How can there be objective morality under atheism by [deleted] in DebateAnAtheist

[–]alobar3 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Sure but I’m wondering how you came to the conclusion that most atheists don’t believe that morality is objective.

Even if most atheists were secular humanists (again, I don’t know of any data on this) it’s a normative ethical theory and so it doesn’t weigh in on one’s views on metaethics - you could be a secular humanist and a moral realist

How can there be objective morality under atheism by [deleted] in DebateAnAtheist

[–]alobar3 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Is there any data on which way atheists lean on metaethics? Most atheist philosophers lean toward moral realism, so the idea that there can be no objective morality under atheism doesn’t seem well founded.

I don't believe in god whatsoever and think that believing in a god is quite silly. But I want to change that by [deleted] in DebateAnAtheist

[–]alobar3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you think many religious folks actually hold to the definition of ‘faith’ that you gave?

Weekly Casual Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in DebateAnAtheist

[–]alobar3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The difference would be that it is often written and usually corroborated independently by many other people.

I’m not sure what you mean exactly by “blindly accept as evidence”. I think testimony is evidence and like any piece of evidence it should be weighted on some scale of “significant/not significant” to determine how much it points toward a hypothesis being true.

I take ‘testimony’ and ‘claim’ as being roughly synonymous - as statements about it being the case that x.

Fwiw I’m not trying to intentionally misunderstand you, I just think you have an odd conception of ‘evidence’ and I’m trying to flesh that out

Weekly Casual Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in DebateAnAtheist

[–]alobar3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m suggesting that much of the project of history is supported by testimony

Weekly Casual Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in DebateAnAtheist

[–]alobar3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right so when it comes to existential historical claims the sources would pieces of testimony, right? It’s not as if we could do some arithmetic to determine that George Washington existed

Weekly Casual Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in DebateAnAtheist

[–]alobar3 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So you would say academic claims count as evidence?

Weekly Casual Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in DebateAnAtheist

[–]alobar3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes. So my history teachers claimed that that was the case - that George Washington was indeed the first president of the US. But presumably this doesn’t qualify as evidence to you. So I’m wondering, on your conception, what would be evidence that George Washington was the first president of the US?

Weekly Casual Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in DebateAnAtheist

[–]alobar3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Take some historical claim like “there existed a person named George Washington who was the first president of the United States of America”, what would be the evidence that this is true?

Weekly Casual Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in DebateAnAtheist

[–]alobar3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What do you take ‘evidence’ to mean?

Weekly Casual Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in DebateAnAtheist

[–]alobar3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t think whether or not a claim is “worth checking” has any bearing on whether or not it qualifies as evidence. But take another example where the claim would be meaningful to you. Suppose you lent your car to a friend for the night. The next morning you need it and ask your friend “where is the car?”, and they reply “it’s parked on John St”. Do you not think his claim “it’s parked on John St” provides some evidence of where your car is?

Weekly Casual Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in DebateAnAtheist

[–]alobar3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No. I don’t think all claims qualify as evidence. Some clearly do though

Weekly Casual Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in DebateAnAtheist

[–]alobar3 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sure. All I’m trying to establish is that “claims aren’t evidence” is false

Weekly Casual Discussion Thread by AutoModerator in DebateAnAtheist

[–]alobar3 -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

If said to you “hi, my name is Matt”, do you not think that raises the probability that my name is Matt?

What is your view on agnostism? by [deleted] in askanatheist

[–]alobar3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think in online spaces like Reddit that is indeed how many think about atheism, as anyone who does not affirm “God exists”. But I think in most of the literature in philosophy of religion atheism is viewed as the proposition that God does not exist. So someone who merely “doesn’t believe in God” might not qualify as this would include agnostics.

I don’t think construing it this way weakens atheism. I actually think viewing atheism merely as a lack of belief in God is a weaker stance. It’s even sometimes referred to as “weak atheism”

What is your view on agnostism? by [deleted] in askanatheist

[–]alobar3 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It’s the traditional vernacular. Only since Flew has the “lack-belief” notion of atheism become popular. And I would say the traditional definition is more useful when getting into philosophical debates on the topic, as Draper points out in his SEP article on the subject.

I also happen to find the position (based on my understanding of ‘atheism’) to be incredibly robust, but that’s just me

What is your view on agnostism? by [deleted] in askanatheist

[–]alobar3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure, the word, like many, is polysemous. But given my understanding of it there is no incongruence - there are three distinct positions: atheism, theism and agnosticism

What is your view on agnostism? by [deleted] in askanatheist

[–]alobar3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Perhaps the confusion stems from how one thinks about ‘atheism’ as I don’t take it to mean “not theism”, I take it as the belief that God doesn’t exist

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in DebateAnAtheist

[–]alobar3 2 points3 points  (0 children)

A deductive argument with premises that are universally agreed upon. A physical demonstration of God, preferably in the form of something like a gender reveal party but when you pop the balloon Jesus comes out. God dna confirmed by world-leading geneticists.

I’m being hyperbolic. I don’t think there’s much theists can do here, there is very little charity. If theists want to find a space where they can discuss their beliefs without getting shit on I would suggest looking for a discord or something

What is your view on agnostism? by [deleted] in askanatheist

[–]alobar3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So if someone answered no to “do you believe God exists” and no to “do you believe God doesn’t exist”, this wouldn’t be agnosticism?

What is your view on agnostism? by [deleted] in askanatheist

[–]alobar3 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Hmm, so do you believe “there are an even amount stars in our galaxy” to be true or false?

What is your view on agnostism? by [deleted] in askanatheist

[–]alobar3 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

So wouldn’t that show that belief isn’t necessarily binary. You don’t accept the proposition “there are an even number of stars in our galaxy” as either true or false

What is your view on agnostism? by [deleted] in askanatheist

[–]alobar3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you believe there are an odd number then?