Court
-3
4
Court has not written any posts yet.
I was wondering when someone would mention Hume. Instructive to note Hume's 'solution' to the Problem of Induction: behave as if there were no such problem. Practically speaking, in actual life, it is impossible to do otherwise. As relates to this discussion, it seems to foreguess Eliezer's point that there are no 'mysterious' answers to be found. Everything will be as it was, once we have found what we are looking for.
Hume also recommended billiards, backgammon, and dining with friends. Sound advice, indeed.
Nick,
Nothing about cryonics there. That was what I was referring to specifically in bringing up Pascal's Wager. Or am I missing something?
As a matter of historical coherence, as it were, see Nagarjuna's MÅ«lamadhyamaka-kÄrikÄ (Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way). Concerning the point that 'nothing happens,' you have more or less arrived at the same conclusions, though needless to say his version lacks the fancy mathematical footwork. I tend to think that your fundamental position regarding the physical nature of existence, insofar as I understand it, is probably correct. It's where you go from there that's a little more troubling.
Nagarjuna extrapolates from his views that via the Law of Karma we can reach Nirvana; Eliezer extrapolates from his views that via the Laws of Physics we can reach the Singularity.... (read more)
Eliezer,
I'm a little disappointed, frankly. I would have thought you'd be over both God and the Problem of Evil by now. Possibly it goes to show just how difficult it is for people raised as (or by) theists to kill God in themselves.
But possibly you'll get there as you go along. I'd tell you what that was like but I don't know myself yet.