I was looking for a place on this thread to post some similar thoughts. Tom's observations about objective reality are valid in specific domains such as science and engineering, but where we part company is that I don't think that all of human existence can be understood from the perspective of science or engineering.
We have family, we have friends and enemies, we have likes and dislikes we can't explain--chocolate or vanilla? why?--there's the preference for country music over rock, there's loyalty and prejudice (or is loyalty a form of prejudice?), we have good days and we have bad days and there's no scientific explanation for either one....in fact, when you think about it, there's very little of life as experienced by most people that's amenable to examination by science, and a lot of it that shouldn't be examined too closely.
I wonder if Tom's ever tried to give a scientific answer when his wife asked "do these pants make me look fat?". Bet not, or he'd demonstrate more humility about the power of science to explain human existence.
Off Topic » in reply to "The term "explain" itself implies a common reality, doesn't it?"
Bingo
The whole thread (31 posts)
- What is *The Truth*?
- Ayn Rand and objective reality
- Nope. There IS Truth. It is just that it takes some thinking to ascertain. (n/t)
- The whole truth and nothing but.
- re: What is *The Truth*?
- Everything except hard science?
- No such thing as *The Truth*