Thursday, January 31, 2013

Solipsism?


I was involved in a discussion with a theist recently on an "Atheists vs Theists" facebook page he had created. He came up with the idea the line "Reasoning goes on in minds and only goes on in minds hence is subjective". This is solipsism, which is, basically the idea that the only thing we can say is 100% true is "I think therefore I am" and everything else is subjective and therefore not 100% reliable.

This is my answer to him.

If, as you say all reasoning is subjective, you are basically a solipsist which is, at best, irrelevant. Also, if you are claiming that all reasoning is subjective, then you can't reason your way to god either.

This is where science comes in. It confirms something that someone has reasoned could be true by testing falsifiable hypotheses. It then allows others to try repeat those tests and by using open methodology so that others can review the evidence and how it was found.

It is the only way we can spiral in or home in on the truth.

Now, when you can create a falsifiable hypothesis for god, test it, allow others to repeat that and have an open methodology that allows for peer review, and after that the evidence for god is plain and unambiguous, then maybe I'll believe that there is a god.

Any comments welcome.