Samantha Rinne
Resident Genderfluid Writer/Artist
I like the two posters above me.
As to this concept by Bertrand Russel, let's look at his own thinking.
That is to say that philosophically, the idea of a God (or gods) is not philosophical, yet he does not declare the person making the claim must prove it (as is his statement with the teapot, according to wikipedia). He instead calls himself agnostic. He rightly admits that he cannot prove that there isn't a God, just that any God or gods is probably as defined by Romans/Jews.
An unfalsifiable claim is by definition unfalsifiable (that is, you can't perform a science experiment to prove or disprove it). This means telling the person making a claim that they believe in something to prove it is nothing more than passing the buck. Neither you nor the believer can prove or disprove it, because it is by definition unfalsifiable. They have faith which may be incredibly real to them, especially if there are events that cannot be explained any other way. But it is different intellectually to say I believe (i.e. I strongly feel this may be the case, yet I have no means) vs I know (I have absolute proof after running repeated tests for falsifiability). Yet, atheist use the word "know" all the time when they really mean believe. As in "I know there is no God." Do you now?
Seems to me that a certain group of people are making far more unfalsifiable claims. It is possible something may exist in a way that one has no way of seeing or measuring it. Yet it is highly unlikely (if not impossible) to know that you have exhausted all means of discernment or checked all locations.
You prove it.
As to this concept by Bertrand Russel, let's look at his own thinking.
I never know whether I should say "Agnostic" or whether I should say "Atheist". It is a very difficult question and I daresay that some of you have been troubled by it. As a philosopher, if I were speaking to a purely philosophic audience I should say that I ought to describe myself as an Agnostic, because I do not think that there is a conclusive argument by which one prove that there is not a God.
On the other hand, if I am to convey the right impression to the ordinary man in the street I think I ought to say that I am an Atheist, because when I say that I cannot prove that there is not a God, I ought to add equally that I cannot prove that there are not the Homeric gods.
None of us would seriously consider the possibility that all the gods of homer really exist, and yet if you were to set to work to give a logical demonstration that Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, and the rest of them did not exist you would find it an awful job. You could not get such proof.
Therefore, in regard to the Olympic gods, speaking to a purely philosophical audience, I would say that I am an Agnostic. But speaking popularly, I think that all of us would say in regard to those gods that we were Atheists. In regard to the Christian God, I should, I think, take exactly the same line.
That is to say that philosophically, the idea of a God (or gods) is not philosophical, yet he does not declare the person making the claim must prove it (as is his statement with the teapot, according to wikipedia). He instead calls himself agnostic. He rightly admits that he cannot prove that there isn't a God, just that any God or gods is probably as defined by Romans/Jews.
An unfalsifiable claim is by definition unfalsifiable (that is, you can't perform a science experiment to prove or disprove it). This means telling the person making a claim that they believe in something to prove it is nothing more than passing the buck. Neither you nor the believer can prove or disprove it, because it is by definition unfalsifiable. They have faith which may be incredibly real to them, especially if there are events that cannot be explained any other way. But it is different intellectually to say I believe (i.e. I strongly feel this may be the case, yet I have no means) vs I know (I have absolute proof after running repeated tests for falsifiability). Yet, atheist use the word "know" all the time when they really mean believe. As in "I know there is no God." Do you now?
Seems to me that a certain group of people are making far more unfalsifiable claims. It is possible something may exist in a way that one has no way of seeing or measuring it. Yet it is highly unlikely (if not impossible) to know that you have exhausted all means of discernment or checked all locations.
You prove it.