Avenues to truth

[McCulloch]

Do you believe that science is the only avenue to truth? What about logic, philosophy, intuition, revelation, and so on? On what basis does science get priority over all of the various ways we all have of knowing?

Questions for debate:

1. Do you believe that science is the only avenue to truth?
2. What about logic?
3. What about philosophy?
4. What about intuition?
5. What about revelation?
6. Are there others? Dreams, astrology, tarot?
7. Does any one basis get priority? Why?

[EduChris]

...Do you believe that science is the only avenue to truth?

Nope, it's not the only avenue to truth.

...What about logic?...philosophy?...intuition?...revelation?

Nope, no single one represents the only avenue to truth.

...Are there others?

I'm sure there are. Perhaps "Acts of kindness" might qualify as an avenue to truth.

...Dreams, astrology, tarot?

Dreams, possibly. I'm not familiar enough with astrology and tarot to comment.

...Does any one basis get priority? Why?

Ideally what we'd like is to have as many avenues as possible converge on a given question. Beyond that, some kinds of truth seem more suited to certain avenues than others. With respect to technological truth, science might be best suited. But even science must be subject to ethical limits (do we want to use artificial selection to create a class of strong but stupid slaves?). And the best scientists rely on intuition and flashes of insight to help them choose particular approaches to difficult problems.

With respect to questions of ultimate human meaning and purpose, science is less helpful. Here, revelation, philosophy, reason, logic, history, personal experience must take priority.

[Goat]

Do you believe that science is the only avenue to truth? What about logic, philosophy, intuition, revelation, and so on? On what basis does science get priority over all of the various ways we all have of knowing?

Questions for debate:

1. Do you believe that science is the only avenue to truth?
2. What about logic?
3. What about philosophy?
4. What about intuition?
5. What about revelation?
6. Are there others? Dreams, astrology, tarot?
7. Does any one basis get priority? Why?

Before you say 'xxx is an avenue to truth', you have to define what 'truth' is. Truth is one of these words that get used philosophically in so many different ways, I am not sure if there IS 'truth'. It must be very precious, since so many people are so stingy with it.

But, the word 'Truth' is one of the key words I see that gives me a 'face palm' reaction. It gets abused so often, and used as an excuse for just about anything that it gets into meaningless blather rather quick. Such words as 'Truth', "Free Will', 'Original Sin', and Hermeneutics give huge red flags for me that meaningful discussion will not follow.