What is Atheism?

[surreptitious75]

I cannot demonstrate a referent of the metaphysical because all my knowledge and experience of reality is physical
But since I cannot prove the negative with regard to it either then I have no choice but to let it be as that is all one can do
I am merely using the definition of metaphysical that theists use so if that definition is lacking the onus is them to change it not me
One can only go upon definitions that are actually provided as anything else would be a strawman and so therefore a logical fallacy
However I think all of observable reality is physical by default but I cannot demonstrate that either so also do not make the truth claim
Here physical is defined as simply that which exists and so includes the mental which is usually regarded as being in a different category
Which is false because the mental is a sub set of the physical as opposed to being entirely separate from it [ which would make it non physical ]
This is one of the problems with putting things into boxes and why one should never confuse the map with the terrain as a consequence of this
For reality is not a nice neat row of boxes rather existence in a constant state of motion ever since time and space and energy and matter came into being
Sometimes categorisation is unavoidable [ indeed most times it is ] but approximation of reality and reality are still not the same however and never will be
Although it is equally important to remember that reality is not just something that is OUT THERE but is also something that is IN HERE [ taps head ]
So subjective interpretation of reality is therefore also a part of reality too [ even when paradoxically such interpretation is also demonstrably false ]

 

[Deleted member 619]

The map is not, as you say, the terrain (seems to me I heard that somewhere). It's important to remember that the boxes are the map, and the terrain is rarely discrete.

 

[*SD*]

The map is not, as you say, the terrain (seems to me I heard that somewhere).

It's often referred to as mistaking the map for the place - if that helps

 

[Sparhafoc]

This is one of the problems with putting things into boxes and why one should never confuse the map with the terrain

For reality is not a nice neat row of boxes rather existence in a constant state of motion ever since time and space and energy and matter came into being

I've actually been thinking about this recently with respect to skepticism of evolution by Creationists and how they continually expect to be given examples of discontinuities, of discrete, separated, isolable quantities which actually represents a fundamental misunderstanding of evolution as a process, and of nature in general.

We isolate for ease of understanding - spherical cows in a vacuum - but the borders and boundaries are artifacts of our own thoughts, not facets of observed nature.