Re: virus: Axioms versus falsification of theories

David McFadzean (david@lucifer.com)
Fri, 19 Sep 1997 10:42:57 -0600


At 04:05 AM 9/19/97 -0500, Eric Boyd wrote:

>But really, despite coming across here as in favour of the
>falsificationist standpoint, what I’m really a user of both.
>Engineering, really, is about using the theories of science *like*
>axioms, and building machines from what they tell us. Since I can’t do
>everything, I have to trust the body of knowledge coming in from
>"authority": my Profs. Sure, our classes have "labs", but we don’t get
>the chance to *verify* everything we learn, let alone try to falsify
>it. I have to believe; I have to stand on others’ shoulders, who
>themselves stood on others’ shoulders, ad nausium. "Faith" may be a
>cardinal Virus sin, but it’s necessary.

Are you sure you are using "faith" in the same sense as the Virus sin?
Do you really believe scientific statements more than the evidence
would dictate?

--
David McFadzean                 david@lucifer.com
Memetic Engineer                http://www.lucifer.com/~david/
Church of Virus                 http://www.lucifer.com/virus/