person whispers to the next and what you end up with is less than the message meant to begin. It's really a good thing for truth. A declaration that goes without rebuttal cannot be proven. And, it isn't enough to simply say "I doubt that", Skepticism needs reproval. The solipist, who is the most, almost belittled form of epistemology, must to be sure, doubt the doubt and, as you mention, trust that everything happens for a reason, then, take that reason and receive correction from it.
We are all works in progress in the same world and living under the same sky, we must unite, and skepticism should not be thought of as offensive. It ought to be readily welcomed and appreciated.
"Bothersome, it may be. To the naked eye, nothing is free, but the burden of proof may take more than a lifetime to see."
Apex Theory -- Apposibly (C) 2002
Reference
Hill, S, (2013)
Media Guide to Skepticism. Doubtful News. Retrieved from:
www.doubtfulnews.com/media-guide-to-skepticism/
Music video by The Apex Theory performing Apossibly. (C) 2002 Geffen Records
| Discussion 1 |
|---|
|
There are people who can find
skepticism in nearly all things but there has to be some limitations.
Skepticism is a part of human nature based on proving one’s knowledge
and justifying claims. It is possible to doubt everything
but people must, no matter how long it takes; go around and around
until skeptics are quieted. The obligation for explaining ethical and
moral reasoning is a valid one. Any belief that is worth holding is
worth defense. If a person is not willing to defend
a moral or ethical belief than can they truly hold one. My belief or
faith in God cannot be proven false. Skeptics cannot, with any
certainty, say that God is not real. A skeptic can say that there is not
any physical evidence that God truly exists. They can
also ask what makes me believe. At the end of the argument God cannot
be proven to not exist. The life of a person who can’t accept any truths
has to be a never ending examination. Skeptics are doomed to a life of
not having anything that they can believe
in. (Mosser, 2010)
Mosser, K. (2010). Philosophy: A Concise Introduction. Bridgepoint Education.
I have heard that the only thing that can be proven wrong
is a conspiracy. If the conspiracy theory is wrong, it can still be
right, because the ends calculated the means. Or rather, the means is
the end.
You mentioned that you can't prove that God is real. I say it all has to do with your definition of God. If God is a Verb, an action or state of being, then the process of atoms forming molecules can be called God. That is one way to prove a matter is to sync the means with another structure. A skeptic who doubts reason is a separatist. Skepticism is good as with demanding explanations. Dense skepticism, a person in denial, is like a cancer for the search for truth. | |||
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