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Comment by Mark on Open Thread · 2007-07-04T04:51:10.000Z · LW · GW

I now wish I could pass the link to you of a paper written by an Oxford professor of philosophy who created probabilities for events likelto precipitate the end of humanity, eg nucleur armageddon, grey gloop etc. The probability that the more complex society presses end-game on our particular simulation is alarmingly high.

Comment by Mark on Open Thread · 2007-07-03T20:00:22.000Z · LW · GW

I have recently been wondering whether atheism is more irrational than belief in a deity. Given that both require a leap of faith - is it the case that atheism requires a greater leap? Assuming that the probability of the creation of my conciousness is almost infinity to one given the rigours of natural selection, is it not more rational to believe that it is the result of a supernatural will?

Following from this, and to meet the requirement for "overcoming bias", given that I am a child of an urban environment, is it perhaps a bias to see the creativity of humanity all around myself and thereby extrapolate from this single data (reference) point that there is not much else out there, thereby pushing me towards a more irrational atheism?

Answers much appreciated.