Is philosophy necessary or useful for materialists?

[John_Savage]

We’re still agreed that, given an completely material universe, we can’t learn anything about reality from philosophy, right?. By philosophy, I don’t mean the tools of philosophy like logic and reason. Every field uses those tools.

 

[Linusthe2nd]

This was before your time on these forums, but there was another user that went by the name of Spock that asked the exact same thing (see thread Supernatural Epistemology). Sadly I don’t think every one took him seriously. A few months after this thread (And after a few other threads on discovering God) he finally left this site.

I’m not sure he is talking about " epistemology " in that sense. I took it that he meant, " … how do we know that we know and that what we know is true…" In that sense I would recommend the Summa Theologiae, Part 1, Ques 75-102, available on line.

I rather took him to mean " how do we come to a knowledge of the existence of the Christian God. To that end I recommend the Summa Theologiae Part 1, Ques. 3-13. On this basis it is reasonable that this God would choose to Reveal Himself to man in some more specific way. Thus the necessity of a Divine Revelation to make Himself known to His creation in a clear way, a Divine Pedagogy if you will. And this effort would conclude in the infallible voice the Catholic Church. This is what I would call " Supernatural Epistemology. " Now if he wants more than that there is none and he should be well aware of that. God has given man an intellect to use and he expects man to use it.

But it requires good will on the part of the one who would believe, a setting aside of certain prejudices. God, for his part, will impart the grace of faith to all who make the effort honestly.

 

[wittgenstein]

Great post (post 2)! Matter lacks intentionality (in the philosophical sense,that something refers to something). An on light switch does not refer to a lit bulb. Similarly, “1+1=2” is not a proposition that is true or false if only matter has reality. Without consciousness 1+1=2" is just patterns of ink.
Without qualia there is no meaning (intentionality ).
Also, purpose does not = meaning. My purpose in life may be to make lots of money. However, that does not mean that my life is meaningful.

 

[wittgenstein]

My last paragraph may seem merely a semantic difference. However, semantics and grammer is a form of logic. However, skeletons (logic) are VERY important they support truth.
An entirely skeleton argument ( valid but untrue) is,
1.All Martians eat snakes.
2. Bob is a Martian.
3. Therefore Bob eats snakes.
An entirely flesh argument ( true but invalid) is,

1. Obama is USA president.
2. Dogs are mammals.
3. Therefore, Paris is in France.
   An argument that has flesh and a skeleton is,
4. All men are mortal.
5. Socrates was a man.
6. Therefore, Socrates was mortal.
   The last syllogism has a skeleton and flesh! The truth is alive!

 

[wittgenstein]

Philosophy is unimportant to an eliminative materialist because philosophy is a search for meaning and an eliminative materialist (if consistent in his beliefs.Which is ironic because an eliminative materialist must by definition deny the existence of beliefs) must deny intentionality (meaning)!
Of course an eliminative materialist would never say that his beliefs are meaningless. But that only shows that their beliefs are self-contradictory and therefore absurd.

 

[tonyrey]

Philosophy is unimportant to an eliminative materialist because philosophy is a search for meaning and an eliminative materialist (if consistent in his beliefs.Which is ironic because an eliminative materialist must by definition deny the existence of beliefs) must deny intentionality (meaning)!
Of course an eliminative materialist would never say that his beliefs are meaningless. But that only shows that their beliefs are self-contradictory and therefore absurd.

A point that needs constant repetition in our society.