Found out what I am...

[Yahzi]

http://www.npr.org/display_pages/features/feature_1505065.html

I'm a "rational materialist."

Although I imagine a lot of us will have a problem with question number 3:

3. Is there an identifiable force coursing through the universe, holding it together, or uniting all life-forms?

Um... gravity? Although gravity doesn't hold life-forms together, it would unite them if you dumped them all into big pile.

:D

[roger]

I am probably being picky, but I balk at this question:10. Do you believe that feelings about things should be admitted as evidence in establishing reality? as I would say yes, only if we are seeking evidence about feelings.

And this question: 11. Do you believe that love and inner feelings of morality suggest that there is a world beyond that of biology, social patterns, and accident -- i.e., a realm of higher meaning? As far as I can tell love, morality, etc, are emergent behaviors, and thus reducable to biology, social patterns, etc, I would argue that 'higher meaning' is also emergent from these same causes. I don't however, think that there is some kind of outside 'force', god, or whatever, that imposes meaning from without, which is, I'm sure, what the question was driving at.

The book looks interesting, I'll have to browse it the next time I'm in the bookstore.

[triadboy]

I answered 'No' to every question.

10. Do you believe that feelings about things should be admitted as evidence in establishing reality?

I didn't have a problem with this, although I didn't extrapolate it as far as Roger. I just know eye-witnesses are wrong - so can you imagine a 'feeling-witness'?

3. Is there an identifiable force coursing through the universe, holding it together, or uniting all life-forms?

I honed in on 'identifiable'. It seems to be insinuating spirituality.

[Yahweh]

I chose "NO!!!" to every question, I'm an Evil Atheist (or rational materialist).

10. Do you believe that feelings about things should be admitted as evidence in establishing reality?

Sounds too "transcendental-y". Do you know how godawful "intuition" and "I feel..." are at accurately predicting anything? When reading that question, I was reminded of an Interesting Ian post (http://www.randi.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&postid=1870174009&highlight=feelings#post1870174009).

[RussDill]

The only one I had trouble with is:

12. Do you believe that the world is not completely knowable by science?

for which, I don't know, but we'll damn well try

[a_unique_person]

I thought you were a Gemini.

[evildave]

Originally posted by RussDill
The only one I had trouble with is:

12. Do you believe that the world is not completely knowable by science?

for which, I don't know, but we'll damn well try

Me too. The first thing is just one of those geometric progression things. If every answer spawns many more questions, there will always be an ever-increasing supply of questions. Including questions about the validity of answers.

The second thing is that this question reveals a common misconception about science: that it "knows" things. It doesn't. It only records, postulates and predicts things. Your computer was made because certain theories based on past observations predict outcomes that makes manipulating matter in a certain ways and expecting certain results seem sensible. It doesn't mean that the theories are necessarily literally true. Your computer may work for reasons only congruent to the reasons science gives for its operation.

An important point to keep in mind.

[rdaneel]

Seems like it's missing a question.

"Can you pick apart each of the above questions and point out some kind of fallacy?"

:cool:

[RebeccaBradley]

Fallacies? Well, to start with the easy ones, questions 4 through 7 are begged.

[c4ts]

When you're done, don't forget to vote:
http://host.randi.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17304&highlight=materialist

[LW]

Originally posted by RussDill

12. Do you believe that the world is not completely knowable by science?

for which, I don't know, but we'll damn well try

Well, if you know everything about the universe, where are you going to store the data?

[espritch]

When you're done, don't forget to vote:

How can I? There's no Planet X option! :mad: