When Does Skepticism Go Too Far? A look at the ancient tradition of questioning, from the natural philosophers and Pyrrho to Cicero and the scientific method.
We should question everything we hear. What comes out of another mouth is his opinion of what he observed,did or heard from a third person. To each of them it is their reality and the same event described will present a different reality in actuality. Reality is reality to 1 person. Actuality is what actually happened and is an interpretation by each of the same event.
Skepticism is a moving target like other words. Critics is the word I use that in history have always existed but today do not move the needle much. They give speeches that they are paid for, write books, go to each other's fund raisers, take cruises, all with people who agree with them. A scam? The Government and the IRS call them "not for profit" organizations. It is simply brainwashing and preaching to the choir. There is no debate that happened a lot in the "old days". It seems to me the important people thought. They read, collaborated. argued, compromised, and reached some settlement they all supported. The fact is the leaders of this had virtue. They listened and improved their notions. America's founding fathers are a recent example. They were educated, debated, argued, etc and all had virtue.
Today seems a real joke with the leaders we have in America.
You can learn doubt from J. Robert Oppenheimer: You must not doubt everything, but only what is important.
When doubt matters: Is there a true religion or not? Is what I have done right, or is it right only in my own eyes? Does this thing help me preserve myself or not? Is this knowledge or is it ignorance mistaken for knowledge?
And when doubt does not matter: Should I go to the hairdresser or not?
To end. There are two types of skeptics: Just as you can doubt something to add harm to the world, you can doubt it to add benefit.
The worth of a scientific society is being able to produce people who can think like scientists and not consider "It's science" to be a different form of religion because science progresses by maybe 100 failures to one useful finding. "It's science" is emphatically a different form of religion when so-called dissident scientists who have reached the conclusion you want are the only ones that you will have any respect for.
The smallest attempt to do something like biology that has few grand theories will show the power of careful and precise observation and knowing when your senses can be trusted.
The Bible, in 1 Thessalonians 5: 21 tells us to,“Test everything. Hold on to what is good.” and in Proverbs 12:17 "He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit."
The Bible is without a doubt, the most widely read book in all of human history so I think it is worthy of our consideration. Many things of negligible importance are not worthy of our concern but anything affecting millions of people, countries and civilizations must always be questioned. Under these categories I would include, religious doctrines of the church, Covid 19 and 9/11.
There's not enough time in the day to question everything
We should question everything we hear. What comes out of another mouth is his opinion of what he observed,did or heard from a third person. To each of them it is their reality and the same event described will present a different reality in actuality. Reality is reality to 1 person. Actuality is what actually happened and is an interpretation by each of the same event.
Yes, we should. Just not all the times.
Skepticism is a moving target like other words. Critics is the word I use that in history have always existed but today do not move the needle much. They give speeches that they are paid for, write books, go to each other's fund raisers, take cruises, all with people who agree with them. A scam? The Government and the IRS call them "not for profit" organizations. It is simply brainwashing and preaching to the choir. There is no debate that happened a lot in the "old days". It seems to me the important people thought. They read, collaborated. argued, compromised, and reached some settlement they all supported. The fact is the leaders of this had virtue. They listened and improved their notions. America's founding fathers are a recent example. They were educated, debated, argued, etc and all had virtue.
Today seems a real joke with the leaders we have in America.
Leader's? Disgraceful America; RIP USA 🪦⚰️🥀
You can learn doubt from J. Robert Oppenheimer: You must not doubt everything, but only what is important.
When doubt matters: Is there a true religion or not? Is what I have done right, or is it right only in my own eyes? Does this thing help me preserve myself or not? Is this knowledge or is it ignorance mistaken for knowledge?
And when doubt does not matter: Should I go to the hairdresser or not?
To end. There are two types of skeptics: Just as you can doubt something to add harm to the world, you can doubt it to add benefit.
So... where does this leave us?
At the beginning, of course.
Enjoying this stack. Thanks!
The worth of a scientific society is being able to produce people who can think like scientists and not consider "It's science" to be a different form of religion because science progresses by maybe 100 failures to one useful finding. "It's science" is emphatically a different form of religion when so-called dissident scientists who have reached the conclusion you want are the only ones that you will have any respect for.
The smallest attempt to do something like biology that has few grand theories will show the power of careful and precise observation and knowing when your senses can be trusted.
I wrote a whole article on this subject! I heartily agree!
As the pot is stirred, mix in a dash of serendipity to keep the mystery intriguing.
The Bible, in 1 Thessalonians 5: 21 tells us to,“Test everything. Hold on to what is good.” and in Proverbs 12:17 "He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit."
The Bible is without a doubt, the most widely read book in all of human history so I think it is worthy of our consideration. Many things of negligible importance are not worthy of our concern but anything affecting millions of people, countries and civilizations must always be questioned. Under these categories I would include, religious doctrines of the church, Covid 19 and 9/11.
Do me a favor. If your from California stay there. If your not, move there then stay there.