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felipec  unbelief  2yr ago (felipec.substack.com)   3599 thread views

2+2 = not what you think

felipec.substack.com

Changing someone's mind is very difficult, that's why I like puzzles most people get wrong: to try to open their mind. Challenging the claim that 2+2 is unequivocally 4 is one of my favorites to get people to reconsider what they think is true with 100% certainty.

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I'm willing to engage in open debate with you, and your chance to convince me depends on the correctness of your position.

And who decides the correctness of my position? You. So in order for me to be able to convince you that X may be true, I first have to convince you that X may be true, but X cannot be true, because you have decided that the position that X may be true is not correct, why? Because X cannot be true.

How is this not the definition of circular reasoning?

And who decides the correctness of my position?

The correctness of your position is a matter of fact. No one decides it, we research it. I have done so and found out it's not correct. If I happened to be wrong about that, there would be convincing counterarguments you could make, proving me wrong. But I notice you're not even trying to argue X anymore.

How is this not the definition of circular reasoning?

It's the definition of a strawman. I have not made the circle of reasoning you describe. I have proven that X is not true, separately.

The correctness of your position is a matter of fact.

According to you.

So, according to you, math is a matter of opinion?

Math is not a mater of opinion, what math says is a matter of opinion.

No, math is abstract truth. If the application ever becomes an issue, you're looking to apply math to another field.

In any case, the statement in question is a straightforward arithmetic equation. There's no room for interpretation here.

No, math is abstract truth.

You are not math, you are a person interpreting what math says.

There is nothing to interpret, it's straightforward math. I'm merely writing it down.

That's your opinion. Everything is interpreted.

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