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I got into an argument with my roommate the other day, it's not that important why or what about. And I told him that the position he was arguing was problematic because it was rooted in an unfalsifiable belief. And his response was... well then why are you arguing, how can I be wrong? ...
Attempts to explain what an unfalsifiable belief actually was, were followed by repetitions of the previous statement.
I think you should ditch that roommate. Or at least tell him that he should whip out some Nietzsche quotes to stave off embarrassment next time. I'd recommend "The irrationality of a thing is no argument against its existence, rather a condition of it." Even if you retorted that non-falsifiability does not imply irrationality, he could respond with "It is hard enough to remember my opinions, without also remembering my reasons for them!" Check and mate.
See, now that kind of retort I could get on board with.Quote:
Originally Posted by Melville
The only time I've had a roommate that wasn't my choice to have, the only thing he did was watch Golden Girls. So he was ok by me.
I hope you were arguing over a book.
He was arguing that it was ok for him to cheat on his girlfriend because he claimed that guilt and shame were purely socially conditioned and arbitrary.Quote:
Originally Posted by Raiders
So when she smashes his car in after discovering his infidelity she can claim that she shouldn't be found guility of committing a crime because laws are also socially conditioned and arbitrary? You should try that on him for size. See what he says then....Quote:
Originally Posted by Qrazy
Haha well it was more about whether or not there's anything wrong with it if she doesn't find out. He argued there wasn't for the reasons above, while I argued that there was, that a relationship is only as meaningful as the degree of trust there is between the two people... so that even if she never found out and even if he could squash all feelings of guilt, etc... the trust has still been broken. She doesn't need to know the trust has been broken for the trust to be broken and that, that act of dishonesty was where the moral issue lay... and why it was still wrong to commit such an action.Quote:
Originally Posted by MadMan
Quote:
Originally Posted by Qrazy
Is he going to write a book about it?
Let's hope not. A J Ayer and others have already covered the same ground with much more depth and wisdom and even their theories are shot full of holes and lacking any even remotely adequate notion of the human psyche.Quote:
Originally Posted by Benny Profane
I guess I should take the elephant out of the room and discuss it. Why is this in the literature forum?Quote:
Originally Posted by Qrazy
I needed a place to put my elephant.Quote:
Originally Posted by Benny Profane
Was it too big for the kitchen sink?Quote:
Originally Posted by Qrazy
*rimshot*