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Cartesian Free Will and Knowledge

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Cartesian Free Will and Knowledge
reincarnated
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Posted 10/12/09 - 10:12 PM:
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#71
Hanover wrote:
Our dispute therefore revolves around the fact that we are not using the term "subjective" in a consistent manner. Subjective is the opposite of objective. Uncertainty is the opposite of certainty. If you are saying that justifications are objectively true or false and statements about reality are objectively true of false, then you are not arguing that knowledge is subjective. What you are simply saying is that any assertion we make about the world is made without certainty. That is, you are not arguing that knowledge is subjective; you're just arguing that it's uncertain. Subjective truths are those truths that are true if the subject says it is so (e.g. "the picture is pretty," to the moral relativist, "murder is bad"). Objective truths are those that are true regardless of what the subject believes (e.g. "the rock exists," to the moral absolutist, "murder is bad"). When you say, "there is a rock before me," that is not a subjective truth; it's just an uncertain belief.

This is a straw man, Hanover, and if you read the posts in this thread carefully you will understand this. I have never claimed that "all truths are subjective", and I have never claimed that "all knowledge is subjective", so I have no idea why you keep harping on about this.

If you have a particular interest in this topic and wish to discuss the meanings of "subjective" and "objective" then I suggest you start a new thread for this purpose (hang on - there is a thread on this already - its called (roll of drums...) "Subjective and Objective Truth").

So let's get back to "knowledge" shall we? (And to ensure we stay focussed on the real issues I'll try to avoid references to the "S" word in what follows). Unfortunately, you have ignored the real disagreement between us. Our disagreement revolves around the fact that I believe there is no access to infallible knowledge, all of our claims to knowledge are fallible; whereas you insist that you somehow have access to infallible knowledge, that you somehow have access to objective truths and to the objective validity of justifications. Further, you claim that we cannot possess knowledge unless it is infallible knowledge (a clear fallacy). I have asked you many times to explain how it is that you have such access to infallible knowledge, but you cannot or will not explain. You ignore most of my last post which concentrates on this issue (copied again below) - but until we address this issue, I don't think there is much point continuing this discussion.

reincarnated wrote:
You believe (on the basis of JTB) that you knew that Joe was coming over to your house.
I claim that I have information inaccessible to you, and based on this (also on the basis of JTB) I believe that you did NOT know that Joe was coming over to your house.
At least one of us is wrong (incorrect) in our belief about your knowledge. Who is wrong? To answer this question we need God’s-eye view, which we do not have.
How do you propose to solve this conundrum?
Justifications, just like truths, may have objective truth-values, but the point you seem to keep ignoring is that we have no infallible access to this truth value! All each of us has is our individual epistemic perspectives, based on our beliefs. One of us may be “correct”, but how do we test infallibly?
And how does it work? What happens if I claim that I have this form of freedom, and I therefore believe I have God’s-eye view, and you also claim that you have this form of freedom, and you therefore also believe you have God’s-eye view, but nevertheless the two of us disagree on what we believe to be true? What then?
We’ve been here before – apologies if I sound like a stuck record but you don’t seem to be understanding the following:
That we cannot know infallibly does NOT imply that we cannot know.
That we cannot possess infallible knowledge does NOT imply that we cannot possess knowledge.
You seem to be insisting on infallible knowledge, claiming that if we cannot know infallibly then we cannot know at all (which is false), but at the same time you cannot explain how you arrive at this infallible knowledge.
Think about it.




Edited by reincarnated on 10/12/09 - 11:07 PM

crumpled bits of paper, filled with imperfect thoughts...
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Hanover
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Posted 10/13/09 - 04:43 AM:
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#72
reincarnated wrote:

This is a straw man, Hanover, and if you read the posts in this thread carefully you will understand this. I have never claimed that "all truths are subjective", and I have never claimed that "all knowledge is subjective", so I have no idea why you keep harping on about this.
I have never accused you saying that all knowledge is subjective. My statement was, and is, that you initially said that justifications were subjective. As I understand it, you are saying that justifications are objectively true or false, but it can never be known with certainty whether they are. We were attempting to discuss the Gettier objection, which you claimed to be invalid. My statement remains that if you are claiming that there is an objectively true justification (REGARDLESS of whether its validity can be objectively confirmed), you have accepted the Gettier objection as valid and you hold to a modified version of JTB theory.

If you have a particular interest in this topic and wish to discuss the meanings of "subjective" and "objective" then I suggest you start a new thread for this purpose (hang on - there is a thread on this already - its called (roll of drums...) "Subjective and Objective Truth").
I don't think we need to break off into new threads every time there is some overlap among topics. You claimed that justifications were (1) subjective and (2) of uncertain validity. I simply drew a distinction between that which is subjective and that which is uncertain. Your position actually is that justifications are (1) objective and (2) of uncertain validity, which points out that one does not entail the other. By holding to #1, you do not hold to JTB theory as commonly stated.
Our disagreement revolves around the fact that I believe there is no access to infallible knowledge, all of our claims to knowledge are fallible; whereas you insist that you somehow have access to infallible knowledge, that you somehow have access to objective truths and to the objective validity of justifications.
Well, apparantly we don't even agree as to where we disagree. I fully agree that we cannot be certain whether we have stumbled upon a truth in a deterministic world. We both agree that the only way to access actual truth is to have "God's eye view." The only way to have such a view is from the heavens, unencumbered by the forces of nature, I suppose. Such a view would require a free agent. If your point is that such a perspective is impossible under any scenario, meaning that there is no "God's eye view" even for God, then you are arguing for solipsism.
Further, you claim that we cannot possess knowledge unless it is infallible knowledge (a clear fallacy).
If a belief does not satisfy the Truth element it is not knowledge. I don't know if what you're saying I said and what I'm saying here are equivalent.
I have asked you many times to explain how it is that you have such access to infallible knowledge, but you cannot or will not explain. You ignore most of my last post which concentrates on this issue (copied again below) - but until we address this issue, I don't think there is much point continuing this discussion.
Fine, take your ball and go home. You've never defended your epistomological theory against the Gettier objection, and you've never explained how one item of alleged "knowledge" can ever be said to be more valid than a competing item of knowlege (remember the reliability discussion). Instead, you're asking generally "how can you ever know that what you know is true," which I have agreed that you can't without having an objective perspective of the world. You then ask how can that ever be, and my response is that it cannot be if we live in a world where we have stipulated that we are completely controlled by random forces.

"Nothing is impossible for the man who will not listen to reason." John Belushi, "Animal House"
"I have opinions of my own --strong opinions-- but I don't always agree with them." G.W. Bush

reincarnated
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Posted 10/13/09 - 05:05 AM:
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#73
Hanover wrote:
Fine, take your ball and go home.

Petulance is hardly a mature response. It seems you simply refuse to defend your views about knowledge against criticism. Fine by me. Its your choice.

Hanover wrote:
You've never defended your epistomological theory against the Gettier objection, and you've never explained how one item of alleged "knowledge" can ever be said to be more valid than a competing item of knowlege (remember the reliability discussion).

I'm tired of always explaining the same things to you over and over again, only to have you accuse me of never defending or explaining my views. Let me do it one more time:

A claim to knowledge is either true or false - there are no shades of grey (we cannot say that a particular claim to knowledge is 75% true and 25% false for example) so it makes no sense to talk of some claim to knowledge being "more valid" than another claim to knowledge EXCEPT insofar as each claim to knowledge is either true or false. BUT all claims to knowledge that anyone can make are just that - claims to knowledge - there is NO practical test which will identify infallibly which claim to knowledge (if any) is true. Its really as simple as that - but it seems you will not accept this explanation, you seem to insist that I am mistaken and this is just not true, but you cannot or you will not defend your own views or explain how you arrive at infallible knowledge. The ball is clearly in your court on this one, Hanover. Now its YOUR turn to defend and explain your views, if you can.

Hanover wrote:
Instead, you're asking generally "how can you ever know that what you know is true," which I have agreed that you can't without having an objective perspective of the world. You then ask how can that ever be, and my response is that it cannot be if we live in a world where we have stipulated that we are completely controlled by random forces.

Forget about the precondition that "we are completely controlled by random forces" (you seem to want to insist on this precondition, I have no idea why) - just answer the general question - is there ANY kind of world where you believe you would have access to infallible knowledge, and if so can you explain how it works?
Do you accept that you have no access to infallible knowledge?
Do you accept that one can possess knowledge without necessarily possessing infallible knowledge?


Edited by reincarnated on 10/13/09 - 06:51 AM

crumpled bits of paper, filled with imperfect thoughts...
we all talk a different language, talking in defence...
and if you don't give up, and don't give in, you may just be ok...
(Mike & The Mechanics, "The Living Years")
Hanover
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Posted 10/13/09 - 07:20 AM:
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#74
reincarnated wrote:

Petulance is hardly a mature response. It seems you simply refuse to defend your views about knowledge against criticism. Fine by me. Its your choice.
You said you were tired of talking, and I said ok, then you said I shouldn't be impatient. Bygones.
Forget about the precondition that "we are completely controlled by random forces" (you seem to want to insist on this precondition, I have no idea why) - just answer the general question - is there ANY kind of world where you believe you would have access to infallible knowledge, and if so can you explain how it works?
Do you accept that you have no access to infallible knowledge?
Do you accept that one can possess knowledge without necessarily possessing infallible knowledge?

There is a world where I can gain access to infallible knowledge. Such a world is logically possible. Even you would concede that we may be living in such a world right now. It would work if our reasoning and perception were so designed as to accurately relate to reality and the scientific method truly worked and yielded the Truth.

I accept that I am wrong about many of the things I think I know. I do not concede that I cannot arrive at a correct truth, which would be based upon a correct justification and a correct belief. Even you would concede that you may actually possess knowledge. Your objection is that you have no means to check it.

Your distinction between regular knowledge and infallible knowledge eludes me. Knowledge must be True for it to be knowledge. I'm not sure how how the Truth can be fallible.

I insist upon the precondition of determinism because it clarifies that all judgments are pre-judgments and would have been arrived at regardless of the reasons an agent suggests caused the decision.

"Nothing is impossible for the man who will not listen to reason." John Belushi, "Animal House"
"I have opinions of my own --strong opinions-- but I don't always agree with them." G.W. Bush

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