Prove that love/emotions exist.

[thaiboxerken]

Ever get sick of that argument?

[Dr Adequate]

Originally posted by thaiboxerken
Ever get sick of that argument?
No, it still makes me laugh.

[thaiboxerken]

What is the actual fallacy being violated here, if you were to label it?

[RamblingOnwards]

Not if you lead it step by step from 'logical argument' to the 'limits of logic' to 'what the scientific method actually means'. Then it can be quite rewarding.

[thaiboxerken]

What do you mean?

[Flaherty]

Originally posted by thaiboxerken
What is the actual fallacy being violated here, if you were to label it?

No one can prove he is feeling a particular emotion; it's entirely internal. So, in that sense no one can prove that emotions exist. However, what we can measure are certain physiological responses and body language that are strongly associated with particular emotions.

[RamblingOnwards]

Originally posted by thaiboxerken
What do you mean?

Was that aimed at me? I mean that it's not a bad starting point for clearing up the myth that science claims some absolute truth. Like in this case, where logic isn't a good method for creating dogma, but it is a good tool to find the most useful/likely option. Am I missing your original point?

[thaiboxerken]

Yes, Rambling, the question was aimed at you. I see your point, but isn't there scientific evidence that love exists? Or is it like a favorite color, you can only guess what another's is based on their decisions.

[Grendel]

Empirical 'proof' requires precise definitions, and when it comes to precisely defining the various emotions, I think the effort would probably stay stuck in committee forever.

[Atlas]

My ex used to tell me that she loved me... Is that proof?

[Johnny Pneumatic]

Originally posted by Atlas
My ex used to tell me that she loved me... Is that proof?

No, because I can tell you I'm a perverted pedophilic 67 year old hermaphrodite that has six fingers on each hand and they all work. I'm none of those things though.

[Atlas]

Originally posted by SkepticJ
No, because I can tell you I'm a perverted pedophilic 67 year old hermaphrodite that has six fingers on each hand and they all work. I'm none of those things though. How do I know that?;)

[Batman Jr.]

Insofar as it's the self's emotions being referred to, all I can say is that such emotions are simply defined by whatever the self experiences and to say otherwise would be equivocating what is self-evident. Ascertaining what another person is feeling—that is, if they are feeling at all—is an entirely different question. And it must be acknowledged that there is a problem extant in that, in that these kinds of ontological unknowns raise serious questions regarding morality. How do you know that when someone appears happy, they are really happy? Maybe they're in excruciating pain. For me, the reconciling argument—it's not the most compelling argument, but formidable considering that there's no better one—is that I know there to be the distinct possibility that the human mind can express itself in a certain way as mine does and am at the same time entirely without evidence that it could within the confines of the physical laws behave differently.