Thanks for the link to that interesting essay. It seems to rely on the possibility of inter-subjective truths (i.e. truths that should persuade) that are not objective (i.e. based on empirical results). Basically, I don’t believe in inter-subjective truths of that kind because they are capable of proving too much. For example, “God exists” is a plausible candidate for inter-subjective truth, but there are empirical things I would expect in a world where God exists that do not appear to be present. In short, there seems to be no limit to what can be labeled inter-subjective, non-objective truth.
Most small deviations, and practically all “radical” deviations [in cultural beliefs], result in the equivalent of death for the organism: a mass breakdown of civilization which can include genocide, mass poverty, starvation, plagues, and, perhaps most commonly and importantly, highly unsatisying, painful, or self-destructive individual life choices.
This asserted fragility of society is inconsistent with historical evidence. You can pick just about any moral taboo (E.g. human sacrifice or incest) and find a society that violated it but continued on, and fell for reasons independent of the violation of the moral taboo. For example, Nazi Germany didn’t lose WWII because they were immoral jerkwads. Germany lost WWII because it picked a fight with a more powerful opponent (who happened to also be an immoral jerkwad).
Ok, it’s clear that I don’t understand what is meant by the concept of “inter-subjective truth.” Why use the word truth? Especially when there is the perfectly appropriate word “evidence” for the concept of believing based on the fact that others believe.
Evidence and truth are not pointing to similar concepts at all. Something can be true even if I have no evidence to believe it to be so. Contrarily, I can have evidence in support of a belief that is, in fact, false.
the possibility of inter-subjective truths (i.e. truths that should persuade)
I don’t think “truths that should persuade” is a good definition of what Szabo (or others) mean by “inter-subjective truths”.
Wikipedia is not very helpful, but I understand it more as “things whose truth-value depends of how many people believe in them”, i.e. “children are expected to obey their parents”, “you should drive on the left side of the road”, etc.
Would be more interesting had author defined what he means by “highly evolved tradition” and added some real world examples.
Most small deviations, and practically all “radical” deviations [in cultural beliefs], result in the equivalent of death for the organism: a mass breakdown of civilization which can include genocide, mass poverty, starvation, plagues, and, perhaps most commonly and importantly, highly unsatisying, painful, or self-destructive individual life choices.
Genocide is usually (and traditionally) fate of traditional society that meets more modern one.
And as for mass poverty, starvation and plagues, these were traditional part of life for all recorded history and were abolished by modernity. I’m afraid the author disproves his own thesis...
Thanks for the link to that interesting essay. It seems to rely on the possibility of inter-subjective truths (i.e. truths that should persuade) that are not objective (i.e. based on empirical results). Basically, I don’t believe in inter-subjective truths of that kind because they are capable of proving too much. For example, “God exists” is a plausible candidate for inter-subjective truth, but there are empirical things I would expect in a world where God exists that do not appear to be present. In short, there seems to be no limit to what can be labeled inter-subjective, non-objective truth.
This asserted fragility of society is inconsistent with historical evidence. You can pick just about any moral taboo (E.g. human sacrifice or incest) and find a society that violated it but continued on, and fell for reasons independent of the violation of the moral taboo. For example, Nazi Germany didn’t lose WWII because they were immoral jerkwads. Germany lost WWII because it picked a fight with a more powerful opponent (who happened to also be an immoral jerkwad).
Only if you think of them as incontrovertible evidence, rather than merely another type of evidence to be incorporated.
Ok, it’s clear that I don’t understand what is meant by the concept of “inter-subjective truth.” Why use the word truth? Especially when there is the perfectly appropriate word “evidence” for the concept of believing based on the fact that others believe.
Evidence and truth are not pointing to similar concepts at all. Something can be true even if I have no evidence to believe it to be so. Contrarily, I can have evidence in support of a belief that is, in fact, false.
I don’t think “truths that should persuade” is a good definition of what Szabo (or others) mean by “inter-subjective truths”.
Wikipedia is not very helpful, but I understand it more as “things whose truth-value depends of how many people believe in them”, i.e. “children are expected to obey their parents”, “you should drive on the left side of the road”, etc.
Would be more interesting had author defined what he means by “highly evolved tradition” and added some real world examples.
Genocide is usually (and traditionally) fate of traditional society that meets more modern one. And as for mass poverty, starvation and plagues, these were traditional part of life for all recorded history and were abolished by modernity. I’m afraid the author disproves his own thesis...