• Kbobabob@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    11 months ago

    I give you an orange and then i give you another orange, how many oranges do you have empirically.

    • NoLifeGaming@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      11 months ago

      Sure. I observe 2 oranges. I can also observe the world around me. Although observation is a part of the scientific method it is not the scientific method it self. Perhaps what I said can use more clarification, take Pythagorean theorem. This is not something which is proverable through science or observation but rather mathematically through logic. Its not something which you can put under a microscope.

      • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        11 months ago

        Not directly since there are no perfect triangles but it ties into sine and cosine which ties into the equations that govern light. Which are always true no matter how often we measure them.

        • NoLifeGaming@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          11 months ago

          Right, so in Math we have axioms and we build upon those axioms and construct theorems which are deductively true. They are not true in the same way a scientific theory is. My point is, not everything that can be true needs empirical verification. Math is one example.

          • fkn@lemmy.worldM
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            11 months ago

            While what you say is true, tautological arguments are not useful in and of themselves. Internally consistent mathematics is not a useful construct unless we can empirically discover structures that those mathematical systems model. Einsteins theory of relativity is not impressive without the empirical discovery that the it is/was a better model than the existing Newtonian models that proceeded it.

            To argue that internally consistent tautologies are true and are of equivalent usefulness is a bad faith argument that inappropriately equates two logical constructs.

            • NoLifeGaming@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              2
              ·
              11 months ago

              I agree with what you’re saying. The reason why I said what I said originally is because there is a decent number of people who only consider science as the only way to truth. Despite logic for example being accepted and needed to do any science.

              • fkn@lemmy.worldM
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                4
                ·
                11 months ago

                The problem is that you failed to adequately disambiguate your position from nonsense. The position you presented is a poor one and an unwelcome thing to try and defend in this community. Additionally, your presentation of the subject was combative instead of illuminating and your statement about “true things” is just a bad presentation of a thing we have excellent proofs of without the hand waving.

                Frankly, it was difficult for me to differentiate your argument from a bad apologist argument.

                • NoLifeGaming@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  arrow-down
                  2
                  ·
                  11 months ago

                  I went back to my main comment and read it. I don’t think I conveyed any “nonsense”. Perhaps I could’ve presented things differently? Sure. Also, to say that I’ve been combative in the discussion while you are doing just that is ironic.