Dealing in Probabilities (Earth, beliefs, choice, experience, faith)

[lunamoth]

Off the top of my head (IOW, not very deep ), do you think that all that we know and believe and use as the working basis for our interaction with the world around us is really just dealing in probabilities?

Some things we consider 'fact' because the reproducibility or predictive value of the idea is high. Other catagories are knowledge or wisdom, theory or hypothesis, others what we might call belief, or faith, but it all boils down to what, based upon our personal experience and observtions about the world, we trust.

What about the idea that a 'miracle' is that which beats the odds of probability as we percieve them?

I'll post this quick before I think of all the rebuttal arguments.

[sojourner]

I think that may be a good place to start, but I think it goes a whole lot deeper than that. Your scenario would reduce God to mathematics. While mathematics may be a window to the Divine, it is, in and of itself, not Divine. The whole is still greater than the sum of its parts, or it is not Divine.

[lunamoth]

Originally Posted by sojourner

I think that may be a good place to start, but I think it goes a whole lot deeper than that. Your scenario would reduce God to mathematics. While mathematics may be a window to the Divine, it is, in and of itself, not Divine. The whole is still greater than the sum of its parts, or it is not Divine.

Good point Soj.

I think that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We see this in earthly systems. I've argued that belief in God/The More means belief in the supernatural. Others have pointed out, and as we see here very often, accepting the supernatural opens the door to all kinds of abuse in the name of God. There is an element of choice and responsibility in our beliefs, no?

[Buttercup]

Originally Posted by lunamoth

Off the top of my head (IOW, not very deep ), do you think that all that we know and believe and use as the working basis for our interaction with the world around us is really just dealing in probabilities?

Where does that leave ideas?

[lunamoth]

Originally Posted by Buttercup

Where does that leave ideas?

I guess they come from the sum of the probabilities of all we think to be true/trustworthy. If it's a 'good' idea it will have a high probability of predicting outcomes in the future.

[Guitar's Cry]

Originally Posted by lunamoth

Off the top of my head (IOW, not very deep ), do you think that all that we know and believe and use as the working basis for our interaction with the world around us is really just dealing in probabilities?

Some things we consider 'fact' because the reproducibility or predictive value of the idea is high. Other catagories are knowledge or wisdom, theory or hypothesis, others what we might call belief, or faith, but it all boils down to what, based upon our personal experience and observtions about the world, we trust.

What about the idea that a 'miracle' is that which beats the odds of probability as we percieve them?

I'll post this quick before I think of all the rebuttal arguments.

As a practical model for studying the universe, this appears to be helpful. But our reality is more complex than that. Once something is observed, it no longer resides in the realm of probabilities, but in the world of relationships. But probabilities are also relationships, right? So really, even this model boils down to association.

And there is something more poetic to saying that "...all that we know and believe and use as the working basis for our interaction with the world around us is really just dealing in relationships."

[lunamoth]

Originally Posted by Guitar's Cry

And there is something more poetic to saying that "...all that we know and believe and use as the working basis for our interaction with the world around us is really just dealing in relationships."

I like that!

[Buttercup]

Originally Posted by lunamoth

I guess they come from the sum of the probabilities of all we think to be true/trustworthy. If it's a 'good' idea it will have a high probability of predicting outcomes in the future.

Yes, I think that's true.

Originally Posted by Guitar's Cry

And there is something more poetic to saying that "...all that we know and believe and use as the working basis for our interaction with the world around us is really just dealing in relationships."

Right, and the outcome of these relationships is often a gamble.

[sojourner]

Right, and the outcome of these relationships is often a gamble.

Isn't that where faith enters the picture? "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for?"
We are free to gamble on the relationship, because we carry hope that the outcome will be favorable?