Re:Why Science Needs Metaphysics
by Retric on Friday October 02, 2015 @10:58AM
(#10318952)
In math people are used to A = B has very specific meaning such that B = A. In some systems of thought A=B does not exclude B != A or even A != B.
This might seem ridiculous, how could such a system be useful? Well what about time, just because at one point A=B does not mean A still = B. [Yay, programming ;0]
Now, time is just one specific case, but Philosophy encompasses all systems of thought not just the tiny subset that is western philosophy. Some religions for example actively promote contradictory ideas.
As such, showing contradictions mean more in math suggests something is false, where in philosophy showing a contradiction only demonstrates something is false in a subset of systems of thought.
This might seem ridiculous, how could such a system be useful? Well what about time, just because at one point A=B does not mean A still = B. [Yay, programming ;0]
Now, time is just one specific case, but Philosophy encompasses all systems of thought not just the tiny subset that is western philosophy. Some religions for example actively promote contradictory ideas.
As such, showing contradictions mean more in math suggests something is false, where in philosophy showing a contradiction only demonstrates something is false in a subset of systems of thought.