Helmut, list

Yes-  I’d say the universe is a system - a CAS, complex adaptive system. Adn my 
view of its goal is to prevent  the dissipation of its energy. Period. No 
perfect final state!  To achieve this energy-retention, I consider that the 
universe becomes more diverse and complex.

I also consider the universe ‘rational’ which means logical and focused on 
enveloping habits of organization of matter [via Mind] and networking with 
other forms of matter. All- to prevent entropy. As such - I refer to Peirce’s 
analysis of the universe as rational, and the role of Mind-as-Matter..

As for whether or not there is a ‘god’ aka, an agential force - since that’s a 
belief and totally unprovable, then, as you say - one can either  believe it - 
or not.  It can certainly be discussed - but I find such discussions also 
irrelevant. ..and all the various scholarly and esteemed arguments for ’the 
reality of god ‘ - interesting but ultimately circular and empty.

Edwina



> On Aug 30, 2024, at 10:54 AM, Helmut Raulien <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> Edwina, List,
>  
> in my last post I was trying to not anthropomorphise: I wrote, that the 
> non-atheist view, that God is a person, can be justified by saying, that what 
> makes a person is intelligence, and the reason for everything is intelligent, 
> so a person. Of course, this argument is only then not anthropomorphic, if we 
> all agree, that "intelligence" is not an anthropomorphic concept. Is it or 
> not?
>  
> About "agential, deterministic": "Deteministic" I see as too mechanical, 
> intending only one purpose, instead of the Talcottian system  aspects "AGIL": 
> Adaption, goal attainment, integration, latency. These system properties can 
> also be explained in a Peircean way, I think, with habit formation and the 
> three categories.
>  
> I´d say, everything is a system, but the more complex a system is, the more 
> these AGIL aspects hold. "Goal attainment" of course is agential. Luhmann too 
> spoke of the intention of a system. Its intention is to get bigger, more 
> powerful, more complex, more latent (homeostatic), and therefore more capable 
> of integrating all that may help to achieve all that.
>  
> Now- Is the universe a system? I´d say, yes, but a perfectly closed one 
> (apart from possibly presumed divine intervention). Because of this 
> closedness, it doesn´t have to adapt, and it cannot integrate, at least 
> nothing from outside. But intention and agentiality, I´d say, yes, it has. 
> The question, whether the universe is God´s tool, a part of God, or God 
> Himself, I find irrelevant, due to this question´s non-solubility for us 
> humble creatures. We should rather bother with problems we can deal with, 
> and, apart from that, either unify or dump all religions, and praise God 
> (just a suggestion).
>  
> Best regards, Helmut
>  
>  
> 29. August 2024 um 20:39 Uhr
>  "Edwina Taborsky" <[email protected]>
> wrote:
> Helmut, List
>  
> Since I follow the theory of CAS, complex adaptive systems, then, I view the 
> universe as a logical process of energy/matter transformation. And yes - this 
> doesn’t necessarily lead to theism, unless one wants to anthropomorphize the 
> nature of this logical adaptive process. Andn of course- to atheism, which 
> merely rejects the anthropomorphic or agential, deterministic Supreme  
> purpose—and, more often, accepts a self-organizing, self-creating process of 
> energy transforming to matter. As Peirce so often says ‘ matter is effete 
> mind’.
>  
> Edwina. 
>  
> On Aug 29, 2024, at 2:05 PM, Helmut Raulien <[email protected]> wrote:
>  
> List,
>  
> the argument "If A then B, if B then C, so: If A then C", given, that the two 
> premisses are true, has a third premiss: Transitivity. Transitivity is an 
> axiom, because it cannot be deduced from other premisses. Logic/reason is 
> based on axioms. They are the reason for logic. In a universe, where in this 
> example "If A then C" would not be true, no intelligent life could emerge, I 
> am quite sure. And there would be no reason for anything.
>  
> Given, that the axioms are the ens nessecitarium, we may say with John 
> (Johannes) of the bible, that God is logic. I think, this view does not 
> nessecarily lead to theism, it might as well lead to pantheism or 
> panentheism. Panentheism, because logic/reason/God may exist ouside of our 
> universe too.
>  
> May it lead to atheism too? I guess, atheists say, that there is no personal 
> God. But may logic, reason, the reason, be impersonal, inanimate? I´d say, if 
> something is intelligent, it is a person. Intelligence is proved by action, 
> e.g. if somebody fills out well an IQ-test. The emergence of intelligent life 
> on our planet has a reason, because transitivity is in charge. This reason 
> has done an act, we may call "creation" or "evolution". So this reason is 
> intelligent, so it is a person, no matter, however technical, inanimate the 
> term "axioms" sounds, with which mathematicians name the reason.
>  
> Best regards, Helmut
>  
> Gesendet: Donnerstag, 29. August 2024 um 13:57 Uhr
> Von: "Edwina Taborsky" <[email protected]>
> An: "Jon Alan Schmidt" <[email protected]>
> Cc: "Peirce-L" <[email protected]>
> Betreff: Re: [PEIRCE-L] Peirce and Anselm (was "A man could not have any idea 
> that was not anthropomorphic")
> JAS, List
>  
> But - Peirce, in 1.412, does indeed very specifically  outline how the three 
> categories ‘come into being’ from Nothing. So, contrary to your 
> interpretation, I think it’s quite proper to ‘ascribe this belief’ to him. 
>  
> As for your arguments about ponens and tollens [both are modus] - if your 
> premises are false due to circularity or ambiguity or.., then the logical 
> validity is totally irrelevant. 
>  
> You can hardly want to ‘prove’ an assertion by its logical format alone; your 
> premises must have value of truth. Otherwise, I could ‘prove’ anything - such 
> as the existence of unicorns and ..
>  
> If horses exist, then unicorns exist.
> Horses exist
> Therefore, unicorns exist.  
>  
> Finally - The ambiguity comes from the merger of ‘possible’ and 
> ’necessary’…which makes the ‘god' argument false. 
>  
> Edwina
>  
> On Aug 28, 2024, at 10:01 PM, Jon Alan Schmidt <[email protected]> 
> wrote:
>  
> List:
>  
> Regarding #1 below, my point is simply that we can properly ascribe beliefs 
> to Peirce that he explicitly endorses, such as God being Ens necessarium, 
> "Really creator of all three Universes of Experience"; and we cannot properly 
> ascribe contradictory beliefs to him, such as the three universes (and 
> corresponding categories) being eternal or somehow coming into being from 
> absolutely nothing.
>  
> Regarding #2 below, the following argument is deductively valid--if both 
> premisses are true, then the conclusion must also be true.
>  
> P1. If God is not actually real, then God is not possibly real.
> P2. God is possibly real.
> C1. Therefore, God is actually real.
>  
> It is neither circular (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_reasoning) nor 
> question-begging (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question), 
> because C1 is not already assumed in P1 or P2. Denying the antecedent after 
> denying the consequent is not a fallacy, it is (as I said) the classical 
> inference rule called modus tollens 
> (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modus_tollens). Accordingly, the following 
> argument is also deductively valid.
>  
> If it does not rain then my car will not be wet.
> My car is wet
> Therefore it did rain.
>  
> If my car is wet because the sprinkler was on, not because it rained, then 
> the first premiss is false--the argument is still valid, but unsound. 
> Likewise, the only way that C1 could be false is if either P1 or P2 is false.
>  
> Regarding #3 below, the following argument is also deductively valid.
>  
> P2. God is possibly real.
> P3. If God is possibly real, then God is necessarily real.
> C2. Therefore, God is necessarily real.
>  
> This is (as I said) the classical inference rule called modus ponens 
> (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modus_ponens). There is no ambiguity here 
> because "possibly" has exactly the same meaning in P2 and P3, and 
> "necessarily" has exactly the same meaning in P3 and C2. Again, the only way 
> that C2 could be false is if either P2 or P3 is false.
>  
> Regards,
>  
> Jon Alan Schmidt - Olathe, Kansas, USA
> Structural Engineer, Synechist Philosopher, Lutheran Christian
> www.LinkedIn.com/in/JonAlanSchmidt 
> <http://www.linkedin.com/in/JonAlanSchmidt> / twitter.com/JonAlanSchmidt 
> <http://twitter.com/JonAlanSchmidt> 
> On Wed, Aug 28, 2024 at 6:56 PM Edwina Taborsky <[email protected] 
> <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
>> List
>>  
>> 1]First - I think you should follow your own advice - about Dynamic 
>> Interpretants and Immediate Interpretants.I did NOT say that "every 
>> "individual and current personal reading of Peirce" is equally valid”.
>>  
>> I said that each of us interprets Peirce’s writings, within a semiosic 
>> triad, particular to their own knowledge base. As to which of these 
>> interpretations is ‘valid’ - that’s for the ‘community of scholars to 
>> affirm. Not the individual author of that interpretation.
>>  
>> 2] You wrote this example:
>> P1. If God is not actually real, then God is not possibly real.
>> P2. God is possibly real.
>> C1. Therefore, God is actually real.
>> This is called the Fallacy of Circular Reasoning, where the conclusion [god 
>> is actually real] is used as a premise. And also - a version of the Fallacy 
>> of denying the antecedent. 
>>  
>> An example would be:
>> If it does not rain then my car will not be wet.
>> My car is wet
>> Therefore it did rain. [No, the sprinkler was on]. 
>>  
>> 3] You wrote this example:
>> P3. If God is possibly real, then God is necessarily real.
>> C2. Therefore, God is necessarily real.
>> This is in my view, fallacious due to ambiguity,  since it merges the two 
>> terms of ‘possibly’ and ’necessarily’. 
>>  
>> Again - these are your BELIEFS- about the universe, god, etc- and no-one is 
>> going to discuss your beliefs with you… The problem is, I feel, that you 
>> seem to want to pull Peirce into being a supporter of these beliefs - and 
>> this mightn’t be warranted.
>>  
>> Edwina
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