Tim_Tyler comments on Science Isn't Strict Enough - Less Wrong

13 Post author: Eliezer_Yudkowsky 16 May 2008 06:51AM

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Comment author: Tim_Tyler 21 May 2008 08:51:11AM 0 points [-]

Re: "how is it justified to be 100% certain that everything is random". That is not what inductive sceptics think. They think that using induction to understand the world has no logical basis (and they are perfectly right about that). That does not mean that the world is without pattern or meaning - just that using induction in an attempt to extract the patterns is not justifiable behaviour. If you want to put induction in your toolbox, then fine, but you can't pretend that this behaviour has a coherent justification - because you have no counter-argument to a sceptic who says it should be left out.

Hume's problem of induction is basic philosophy of science material - and you ought to know about it if you are discussing this kind of material. Not familiar with the topic? Don't ask here - instead, hit the library, there is a lot of existing material on the subject.