Knowledge & Illusion (for Romansh) (General)

by dhw, Friday, February 24, 2012, 16:14 (4657 days ago)

I have defined knowledge as: "information which is accepted as being true by general consensus among those who are aware of it."-ROMANSH (under AGNOSTICS INTERNATIONAL): Whether I agree with your definition or not is sort of irrelevant. So long as I understand how you are using the word is more important.
Having said that, the knowledge that Jesus died for our sins and was resurrected to sit at God's right hand would be different in the southern states of the USA than in say in taoist parts of China.-Your idea of what constitutes knowledge is clearly different from mine, which is why I need to know what YOU mean by "knowledge". Definitions are essential if we are to avoid going off at tangents. There is no general consensus on whether Jesus died for our sins, and that is why it comes under the category of belief (which I have defined as "information which individuals accept as being true although there is no general consensus on its truth.") Beliefs can differ as much as you like ... knowledge remains fixed unless or until the general consensus changes (e.g. people once "knew" that the sun went round the Earth).
 
Dhw: We can play philosophical games till kingdom come. What evidence do you have that I am an illusion? (And is it worth your looking for it?!)-ROMANSH: Tonnes. If you look at our capabilities of perception - they are not what they seem. Free will alone is one of the most nonsensical aspects of our perception.-You asked me how I could prove that other people exist so that you could know it (which again makes a definition of "know" essential). I explained that on a common sense level, the evidence came through perception, communication and experience, even allowing for the fact that "my views of them [other people] are subjective". Subjective perception does not mean that what we perceive does not exist! What evidence do you have that your family and friends are an illusion (forget about me)? "Tonnes" is hardly an answer, and it is no answer to say that our capabilities of perception are not what they seem. We are talking only of existence, not of interpretation. Even if free will is an illusion, as you believe, how does that prove that other people are an illusion?-If you would like to continue this discussion, and also respond to David, please do so on this new thread, as the subject has changed!