Hello from science!

[Florin]

Hello everybody!
I am Florin, a biologist, and totally new to philosophy. I live in London, UK, and work at the Natural History Museum. I grew up in Romania during the communist era, when philosophy and logic were not taught in school except in some university courses. So I am philosophically illiterate, but wanting to learn because I like it.
I am interested mainly in skepticism, philosophy of science, logic and ethics. I hope to learn more here.
I have recently got a gift subscription to 'Philosophy Now' and I have bought myself 'Philosophy for Dummies'.
I have read the first article in the newly arrived issue (number 99), and I stumbled on the first argument (William Craig's argument that God is the best explanation for the existence of the universe). To me it looks like a bad argument, but how can this be? Professor Craig is an expert in this field, so it's more likely that I'm getting it wrong than he making an elementary mistake. Therefore, here I am, ready to talk and learn.
Best wishes,
Florin

[uwot]

Hello Florin, welcome to philosophy. Two good resources are the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/ and The Internet Classics archive: http://classics.mit.edu/
A good place to start is Descartes' Meditations: http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/ ... tions.html and Discourse on Method: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/59/59-h/59-h.htm In essence Descartes was trying to emulate the technique used by Euclid of building an argument on self evident axioms. The idea being that if your axioms are true, your logic valid, then your conclusions will be sound.
What some people do is start with a premise that isn't demonstrably true, for example, god exists, and try to build an argument to support it. Off the top of my head, I can't think of any examples of that being done successfully. You are quite right; Professor Craig is making an elementary mistake, as a result, his first argument is bad. So are the other seven.

[Florin]

Hello uwot,
Thanks for welcoming me on the Forum and for the links.
I will try to post that argument in a simplified form in the thread about the article.
Yours,
Florin

[Kayla]

hello Florin, welcome to the philosophy now forum

whether you enjoy serious philosophy or mindless flame wars, this is the right place

i was diagnosed as a philosopher in junior kindergarten myself when the teacher was contradicting herself and i pointed it and out she was like what are you a philosopher?

[HexHammer]

Hi Florin, if you wanna do philosophy don't do it, it's a waste of time, there's less than a handful of reasonable intelligent people, rest is cozy chatters who can never produce any useful results.

Philosophy in itself is more or less outdated and a predecessor to science. Only very few branches are useful, else it's stoops down to navel gazing and cozy chat.

Kayla is 1 of the few I consider having reasonable intellect.

[Blaggard]

Oh come on this is an introduction thread Hex, can you at least give the guy time to settle in before you call him an idiot, complain about how philosophy is worthless, boast about how intelligent you are compared to everyone else and how we should bask in your glory, and then throw your toys out of your pram if anyone dares to criticise you in even the mildest manner. Projecting a slew of insecurity onto anyone who demands you justify yourself, like somehow you are the only person in the whole internet who knows the truth.

Shit no offence Hex but you really do go out of your way to prove why we need philosophy by being such a contrarian. It's because some people just refuse to learn anything about anything, and pompously force their world view on others as if it wasn't just an opinion, it was some sort of sanctified truth straight from God and all his angelic choir.

@OP I also have a degree in Biology, and you'll find there are a few people with more science than philosophy backgrounds, enjoy. And ignore Hex he has NPD apparently, he's just doing that attention seeking thing, you'll get used to it and if not, there is in your user panel an ignore function where you can turn off some of the more obnoxious trolling from whatever resident annoys you...

Welcome Florin. I suspect you may well be worth 2 bob.

[HexHammer]

I have Blagg on ignore, but he's probaly stalking me as usual and having his parroting narcissistic attack, ranting and raving.

[thedoc]

Hello Florin, as you can see we're just one big, or small, happy family, NOT! Don't get put off, just pick what you like and jump in. It's not all good, nor is it all bad, just a good mix. But some are more mixed up than others.

[Blaggard]

Wow I managed to get Hex to ignore me, truly I am the luckiest forumite.

And I 2nd what doc said.

By the way a florin was worth 2 bob in old money a bob is a shilling, hence the joke, ah forget it, it's not funny if you have to explain it.

It was not however a slur against bob, although it was a slur against old money which was patently absurd: 240 pennies in a pound what idiot dreamed that up, oh yeah it was the Babylonians and their obsession with base 12, hence the time being in base 12 and everyone going what the ferk..? Bad enough we have 12 months in the year, and that was only because of the colossal egos of both Julius (July) Caesar and Augustus (August) Ceaser who we can thank the dumb calendar for, and our unending confusion henceforth, 10 months in a year guys how much more simple is it..? what's 365 divided by 10? What's 365 divided by 12? Kind of a no brainer unless you are Roman, consider yourself a God and think the world revolves around you to the tune of a month..? The ides of March would have its revenge...

The Julian calendar hence demonstrates the hubris of man, the religious were at least responsible for something good in the world, although they had to fight lions to get in on the act.

Useless information follows I'd switch off at this point, and not bother but to each his own:

January = Roman God Janus who looks both back at the year and forward to the future 2 headed Roman God, I think particularly pertinent because it contains the word anus, which is Roman to the core, stupid assholes.
February = Purification in latin, one of the last months to be added to their dumb calendar
March = Named for Mars the Roman God of war, and dumb calendars probably
April = Aphrillis a term considered to originate from either Aphrodite the greek god of life/sex, or aphrii the latin for open because flowers would open then.
May = Roman God Maia's namesake,

In ancient Roman religion and myth, Maia embodied the concept of growth,[11] as her name was thought to be related to the comparative adjective maius, maior, "larger, greater." Originally, she may have been a homonym independent of the Greek Maia, whose myths she absorbed through the Hellenization of Latin literature and culture.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maia_%28mythology%29 link lest I be accused of plagiarism.

Incidentally also the name for the subordinate choir to the Valar in Lord of the Rings who were the archangels of Erus kingdom: both Gandalf, Radaghast and Sauron are maia as are the Balrogs: spirits of fire and fairie corrupted by Morgoth.

June = Juno's namesake month
July = as said
August = as said
September = from the latin for 7
October = from the latin for 8
November = From the latin for 9
December = from the latin for 10

It makes a sort of vague sense just be glad the Gregorian calendars now prevail methinks.

[iMod]

I have Blagg on ignore ...

HexHammer, I am tired of your bullying and I am even more tired of your daily whining to the administrators when Blaggard or the others stand up to you and insult you back. But this latest claim of yours is flagrantly dishonest and I am calling you on it.

You have read that post of Blaggard's that you want us to believe does not appear on your computer screen. Not only have you read it, it has annoyed you enough for you to report it. That makes you less than honest and your dishonesty disqualifies you as a philosopher.

Please note, however, that you won't be banned for this. No one gets banned from here for being a liar. They just tend to get ignored.


NB. Anyone who would prefer not to see any more of HexHammer can click on the profile button at the bottom of any of his posts, and then click on the "Add foe" button on his profile page. His posts will cease to appear on your screen and for you it will be as if he had been banned.

[marjoramblues]

I have Blagg on ignore ...

HexHammer, I am tired of your bullying and I am even more tired of your daily whining to the administrators when Blaggard or the others stand up to you and insult you back. But this latest claim of yours is flagrantly dishonest and I am calling you on it.

You have read that post of Blaggard's that you want us to believe does not appear on your computer screen. Not only have you read it, it has annoyed you enough for you to report it. That makes you less than honest and your dishonesty disqualifies you as a philosopher.

Please note, however, that you won't be banned for this. No one gets banned from here for being a liar. They just tend to get ignored.


NB. Anyone who would prefer not to see any more of HexHammer can click on the profile button at the bottom of any of his posts, and then click on the "Add foe" button on his profile page. His posts will cease to appear on your screen and for you it will be as if he had been banned.

The mods have gone mad and Rick has left the building.
The dying moments of the forum.
Hope you are all having fun.

[thedoc]

NB. Anyone who would prefer not to see any more of HexHammer can click on the profile button at the bottom of any of his posts, and then click on the "Add foe" button on his profile page. His posts will cease to appear on your screen and for you it will be as if he had been banned.

Hope you are all having fun.

Been there, Done that.

FYI, I'm having as much fun as one can have on an internet forum?

FYI, Florin's last post was in Dec. Perhaps he found another forum that suited him better? Pity Hex can't seem to do that.

[Blaggard]

I like hex, can I just say that.

I doubt florin left because of hex, but I may be wrong, and usually am.

NB. Anyone who would prefer not to see any more of HexHammer can click on the profile button at the bottom of any of his posts, and then click on the "Add foe" button on his profile page. His posts will cease to appear on your screen and for you it will be as if he had been banned.

Hope you are all having fun.

Been there, Done that.

FYI, I'm having as much fun as one can have on an internet forum?

FYI, Florin's last post was in Dec. Perhaps he found another forum that suited him better? Pity Hex can't seem to do that.

Well I personally have nothing against hex, and I think a forum thrives on diversity not on conformity.

I hate to see anyone leave, and ironically it's even worse when someone who leaves is not of your sort. I've spent a long time on forums and the only thing I have ever learnt is that forums are only forums on the basis of difference. Without it they are as hex says just cozy.

To make a good forum you need a thriving diversity; you don't make a forum based on people who agree.

That said though pulling your ass out of a forum and thinking fluently about such things, you do see the perspective.

[marjoramblues]

NB. Anyone who would prefer not to see any more of HexHammer can click on the profile button at the bottom of any of his posts, and then click on the "Add foe" button on his profile page. His posts will cease to appear on your screen and for you it will be as if he had been banned.

Hope you are all having fun.

Been there, Done that.

FYI, I'm having as much fun as one can have on an internet forum?

FYI, Florin's last post was in Dec. Perhaps he found another forum that suited him better? Pity Hex can't seem to do that.

Typical fuckwittery
Compare previous posts to the snipper's.

[HexHammer]

I have Blagg on ignore ...

HexHammer, I am tired of your bullying and I am even more tired of your daily whining to the administrators when Blaggard or the others stand up to you and insult you back. But this latest claim of yours is flagrantly dishonest and I am calling you on it.

You have read that post of Blaggard's that you want us to believe does not appear on your computer screen. Not only have you read it, it has annoyed you enough for you to report it. That makes you less than honest and your dishonesty disqualifies you as a philosopher.

Please note, however, that you won't be banned for this. No one gets banned from here for being a liar. They just tend to get ignored.


NB. Anyone who would prefer not to see any more of HexHammer can click on the profile button at the bottom of any of his posts, and then click on the "Add foe" button on his profile page. His posts will cease to appear on your screen and for you it will be as if he had been banned.

1) my claim about having Blagg on ignore is true, one can click "display post" and have a quick look, what is wrong with that?

2) it is true that I time from time say my honest oppinion about peoples lack of philosophy skills, and that their words lack logic and reason.

3) maybe we should have had a conversation before you displayed you lack of skill in investigation and moderation.

4) if you really had some investigation skills, you would have known I've VERY honest, brutal honest, about myself and others which if what you confuse about bullying people.