Philosophical (the relativist pitfall)
35 comments
Specifically, in the present case: man, who is said to be evolving (and is therefore relative), cannot all of a sudden step out of the evolutionary process, take up a stationary position, and dare to make absolute statements regarding the continuing process.
Except for the fact that we're not a stationary species. We're still evolving, it never stops.
Of course the statement "all men are liars" is not a paradox, even when said by a man. If some men were liars, including the man who said the statement, then there is no contradiction. That the statement is false is consistent with reality, and with semantics and logic.
tl:dr version:
Well who are you to make an absolute statement that we're NOT evolving?!
No one lies all the time.
Also, as men wrote the Bible, by your own logic, it must be full of lies.
Put all fundamentalists on a remote deserted island,
OK, leaving out the error about individual vs. population evolution why would it be impossible to talk about evolution as it was underway? Can you not talk about riding in a car while riding in one?
Or maybe moses2792796 has trouble walking and chewing gum at the same time.
So if someone says "my hair is turning gray", that's an absurd statement because it requires one to step out of the process, take up a stationary position, and dare to make absolute statements regarding the continuing process?
It's been years since Logic 101, but "the well-known contradiction of relativism", as expressed here, seems a mite flawed to me.
The major premise must be true if the conclusion is to be valid:
Or we could say:
As for the "absurdity" of man, "who is said to be evolving" being unable to make "absolute statements regarding the continuing process," I am quite confused. Does Moses mean that, because my ancestors of a hundred years ago were shorter than I am, I cannot absolutely state that I am taller than my great grandfather, and my children are taller than I am--simply because I am part of that evolutionary process? The reasoning fails me. Help me out here, Moses.
Technically the processes involved in evolution never stop, but technically you can have periods of evolutionary stasis where no new mutations are selected due to a constant environment. Then, in the sense of the word 'evolution' you are not evolving, but in the sense of the scientific principle you are. Punctuated ftw.
To paraphrase thunderf00t
If one lie makes you a liar
BTW: Is that his phone number in there?
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
To post a comment, you'll need to Sign in or Register . Making an account also allows you to claim credit for submitting quotes, and to vote on quotes and comments. You don't even need to give us your email address.
