The black cat analogy

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The black cat analogy

Postby volchok » Fri Jul 13, 2012 2:54 am

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Re: The black cat analogy

Postby von Rivers » Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:40 am

If you were to try to explain the import of this silly grandmotherly token, you'd realize how frivolous and dumb it is.
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Re: The black cat analogy

Postby Moreno » Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:46 am

Metaphysics covers things like determinism and free will and identity related issues - identity over time, etc.

I can't see how those topics are looking for something not there.
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Re: The black cat analogy

Postby Faust » Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:57 am

I think the analogy is entirely apt. I'm surprised that anyone needs an explanation, but perhaps i shouldn't be.
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Re: The black cat analogy

Postby Stoic Guardian » Fri Jul 13, 2012 6:27 am

Faust wrote:I think the analogy is entirely apt.


Well obviously. But negativity draws people far more quickly, but they also leave the discussion much more quickly.
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Re: The black cat analogy

Postby MagsJ » Fri Jul 13, 2012 8:12 am

Mo_ wrote:If you were to try to explain the import of this silly grandmotherly token, you'd realize how frivolous and dumb it is.
...and you took time out in your day just to let us know that? ...sweet ;)

@Volchok: great analogies for defining the questions we seek answers to in our lives... do you know where the quotes are from?

@Faust: there's always gotta be one or two party poopers :roll:
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Re: The black cat analogy

Postby Typist » Fri Jul 13, 2012 12:13 pm

Forum Atheism is like being in a dark room and being really PISSED OFF that somebody else has a cat and you don't.
Last edited by Typist on Fri Jul 13, 2012 5:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The black cat analogy

Postby Moreno » Fri Jul 13, 2012 1:00 pm

Faust wrote:I think the analogy is entirely apt. I'm surprised that anyone needs an explanation, but perhaps i shouldn't be.
Could be issues of disagreement and not a lack of understanding. It also seems to me that metaphysics, if you were responding to my post (at least also), doesn't mean what a lot of people seem to think it means. I am not sure who doesn't have a metaphysics. I haven't met anyone at least who doesn't.
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Re: The black cat analogy

Postby Moreno » Fri Jul 13, 2012 1:48 pm

Magsj wrote:@Volchok: great analogies for defining the questions we seek answers to in our lives... do you know where the quotes are from?
As far as I can tell it is a list of analogies not of the questions but of methodologies/processes, with at least one conclusion about ontology.

@Faust: there's always gotta be one or two party poopers :roll:
Seems kinda like an ad hom.
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Re: The black cat analogy

Postby tentative » Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:30 pm

There were these twelve blind men and this huge elephant, and....
IGAYRCCFYVM
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Re: The black cat analogy

Postby phyllo » Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:39 pm

The metaphysics and theology quotes are from the point of view of someone who has 'god's knowledge' about the existence of the cat within the room. They 'know' the cat isn't there. If the scientist knew that the cat wasn't there, it would be ridiculous to look for it with a flashlight.

'Theology is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat and claiming you saw the cat or you touched the cat.'
That's more accurate. It doesn't sound as silly as the original quote and so it's less entertaining.
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Re: The black cat analogy

Postby fuse » Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:55 pm

agreed, phyllo
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Re: The black cat analogy

Postby Moreno » Fri Jul 13, 2012 11:20 pm

tentative wrote:There were these twelve blind men and this huge elephant, and....
later people without flashlights determined it was a big, intelligent social animal. Some of these people even managed to develop working relationships with the animal. A dog even managed to work out an intimate friendship with an elephant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBtFTF2ii7U

(and yes, I know the original tale/metaphor. I heard it first as a Sufi teaching story. In that version I think there were 4 blind men and an elephant)
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Re: The black cat analogy

Postby tentative » Sat Jul 14, 2012 12:49 am

(and yes, I know the original tale/metaphor. I heard it first as a Sufi teaching story. In that version I think there were 4 blind men and an elephant)
Well it started out as four, but then some blind philosophers heard about the elephant and... well, you know what that means... :roll:
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Re: The black cat analogy

Postby Moreno » Sat Jul 14, 2012 1:13 am

tentative wrote:
(and yes, I know the original tale/metaphor. I heard it first as a Sufi teaching story. In that version I think there were 4 blind men and an elephant)
Well it started out as four, but then some blind philosophers heard about the elephant and... well, you know what that means... :roll:
yeah, blind philosophers are annoying, but it must be frustrating not being able to read German.
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