Trinity Foundation #fundie #dunning-kruger

Trinity Foundation #fundie #dunning-kruger trinityfoundation.org

Many non-Christians, and all too many Christians, are of the opinion that science, (i.e., the physical or natural sciences) is an ever-growing body of truth about the universe. The progress of science, its technological triumphs, so we are told, demonstrate its truth. Science is seemingly unassailable. After all, it works doesn’t it? And isn’t success the measure of truth?
[…]
John Robbins has pointed out that there are at least five logical difficulties with science, i.e., five reasons why science can never give us truth:
(1) Observation is unreliable.
(2) All scientific experiments commit the fallacy of asserting the consequent.
(3) Science commits the fallacy of induction.
(4) Equations are always selected, they are never discovered.
(5) All scientific laws describe ideal situations.

8 comments

“(1) Observation is unreliable.”
I think you’re confusing observations with eyewitness testimony.
The requirement for the scientific method is repeatable observations. So, like, the pressure of air exerted at sea level, the speed of light in a vacuum, the number of layers of annual sediment found under a river. Not just ‘I done saw goats fucking and they had a baby cow.” The entire POINT of scientific observations is that they are reliable. Scientists go to some effort to remove personal bias and credulity from their work.

“(2) All scientific experiments commit the fallacy of asserting the consequent.”
So, Pasteur felt that sunlight on meat did NOT create maggots. His experiment proved that he was, indeed, correct. Exactly how is this a problem for science
Asserting the conclusion is not the same as the fallacy of confirming the consequent.

“(3) Science commits the fallacy of induction.”
Citation needed.

“(4) Equations are always selected, they are never discovered.”
Equations are developed. How in the fuck would you DISCOVER math?

“(5) All scientific laws describe ideal situations.”
Um, yes. That’s the entire point. We don’t describe too many laws, it has to be a situation where we can be certain we can predict how matter and energy interact. This helps us understand less ideal situations, but doesn’t always predict them fully.
This is not a flex against science in any way.

This is like trying to debunk diving by pointing out that humans cannot breathe underwater.

These are not hidden flaws undermining science, but rather insights into the fundamental limits of epistomology that science is designed to address. Yes, we are biased fallible beings, without any access to objective truth, far too short-lived to solve all the mysteries of the world. But by acknowledging these problems, we could lay ground for a systematic self-correcting approach that minimises individual error and is subject to constant refinement, allowing humanity, generation by generation, to work out from the ground up an ever closer approximation of the workings of reality.

Meanwhile, all you have is special pleading.

Science. Your ‘opinions’. Gee:

image

That one’s a toughie. [/Doug Piranha-levels of sarcasm]

<@KeithInc.> #257974

“(3) Science commits the fallacy of induction.”
Citation needed.

Citation actually not needed, it’s just nonsense. There is no such thing as “the fallacy of induction”. *A* fallacy of induction (more commonly referred to as an inductive fallacy, and the majority of informal fallacies are those) is an error in inductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning may be weaker than deductive reasoning, but it is not inherently an error. It’s just not preferred where deductive reasoning is possible - and when it comes to scientific discovery, it usually isn’t. The fact that it usually isn’t is part of the reason why scientific proofs have to be so rigorous.

More fundies going “If science contradicts OUR religious beliefs, science is wrong!”

@Zinnia #257990

Thanks.
Imagine my shock. Seriously. This is my shocked face.

Epistemology is such an interesting field of philosophy and I’d suggest you to follow some courses.

I know a few people by that name mentioned in this quote. And neither of them would say any dumb shit like that. (literally my father and my brother, lol)

Trinity Foundation #fundie #dunning-kruger trinityfoundation.org

8 comments

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