Boethius's Arguments for the existence of God

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So one cannot know what is real because one cannot make contact with reality outside their perceptions. Do you have good reason to believe our senses may be lying to us?
 
Well I most certainly agree that it’s an epistemological possibility, but that doesn’t mean it’s a plausible possibility. We may be part of a giant matrix, but we don’t have good reason to believe that.
 
oldnskeptical said:
And once again metaphysics is rendered pointless.

What you don’t seem to understand is that all metaphysics ever does is make assertions. It asserts for example that perfect and imperfect are objective terms, but all that it has to offer in support of this claim is personal opinion. And personal opinion is SUBJECTIVE.
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When you have a real argument please come back. I refuse to take your assertions as authoritative. If you can demonstrate that there are no imperfect acts of reality then fare enough. If you can’t then all you can really say is that you don’t know and you don’t believe there is such a thing. What you can’t do is assert that concepts such as imperfection are merely subjective and expect me to acknowledge that as an argument.
 
So apart from the possibility that the senses lying to us, do you have good reason to believe that metaphysics make mere unfocused assertions?
 
Please answer the question, do you have good reason to believe our senses are lying to us?
 
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I agree, upbringing and opinion can’t shape one’s view of reality, but why does that necessaril Mean there I see no truth?
 
oldnskeptical said:
Yes, it makes assertions that it can’t know to be true. Like things being perfect and imperfect. Who’s to say what’s perfect and imperfect?
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This really is a straw-man and a red herring. The idea that concepts such as perfect and imperfect applies to real things is a philosophical claim, and we can discuss whether or not that is metaphysically true. But it is not a metaphysical axiom that perfect or imperfect things exist.
 
I agree with all those claims. Where do you draw your conclusion?
 
So the minds tries to cogitate the reality, therefore it makes the reality? Where does this conclusion come from?
 
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Let’s not get distracted. Where does this conclusion come from?
 
Let’s avoid name calling. The point I’m trying to make is that even if I was irrational, even if others acted against reason or based on their own convictions, the conclusion doesn’t not follow that the mind makes its own reality. It can make its own perception of the reality, but that’s just delusion.
 
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Like I said above, I agree with you. People hold silly positions, people are irrational. But the conclusion, the mind makes its own reality does not follow.
 
oldnskeptical said:
So you would agree that Boethius’ first argument is based upon a false assumption,
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That would be what we are trying to figure out. Do you have any arguments to show that there are no imperfect acts of reality.

I would say that a thing beginning to exist, a potential becoming actual or in a continuous state of becoming, is an example of an imperfect act of existence, because it lacks existence until it is given existence, and since it does not exist by it’s own nature or power it participates in the act of existence imperfectly. I could be wrong to use the word imperfect, but you have to show why that is.

Also, if i draw a triangle sloppily, am i not correct to say that it is an imperfect triangle? Is that completely subjective?
 
oldnskeptical said:
You must understand, that when I said that you’re irrational I’m talking about humanity in general. They do things and believe things that don’t make sense. But why?
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You don’t seem to class your self among those who believe irrational things. Why is that?
 
oldnskeptical said:
Wouldn’t we all love a simple, irrefutable answer…sorry, there are none…
And that my friends is one of the very few irrefutable truths.
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But that itself is (1) a metaphysical claim and (2) one you need to back up.
 
oldnskeptical said:
People act like electrons, with a semblance of free will, but not actual free will. They simply don’t behave like rational people should behave.
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You would have to include yourself in that assessment. But again this is just an assertion.
 
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