Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!pacbell!att!alberta!auvax!charlesv
From: charlesv@auvax.UUCP (Charles van Duren)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: AI and people
Summary: truth or effectiveness?
Message-ID: <666@auvax.UUCP>
Date: 10 Jun 88 19:13:15 GMT
References: <8806011801.AA00844@vlsi2.ee.ufl.edu>
Organization: Athabasca U., Alberta, Canada
Lines: 15

In article <8806011801.AA00844@vlsi2.ee.ufl.edu>, jimmyz%oak.dnet@VLSI2.EE.UFL.EDU (Anubis The Psychic Chaos Metal Riffer Warrior) writes:

> As for religion, spritualness, and other meta-physical "science," that is
> a matter of personal beliefe. Different people feel/thing different things
> about the universe and their place in it. But we can not assume they are all
> true. THat is not the way to approach a problem scientifically.

Do not confuse "truth" and "effectiveness". The scientific notion of truth
has to do with the effectiveness (empirically perceived) of acting in
accordance with some principle. The empiricism defines the sientific approach.
Who are you (or anyone else) to deny the "truth" of my personal beliefs if
they are effective in my life? The effects may not be empirically verifiable,
but you cannot _effectively_ deny that such beliefs are true (meaning that
in _my_ world, your opinions may be totally irrelevant).

CvD (human)