On 23 Mar 2015, at 19:51, meekerdb wrote:
On 3/23/2015 9:36 AM, Bruno Marchal wrote:
To admit it is theology consists in admitting that we need some act
of faith, so it is a type of religion. It is a belief in the
possibility of some reincarnation.
The trouble with needing some act of faith is which one?
I suggest this one: the natural numbers, and enough arithmetic so that
I can explain you the functioning of a digital universal (Turing)
machine (alias: a computer).
Then, I suggest the following one: I will survive if a competent
surgeon replaced my brain by a digital copy made at some level of
substitution.
Now, Brent, please note this: we do science! So in no way are you ever
asked to believe any of this. Even the truth behind that "yes doctor"
act of faith is part of an hypothesis. I have to insist on this for
sake of consistency!
The only point is that such a theory is testable, and indeed up to
now, it fits with the startling quantum weirdness (encapsulate in part
by quantum logic).
If I'm going to take something on faith then why not Islam or
Marxism or that I'm immortal, always right, and smarter than JKC?
Let us define the act of faith by belief in something that we cannot
justify. But of course, you can have some evidences, so follow the
evidences that you have.
In the machine theory, act of faith begins with <>. PA can prove none
of "<>#" type of proposition. But PA + inference inductive ability can
ask <>t, and bet on it, and change itself. (careful, PA can prove <1>
and <2> type of proposition.
By faith, I don't mean "blind faith", which is always based on per-
authority argument, which are always invalid.
Note that we do have some instinctive faiths, like the faith in a
physical universe, or at least in our physical neighborhood. It might
have been a decisive evolutionary advantage, but that does not make it
true, nor an advantage for the long run.
Bruno
Brent
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