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Evan · 09-20-2008, 07:31 AM

"Why should we trust them?"

Well, we don't really have a choice. I mean, we cannot justify them, because in order to justify them, we must use them as premises.

A hidden premise in all induction is "the future resembles the past". There is no way to justify this premise without using it.

Rejecting that premise, though, leaves us worse off (from a pragmatic standpoint). We must just accept it, as evolution pretty much guarantees that it makes us more fit.

There is no way to get to objective truths as a human. It's a limitation we cannot get around. It's unsatisfying, yes, but what can we do?

09-20-2008, 07:31 AM	#10 (permalink)
Evan . Join Date: Nov 2007 Type: INTP Location: Berkeley Posts: 3,062	"Why should we trust them?" Well, we don't really have a choice. I mean, we cannot justify them, because in order to justify them, we must use them as premises. A hidden premise in all induction is "the future resembles the past". There is no way to justify this premise without using it. Rejecting that premise, though, leaves us worse off (from a pragmatic standpoint). We must just accept it, as evolution pretty much guarantees that it makes us more fit. There is no way to get to objective truths as a human. It's a limitation we cannot get around. It's unsatisfying, yes, but what can we do? __________________ INTP 9 sx/sp (9>5>2)