tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post8326588733361535840..comments2023-10-20T02:08:39.524-07:00Comments on Atheism: Proving The Negative: No Vital SpiritsMatt McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17071078570021986664noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-29947510897344438022009-06-18T06:30:18.450-07:002009-06-18T06:30:18.450-07:00Anonymous, you have a good starting point -- now c...Anonymous, you have a good starting point -- now carry it out a bit farther and see where it goes. Freedom, justice, beauty, truth, etc, are abstract ideas. Is the soul also an abstract idea?John Macossaynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-44191291234552798812008-12-25T01:56:00.000-08:002008-12-25T01:56:00.000-08:00hey I went looking for the concept of "freedom" bu...hey I went looking for the concept of "freedom" but couldn't find it under a microscope. What did I do wrong? or was it science?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-83983076500850794522008-12-09T06:13:00.000-08:002008-12-09T06:13:00.000-08:00For something to meaningfully exist in 'our' unive...For something to meaningfully exist in 'our' universe it must impinge upon us in some non-random way. If it affects in such a way, it will, therefore, be detectable. Contrawise, if it is not detectable, it does not affect us and, therefore, is not meaningfully a part of our universe.<BR/><BR/>What holds in general is also true in particular circumstances. Thus, Harvey, and other scientists, went looking for vital spirits in the places that it had been commonly thought such spirits would be found. No influence of such spirits was detected there. So, quite rightly, Harvey decided that there were no vital spirits acting in those places.<BR/><BR/>To use the bad analogy from the previous post - if you go looking for an elephant in the mall and you don't find one, it's probably because there's no elephant in the mall. If you keep looking in other places and keep not running into that elephant you will soon reach the conclusion the elephant just isn't around in your neck of the woods. Which makes the great big gun in Bror's picture look pretty much superfluous, really.Konrad Talmont-Kaminskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05136133369582249025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-9636258515303084592008-12-04T12:52:00.000-08:002008-12-04T12:52:00.000-08:00Really? Someone went looking for the immaterial wi...Really? Someone went looking for the immaterial with a microscope? And we are supposed to listen to that idiot when based on the fact that he didn't find the immaterial soul with a microscope he told us they don't exist? <BR/>I went looking for an elephant at the mall and there weren't any there. Am I supposed to believe they don't exist?Bror Ericksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06913133289813136695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-19071813909056762112008-12-01T15:24:00.000-08:002008-12-01T15:24:00.000-08:00The thing I find fascinating is that, despite the ...The thing I find fascinating is that, despite the evidence, we do maintain the tendency to think of ourselves in dualist terms. And, furthermore, that we manage to be somewhat rational, none-the-less, or at the very least manage not kill ourselves on the very next zebra crossing. Which reminds me of an old Tom Tomorrow cartoon: http://www.thismodernworld.com/media/rar/nyt_09_95.jpgKonrad Talmont-Kaminskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05136133369582249025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8716347331682132223.post-50112715896704919262008-12-01T09:44:00.000-08:002008-12-01T09:44:00.000-08:00great. science has proven there is no spirits. I g...great. science has proven there is no spirits. I guess that means there is nothing else but science as well? pretty bad logic professor...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com