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But no, we humans had to invent god as a cover, to give us permission
to kill people who look different from us and think differently.
originally posted by: cooperton
I was hands down the worst person in my life when I was an atheist. I thought that if there was no good or bad, I could do whatever I wanted and it didn't matter... As long as I didn't get caught.
I assume this is the same mentality held by a lot of the powers-that-be that sacrifice the well-being of others for profit.
originally posted by: BelowLowAnnouncement
a reply to: cooperton
While I agree with the validity of your point, I find it rather distressing that some people need to believe in the threat of eternal damnation in order to have a set of morals.
"There is no truth. There is only perception." - Gustave Flaubert
If someone really believed that, it would have ramifications in every area of their life. I would think that it would make one unable to function in society.
Let's consider some of the choices one must making when starting a business:
1. What products/services should be offered?
Market research is necessary to make a good decision on this issue. However, one who believes there's no truth wouldn't see any value in market research. Such an individual could never admit that one product or service would be more successful than another because that would contradict their worldview.
2. What prices should products/services be sold for?
Making a decision here would also involve a contradiction of their worldview. How can there be a "market price" that yields a high enough profit margin to make the company successful if there's no truth?
3. Location
Obviously, the old maxim, "Location, location, location" could not be admitted to be true.
4. How do you determine who's most qualified to hire?
If you believe there's no truth...
how do you come to grips with the fact that some professions require special training, education, experience, etc.? All of those things contradict your worldview.
originally posted by: Peeple
a reply to: Profusion
I believe there is no truth. But then again i don't function right and am very un-social
a reply to: Benevolent Heretic
Well said.
originally posted by: Profusion
"There is no truth. There is only perception." - Gustave Flaubert.
originally posted by: BelowLowAnnouncement
a reply to: theMediator
Right, and you could do this all day to make historical philosophical quotes less poetic. It proves nothing, though makes them a lot less memorable.
"One man's trash is another man's treasure"
"Don't be throwin' that out someone else might want it!"
You see?
originally posted by: Profusion
"There is no truth. There is only perception." - Gustave Flaubert
If someone really believed that, it would have ramifications in every area of their life. I would think that it would make one unable to function in society. Let's consider some of the choices one must making when starting a business:
Language is not exact. "Truth" can mean many things.
Of course we have everyday truths like the sky is blue and whatever. And they are useful to us. But at a deeper level there is no truth.
Of course we have everyday truths like the sky is blue and whatever.
But at a deeper level there is no truth.
We don't actually know anything about the world, about things as they actually are, in and of themselves. We only know of what the seem. There may be truth out there somewhere, but it is not ours. Truth does not belong to us.
We do not see or think about the actual things, only constructs based upon our senses and reason. This is what Kant talks about with his thing-in-itself as opposed to the phenomenon, the thing as it appears to the observer.
...thing-in-itself as opposed to the phenomenon