Re: Science vs Truth ?

Ian Goddard (igoddard@erols.com)
Thu, 30 Apr 1998 20:05:43 -0400


At 01:28 PM 4/29/98 -0700, Yak Wax wrote:
>Ian Goddard wrote:
>
>> IAN: If science seeks knowledge, does
>> science seek true or false knowledge?
>
>As I explained knowledge is neither defined as true or false,
>the only attribute of knowledge is that it produces more knowledge
>and/or information.

IAN: So there's no difference between false
and true statements? Statements transmit know-
ledge. If what A knows is false and what B knows
is true, the knowledge of each is equally scientific.
Pseudoscience would simply be the absence of knowledge.
I disagree. I also am not convinced that knowledge =>
constant increase. A person could have a fixed set of
things they know, and it does not spontaneously repl-
icate into more knowledge. The set of all raccoons
have probably maintained a pretty constant level
of knowledge. I think true and a false are
attributes of knowledge, growth is not.

Knowledge growth is an attribute of desire to
learn and of the mental capacity to do so.

>For instance, creationism is not knowledge since it does
>not create any new knowledge...

IAN: So if a person does not gain new knowledge,
they have no knowledge? Knowledge is only know-
ledge if it is expanding? I can't see this.

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