Quine's Web of Beliefs
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From: Immortalist on 28 Jun 2010 19:49 According to Quine's metaphor of the web, all of our beliefs justify and are justified by all of our other beliefs. They are all connected by an explanatory network, and changes in one place can require changes elsewhere. Thus, all of our beliefs are connected to our observations of the world. What we observe can lead us to change any of our beliefs, no matter how certain we may have been that they were true. ...we try to change as few beliefs as possible, but we cannot rule out the possibility that some observations will require sweeping changes in the web. Such sweeping changes do not occur often. When they do occur, they are usually heralded as scientific revolutions, such as when Albert Einstein (1879-1955) replaced Isaac Newton's (1642-1727) world view with his special and general theories of relativity, and when Charles Darwin (1809-1882) presented his theory of evolution, and when Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) revealed the powers of unconscious motivation. Similar sweeping changes may also occur in our personal lives, as when we embrace a new religion with great fervor or decide that atheism is the correct attitude and reject all religion. ....Are any beliefs immune from this process? Many philosophers believe so. They hold that some beliefs do not depend on observation for their justification, and that no observations whatever could show them to be wrong. Beliefs of this type are said to count as a priori knowledge, meaning that their justification is independent of experience. A priori knowledge is contrasted with empirical knowledge, which does depend on observation for its justification. Thus, these philosophers give certain beliefs a privileged place in the web. They are protected by something like a one-way glass. The beliefs behind the glass, our a priori knowledge, provide justification for the beliefs in front of it, our empirical beliefs, but nothing that happens in front of the glass can change what goes on behind it... ....The web of belief is set up in such a way that it is always possible to hold any belief, come what may... ....Think of our beliefs as being spread throughout our web. Some beliefs are in the center, some on the edges, and the rest scattered in between. The beliefs on the edges are those we are most willing to give up in the face of unexpected observations. The ones in the center are those we are least willing to give up, those we are most likely to hold, come what may. For most of us, the belief that tables do not move themselves is much closer to the center than the belief that we have not misjudged the distance to the table. A great number of unexpected observations would have to occur before we would begin to believe that tables move themselves. As we get closer and closer to the center, our beliefs seem to be totally protected from unexpected observations, so protected that we cannot imagine changing them. The belief that twice two is four, for example, seems entirely immune from revision. Although most of us put the same beliefs in the center, it is possible to put anything there... Persons And Their World: An Introduction to Philosophy - Jeffrey Olen http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0075543117/
From: bigfletch8 on 28 Jun 2010 22:57 On Jun 29, 7:49 am, Immortalist <reanimater_2...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > According to Quine's metaphor of the web, all of our beliefs justify > and are justified by all of our other beliefs. They are all connected > by an explanatory network, and changes in one place can require > changes elsewhere. Thus, all of our beliefs are connected to our > observations of the world. What we observe can lead us to change any > of our beliefs, no matter how certain we may have been that they were > true. ...we try to change as few beliefs as possible, but we cannot > rule out the possibility that some observations will require sweeping > changes in the web. > > Such sweeping changes do not occur often. When they do occur, they are > usually heralded as scientific revolutions, such as when Albert > Einstein (1879-1955) replaced Isaac Newton's (1642-1727) world view > with his special and general theories of relativity, and when Charles > Darwin (1809-1882) presented his theory of evolution, and when Sigmund > Freud (1856-1939) revealed the powers of unconscious motivation. > Similar sweeping changes may also occur in our personal lives, as when > we embrace a new religion with great fervor or decide that atheism is > the correct attitude and reject all religion. > > ...Are any beliefs immune from this process? Many philosophers believe > so. The oxymoron of the century (I believe). The whole universe of the mind consists of beliefs including the a priori version. Illusions consist of beliefs. If you are looking for fish, look in the ocean. If you are looking for beliefs look in the mind. If you are looking for reality, look to the observer. BOfL
From: bigfletch8 on 28 Jun 2010 23:01 On Jun 29, 10:57 am, "bigflet...(a)gmail.com" <bigflet...(a)gmail.com> wrote: > On Jun 29, 7:49 am, Immortalist <reanimater_2...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > > > > > > According to Quine's metaphor of the web, all of our beliefs justify > > and are justified by all of our other beliefs. They are all connected > > by an explanatory network, and changes in one place can require > > changes elsewhere. Thus, all of our beliefs are connected to our > > observations of the world. What we observe can lead us to change any > > of our beliefs, no matter how certain we may have been that they were > > true. ...we try to change as few beliefs as possible, but we cannot > > rule out the possibility that some observations will require sweeping > > changes in the web. > > > Such sweeping changes do not occur often. When they do occur, they are > > usually heralded as scientific revolutions, such as when Albert > > Einstein (1879-1955) replaced Isaac Newton's (1642-1727) world view > > with his special and general theories of relativity, and when Charles > > Darwin (1809-1882) presented his theory of evolution, and when Sigmund > > Freud (1856-1939) revealed the powers of unconscious motivation. > > Similar sweeping changes may also occur in our personal lives, as when > > we embrace a new religion with great fervor or decide that atheism is > > the correct attitude and reject all religion. > > > ...Are any beliefs immune from this process? Many philosophers believe > > so. > > The oxymoron of the century (I believe). > > The whole universe of the mind consists of beliefs including the a > priori version. Illusions consist of beliefs. > > If you are looking for fish, look in the ocean. If you are looking for > beliefs look in the mind. > > If you are looking for reality, look to the observer. > > BOfL- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - For what you choose to see, is what you choose to get. If your argument is "I didnt choose", then who did, which then perpetuates the search for external forces(causes), be it God, Higgs or Johnny Walker. BOfL
From: huge on 28 Jun 2010 23:50 On 06/28/2010 10:01 PM, bigfletch8(a)gmail.com wrote: > On Jun 29, 10:57 am, "bigflet...(a)gmail.com"<bigflet...(a)gmail.com> > wrote: >> On Jun 29, 7:49 am, Immortalist<reanimater_2...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: <snipp�> (French snip) � Crank fight! Crank fight! Who has popcorn? -- Not on my time you don't.
From: Zerkon on 29 Jun 2010 11:03
On Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:49:42 -0700, Immortalist wrote: > According to Quine's metaphor of the web, all of our beliefs justify and > are justified by all of our other beliefs. They are all connected by an > explanatory network, and changes in one place can require changes > elsewhere. Thus, all of our beliefs are connected to our observations of > the world. What we observe can lead us to change any of our beliefs, no > matter how certain we may have been that they were true. ...we try to > change as few beliefs as possible, but we cannot rule out the > possibility that some observations will require sweeping changes in the > web. I am guessing here he defines and so trivializes all thought as belief. Also thoughts as units or things. Old school. Tired school. Thingism philosophy. Object centric and should now be considered a failure. All of our beliefs are connected, in some way, to our childhood. The child, all children, grown up (evolve) in and to this web which represents a belief normalcy. The web here now leaves a x,y flat space. Z as a perpetual variable kicks in. This web is not flat. Our observations become 'ours' and no one else's. > Such sweeping changes do not occur often. When they do occur, they are > usually heralded as scientific revolutions, No, they are >usually< heralded as war. Revolutionary Science is being hired to do it. > such as when Albert Einstein > (1879-1955) replaced Isaac Newton's (1642-1727) world view with his > special and general theories of relativity, and when Charles Darwin > (1809-1882) presented his theory of evolution, and when Sigmund Freud > (1856-1939) revealed the powers of unconscious motivation. Similar > sweeping changes may also occur in our personal lives, as when we > embrace a new religion with great fervor or decide that atheism is the > correct attitude and reject all religion. Why is he using the hyper personal, hot button example of embracing a new religion with great fervor, no less, in juxtaposition with Newton.. etc.? There is little to no difference between embracing all with fervor and rejecting all with fervor. Where is fervor in this web? > > ...Are any beliefs immune from this process? Many philosophers believe > so. They hold that some beliefs do not depend on observation for their > justification, and that no observations whatever could show them to be > wrong. Beliefs of this type are said to count as a priori knowledge, > meaning that their justification is independent of experience. A priori > knowledge is contrasted with empirical knowledge, which does depend on > observation for its justification. This traditional (binary) concept has served purpose. It is time to move on. A priori is a posteriori extended and dependent. They are a part of the same continuum. >......... > > ...Think of our beliefs as being spread throughout our web. Some beliefs > are in the center, some on the edges, and the rest scattered in between. Stop! Don't!! Think of beliefs as spreading colored fluids. Think of physical positions as color intensity. Think shifting hues. Think same colors of all combining into a unique hues of 'you'. Or, think of music and harmonics... For my coherent supporting web... As idea base this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Process_philosophy as actualized idea this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractal and this as the human combination of both http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Existential |