Re: John Leslie's 'Infinite Minds: A Philosophical Cosmology'

2013-07-08 Thread Bruno Marchal


On 08 Jul 2013, at 02:43, meekerdb wrote:


On 7/7/2013 6:55 AM, Bruno Marchal wrote:


On 07 Jul 2013, at 04:41, meekerdb wrote:


On 7/6/2013 3:51 AM, Bruno Marchal wrote:
Atheists are usually just slightly more dishonest when talking  
like if science was on their side, which is a mockery of what is  
science at the start.


Atheists think science is on their side because the common  
monotheisms demand faith in ancient myths and they murdered and  
tortured people for teaching what is now common scienctific  
knowledge.


You might confuse religion and clericalism.


And you might confuse mysticism and religion.


Perhaps. For me theology is like any part of science. We have to  
convince ourself with arguments and experiences, against (old)  
institutions and argument per authority.









I don't think there is scientific knowledge per se. Only beliefs  
which might or not be true. Only when refuted we can bet they are  
locally false.


Like the Earth is flat and has four corners?


That has been reasonably refuted.



Like rain is water that is not held back by the firmament?  Like  
disease is caused by impiety and sin?  Like God punishes mankind  
with death for having sought knowledge?


That are  theories imposed to us by terror and violence.





Brent
Religion has the exact same job assignment as science, to make  
sense of the world,


Exactly.



that's why science and religion can never co exist peacefully.


No. That's why science and authoritative arguments can never coexist  
peacefully.


But the atheists are those who want confine the theological science in  
the domain of the perverted religious institution. The atheists are  
the allies of the perverted religion/theology.


I have lived this and still live this everyday.



Science changes its stories based on better evidence, religion  
writes its stories on stone tablets.-


Science, yes. But atheism is not science: it is pervert religion.  
Science is agnosticism.




  --- Bob Zannelli


Bruno






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Re: John Leslie's 'Infinite Minds: A Philosophical Cosmology'

2013-07-07 Thread Bruno Marchal


On 07 Jul 2013, at 04:41, meekerdb wrote:


On 7/6/2013 3:51 AM, Bruno Marchal wrote:
Atheists are usually just slightly more dishonest when talking like  
if science was on their side, which is a mockery of what is science  
at the start.


Atheists think science is on their side because the common  
monotheisms demand faith in ancient myths and they murdered and  
tortured people for teaching what is now common scienctific knowledge.


You might confuse religion and clericalism.

I don't think there is scientific knowledge per se. Only beliefs which  
might or not be true. Only when refuted we can bet they are locally  
false.


Bruno




I'd think someone named Bruno would be more aware of that.

Brent

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Re: John Leslie's 'Infinite Minds: A Philosophical Cosmology'

2013-07-07 Thread meekerdb

On 7/7/2013 6:55 AM, Bruno Marchal wrote:


On 07 Jul 2013, at 04:41, meekerdb wrote:


On 7/6/2013 3:51 AM, Bruno Marchal wrote:
Atheists are usually just slightly more dishonest when talking like if science was on 
their side, which is a mockery of what is science at the start.


Atheists think science is on their side because the common monotheisms demand faith in 
ancient myths and they murdered and tortured people for teaching what is now common 
scienctific knowledge.


You might confuse religion and clericalism.


And you might confuse mysticism and religion.



I don't think there is scientific knowledge per se. Only beliefs which might or not be 
true. Only when refuted we can bet they are locally false.


Like the Earth is flat and has four corners?  Like rain is water that is not held back by 
the firmament?  Like disease is caused by impiety and sin?  Like God punishes mankind with 
death for having sought knowledge?


Brent
Religion has the exact same job assignment as science, to make sense of the world, that's 
why science and religion can never co exist peacefully. Science changes its stories based 
on better evidence, religion writes its stories on stone tablets.

  --- Bob Zannelli

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Re: John Leslie's 'Infinite Minds: A Philosophical Cosmology'

2013-07-06 Thread Bruno Marchal


On 05 Jul 2013, at 15:19, spudboy...@aol.com wrote:

Brent, please acknowledge that aside from the divine right of kings,  
the Atheist-Marxists did exactly the identical badness under the  
leaderships of Stalin,Mao, Pol Pot, the Kim Dynasty in North Korean,  
slaughtered tens of millions, tortured, deprived women of rights,  
slave labor, and specialized, in torture. All these scientific  
socialsts, all athesists. Just a way of putting things into  
perspective.


Atheism and Christianism are both slight variation of Aristotelian  
materialism. It is mainly the same theology, with the same social  
drawback, and the same use of argument per authority. Their fake  
opposition hides the real debate on the nature of reality. Atheists  
are usually just slightly more dishonest when talking like if science  
was on their side, which is a mockery of what is science at the start.  
Science does not commit itself ontologically at all. It is agnostic by  
construction.


Bruno








Mitch

Peasent: Hey! That's a good idea!
God: Of course it's a good idea, you idiot!

Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Of course this ethic requiredness supported slavery, ethnic  
cleansing, divine

right of
kings, faith over inquiry, ignorance over knowledge, oppression of  
women, and

infinite
torture for unbelievers.

Brent
Whoever wants to be a Christian should tear the eyes out of
his Reason.
   --- Martin Luther



-Original Message-
From: meekerdb meeke...@verizon.net
To: everything-list everything-list@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thu, Jul 4, 2013 8:19 pm
Subject: Re: John Leslie's 'Infinite Minds: A Philosophical Cosmology'

On 7/4/2013 5:02 PM, freqflyer07281972 wrote:
 Hey List! (and in particular Bruno)
 I have started re-reading the book I mention in the subject line  
-- after

languishing in
 my bookshelf for a number of years, I pulled it out and began  
noticing the

uncanny
 parallels it had with Bruno's UDA, although it reaches the same  
conclusions by

some
 rather different means, notably; it postulates God as the thinker  
of all

thoughts,
 envisioning god in a Spinozistic/Platonic light, and (something  
that from what

I have
 read seems absent from the UDA) postulates the 'ethical  
requiredness' of God

as being of
 enough force to bring him into being, thus short-circuiting the  
old  If God

exists,
 what caused him to exist? type of argument.

Yeah, postulating is a good way to short circuit arguments (and  
burn out

rational wiring).

 I guess my general question is if any of you are familiar with  
Leslie's work

and if so,
 to what degree, and also if so, to what degree do you find it  
plausible?
 Myself, I seem to be going through a kind of metaphysical  
conversion of sorts,

one
 where, despite the multiplicity of minds/universes, there  
nevertheless seems

to be an
 unspeakable and seemingly permanent unity to all things. I'm  
almost leaning

towards
 Christianity, for the simple reason that it seems peculiar and  
particular

enough to just
 be right and suitable to reality. (Reading CS Lewis' 'Mere  
Christianity' has

swayed me
 in this way -- check it out, it's online).

Of course this ethic requiredness supported slavery, ethnic  
cleansing, divine

right of
kings, faith over inquiry, ignorance over knowledge, oppression of  
women, and

infinite
torture for unbelievers.

Brent
Whoever wants to be a Christian should tear the eyes out of
his Reason.
   --- Martin Luther

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http://iridia.ulb.ac.be/~marchal/



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Re: John Leslie's 'Infinite Minds: A Philosophical Cosmology'

2013-07-06 Thread meekerdb

On 7/6/2013 3:51 AM, Bruno Marchal wrote:
Atheists are usually just slightly more dishonest when talking like if science was on 
their side, which is a mockery of what is science at the start.


Atheists think science is on their side because the common monotheisms demand faith in 
ancient myths and they murdered and tortured people for teaching what is now common 
scienctific knowledge.  I'd think someone named Bruno would be more aware of that.


Brent

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Re: John Leslie's 'Infinite Minds: A Philosophical Cosmology'

2013-07-05 Thread Bruno Marchal


On 05 Jul 2013, at 02:02, freqflyer07281972 wrote:


Hey List! (and in particular Bruno)

I have started re-reading the book I mention in the subject line --  
after languishing in my bookshelf for a number of years, I pulled it  
out and began noticing the uncanny parallels it had with Bruno's  
UDA, although it reaches the same conclusions by some rather  
different means, notably; it postulates God as the thinker of all  
thoughts, envisioning god in a Spinozistic/Platonic light, and  
(something that from what I have read seems absent from the UDA)  
postulates the 'ethical requiredness' of God as being of enough  
force to bring him into being, thus short-circuiting the old  If  
God exists, what caused him to exist? type of argument.


I guess my general question is if any of you are familiar with  
Leslie's work and if so, to what degree, and also if so, to what  
degree do you find it plausible?


Leslie typically use bayesian reasoning. I read his book on the  
doomsday argument, that he attributes to Brandon Carter, and I am not  
convinced, by that type of ASSA argument. But I do think he wrote a  
book on many-world, which is more close to comp and MWI, perhaps.







Myself, I seem to be going through a kind of metaphysical conversion  
of sorts, one where, despite the multiplicity of minds/universes,  
there nevertheless seems to be an unspeakable and seemingly  
permanent unity to all things. I'm almost leaning towards  
Christianity, for the simple reason that it seems peculiar and  
particular enough to just be right and suitable to reality. (Reading  
CS Lewis' 'Mere Christianity' has swayed me in this way -- check it  
out, it's online).


Forgive the brevity of my remarks... I'd unpack more if there was  
any interest expressed in what I was saying... perhaps I'm not  
saying anything that hasn't already been said.


You are welcome. I would be careful with the unnameable, as it can  
attract wishful thinking.


Best,

Bruno

http://iridia.ulb.ac.be/~marchal/



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Re: John Leslie's 'Infinite Minds: A Philosophical Cosmology'

2013-07-05 Thread spudboy100

Brent, please acknowledge that aside from the divine right of kings, the 
Atheist-Marxists did exactly the identical badness under the leaderships of 
Stalin,Mao, Pol Pot, the Kim Dynasty in North Korean, slaughtered tens of 
millions, tortured, deprived women of rights, slave labor, and specialized, in 
torture. All these scientific socialsts, all athesists. Just a way of putting 
things into perspective. 

Mitch

Peasent: Hey! That's a good idea!
God: Of course it's a good idea, you idiot!

Monty Python and the Holy Grail 


Of course this ethic requiredness supported slavery, ethnic cleansing, divine 
ight of 
ings, faith over inquiry, ignorance over knowledge, oppression of women, and 
nfinite 
orture for unbelievers.
Brent
Whoever wants to be a Christian should tear the eyes out of
is Reason.
  --- Martin Luther





-Original Message-
From: meekerdb meeke...@verizon.net
To: everything-list everything-list@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thu, Jul 4, 2013 8:19 pm
Subject: Re: John Leslie's 'Infinite Minds: A Philosophical Cosmology'


On 7/4/2013 5:02 PM, freqflyer07281972 wrote:
 Hey List! (and in particular Bruno)
 I have started re-reading the book I mention in the subject line -- after 
anguishing in 
 my bookshelf for a number of years, I pulled it out and began noticing the 
ncanny 
 parallels it had with Bruno's UDA, although it reaches the same conclusions by 
ome 
 rather different means, notably; it postulates God as the thinker of all 
houghts, 
 envisioning god in a Spinozistic/Platonic light, and (something that from what 
 have 
 read seems absent from the UDA) postulates the 'ethical requiredness' of God 
s being of 
 enough force to bring him into being, thus short-circuiting the old  If God 
xists, 
 what caused him to exist? type of argument.
Yeah, postulating is a good way to short circuit arguments (and burn out 
ational wiring).
 I guess my general question is if any of you are familiar with Leslie's work 
nd if so, 
 to what degree, and also if so, to what degree do you find it plausible?
 Myself, I seem to be going through a kind of metaphysical conversion of sorts, 
ne 
 where, despite the multiplicity of minds/universes, there nevertheless seems 
o be an 
 unspeakable and seemingly permanent unity to all things. I'm almost leaning 
owards 
 Christianity, for the simple reason that it seems peculiar and particular 
nough to just 
 be right and suitable to reality. (Reading CS Lewis' 'Mere Christianity' has 
wayed me 
 in this way -- check it out, it's online).
Of course this ethic requiredness supported slavery, ethnic cleansing, divine 
ight of 
ings, faith over inquiry, ignorance over knowledge, oppression of women, and 
nfinite 
orture for unbelievers.
Brent
Whoever wants to be a Christian should tear the eyes out of
is Reason.
  --- Martin Luther
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Re: John Leslie's 'Infinite Minds: A Philosophical Cosmology'

2013-07-05 Thread spudboy100

Yes, Infinite Minds, Defending Immortality, The End of the World. Leslie, was 
interviewed by Jim Holt in Holt's Why the World Exists? Leslie's Ethical 
Requireness is interesting. I have mentally tried to mingle Leslie's works with 
Boltzmann's Boltzmann Brains, by asking silly, questions, as, is God a 
Boltzmann Brain? Or, If God is a BB, are we mere flickerings of thoughts within 
that Boltzmann Brain? Are there others as there should be? in an envisaged, 
infinite single universe? These are stimulating ideas to toy with, but I am 
sure Karl Popper would be asking for falsifiability. Still, it might be 
enjoyable for us primates to meet and communicate with the Master Brain, of 
this section of reality. Or at least I think this.

Mitch



-Original Message-
From: freqflyer07281972 thismindisbud...@gmail.com
To: everything-list everything-list@googlegroups.com
Sent: Thu, Jul 4, 2013 8:02 pm
Subject: John Leslie's 'Infinite Minds: A Philosophical Cosmology'


Hey List! (and in particular Bruno)
 
I have started re-reading the book I mention in the subject line -- after 
languishing in my bookshelf for a number of years, I pulled it out and began 
noticing the uncanny parallels it had with Bruno's UDA, although it reaches the 
same conclusions by some rather different means, notably; it postulates God as 
the thinker of all thoughts, envisioning god in a Spinozistic/Platonic light, 
and (something that from what I have read seems absent from the UDA) postulates 
the 'ethical requiredness' of God as being of enough force to bring him into 
being, thus short-circuiting the old  If God exists, what caused him to 
exist? type of argument. 
 
I guess my general question is if any of you are familiar with Leslie's work 
and if so, to what degree, and also if so, to what degree do you find it 
plausible? 
 
Myself, I seem to be going through a kind of metaphysical conversion of sorts, 
one where, despite the multiplicity of minds/universes, there nevertheless 
seems to be an unspeakable and seemingly permanent unity to all things. I'm 
almost leaning towards Christianity, for the simple reason that it seems 
peculiar and particular enough to just be right and suitable to reality. 
(Reading CS Lewis' 'Mere Christianity' has swayed me in this way -- check it 
out, it's online). 
 
Forgive the brevity of my remarks... I'd unpack more if there was any interest 
expressed in what I was saying... perhaps I'm not saying anything that hasn't 
already been said.
 
Cheers,
 
Dan

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Re: John Leslie's 'Infinite Minds: A Philosophical Cosmology'

2013-07-05 Thread meekerdb

On 7/5/2013 6:19 AM, spudboy...@aol.com wrote:
Brent, please acknowledge that aside from the divine right of kings, the 
Atheist-Marxists did exactly the identical badness under the leaderships of Stalin,Mao, 
Pol Pot, the Kim Dynasty in North Korean, slaughtered tens of millions, tortured, 
deprived women of rights, slave labor, and specialized, in torture. All these scientific 
socialsts, all athesists. Just a way of putting things into perspective. 


But unlike the inquistion and the crusades those purges were just for political power, as 
has been done for millenia.  They were not in the name of atheism.  Of course religion has 
often been used as cover for the exercise of political power; but in some of the most 
egregious cases religious belief itself has motivated the atrocities, c.f. the Cathars.  
And why not - certainly if it takes torture and bloodshed on a mere temporal scale to 
avoid an eternity of torture then it is justified.


Brent
But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and 
slay them before me.

   --- Jesus, Luke 19:27

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Re: John Leslie's 'Infinite Minds: A Philosophical Cosmology'

2013-07-05 Thread spudboy100

As you indicated it is sometimes difficult to separate the the temporal from 
eternity. Lots of the massacres commited by the marxists, were done also out of 
paranoia and thus, emotion. I don't view the marxists as any cleaner, in 
purpose or reason then the religious witch burners, or the inquisitors.  
Stalins' slaughter of the Poles and Ukrainians, or Pol Pot's riddence of of 
those who could read and write, for example. It's all a form of group madness, 
seemingly.

Mitch 



-Original Message-
From: meekerdb meeke...@verizon.net
To: everything-list everything-list@googlegroups.com
Sent: Fri, Jul 5, 2013 2:29 pm
Subject: Re: John Leslie's 'Infinite Minds: A Philosophical Cosmology'



On 7/5/2013 6:19 AM, spudboy...@aol.com wrote:

Brent, please acknowledge that aside from the divine right of kings, the 
Atheist-Marxists did exactly the identical badness under the leaderships of 
Stalin,Mao, Pol Pot, the Kim Dynasty in North Korean, slaughtered tens of 
millions, tortured, deprived women of rights, slave labor, and specialized, in 
torture. All these scientific socialsts, all athesists. Just a way of putting 
things into perspective. 

But unlike the inquistion and the crusades those purges were just for political 
power, as has been done for millenia.  They were not in the name of atheism.  
Of course religion has often been used as cover for the exercise of political 
power; but in some of the most egregious cases religious belief itself has 
motivated the atrocities, c.f. the Cathars.  And why not - certainly if it 
takes torture and bloodshed on a mere temporal scale to avoid an eternity of 
torture then it is justified.

Brent
But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring 
hither, and slay them before me.
   --- Jesus, Luke 19:27 


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John Leslie's 'Infinite Minds: A Philosophical Cosmology'

2013-07-04 Thread freqflyer07281972
Hey List! (and in particular Bruno)
 
I have started re-reading the book I mention in the subject line -- after 
languishing in my bookshelf for a number of years, I pulled it out and 
began noticing the uncanny parallels it had with Bruno's UDA, although it 
reaches the same conclusions by some rather different means, notably; it 
postulates God as the thinker of all thoughts, envisioning god in a 
Spinozistic/Platonic light, and (something that from what I have read seems 
absent from the UDA) postulates the 'ethical requiredness' of God as being 
of enough force to bring him into being, thus short-circuiting the old  If 
God exists, what caused him to exist? type of argument. 
 
I guess my general question is if any of you are familiar with Leslie's 
work and if so, to what degree, and also if so, to what degree do you find 
it plausible? 
 
Myself, I seem to be going through a kind of metaphysical conversion of 
sorts, one where, despite the multiplicity of minds/universes, there 
nevertheless seems to be an unspeakable and seemingly permanent unity to 
all things. I'm almost leaning towards Christianity, for the simple reason 
that it seems peculiar and particular enough to just be right and suitable 
to reality. (Reading CS Lewis' 'Mere Christianity' has swayed me in this 
way -- check it out, it's online). 
 
Forgive the brevity of my remarks... I'd unpack more if there was any 
interest expressed in what I was saying... perhaps I'm not saying anything 
that hasn't already been said.
 
Cheers,
 
Dan

-- 
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Re: John Leslie's 'Infinite Minds: A Philosophical Cosmology'

2013-07-04 Thread meekerdb

On 7/4/2013 5:02 PM, freqflyer07281972 wrote:

Hey List! (and in particular Bruno)
I have started re-reading the book I mention in the subject line -- after languishing in 
my bookshelf for a number of years, I pulled it out and began noticing the uncanny 
parallels it had with Bruno's UDA, although it reaches the same conclusions by some 
rather different means, notably; it postulates God as the thinker of all thoughts, 
envisioning god in a Spinozistic/Platonic light, and (something that from what I have 
read seems absent from the UDA) postulates the 'ethical requiredness' of God as being of 
enough force to bring him into being, thus short-circuiting the old  If God exists, 
what caused him to exist? type of argument.


Yeah, postulating is a good way to short circuit arguments (and burn out 
rational wiring).

I guess my general question is if any of you are familiar with Leslie's work and if so, 
to what degree, and also if so, to what degree do you find it plausible?
Myself, I seem to be going through a kind of metaphysical conversion of sorts, one 
where, despite the multiplicity of minds/universes, there nevertheless seems to be an 
unspeakable and seemingly permanent unity to all things. I'm almost leaning towards 
Christianity, for the simple reason that it seems peculiar and particular enough to just 
be right and suitable to reality. (Reading CS Lewis' 'Mere Christianity' has swayed me 
in this way -- check it out, it's online).


Of course this ethic requiredness supported slavery, ethnic cleansing, divine right of 
kings, faith over inquiry, ignorance over knowledge, oppression of women, and infinite 
torture for unbelievers.


Brent
Whoever wants to be a Christian should tear the eyes out of
his Reason.
  --- Martin Luther

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