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PaperclipPerfector  5mo ago (text post)   26566 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of June 3, 2024

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Let proposition A be that combustion consumes oxygen, as opposed to releasing phlogiston. Do you believe (1) (Proposition A is true because a majority of people in 2023 believe it is true), or (2) (proposition A is true, regardless of what a majority of people believe, because combustion actually consumes oxygen as opposed to liberating phlogiston)?

I think you using the term "regardless" in a way that doesn't distinguish epistemic from causal thinking.

(2) is true but I would amend it to clarify that

Proposition A is true, regardless[causally] of what a majority of people believe

Would you also affirm the following?

  • race based slavery is immoral regardless [causally]of what a majority of people believe.

Yes.

Is this consistent with your above statement, "They do"?

@NelsonRushton: Whatever argument that is, it will have to prove that majorities don't decide morality

@anon_: They do. And the majority now has decided that slavery was pretty awful.

Yes. [causally] is the difference you're trying to sneak in there.

[Causally] seems like the most straight forward reading of what you said. I don't eve see the point of bringing up the majority deciding anything, if that's not how you meant it.

[Epistemically] is important, especially in the context.

Society decides policies via an epistemic process, not a causal one.

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