{"id":812,"date":"2008-08-01T23:37:00","date_gmt":"2008-08-01T23:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/believingbullshit\/2008\/08\/01\/syes-definition-of-proof\/"},"modified":"2008-08-01T23:37:00","modified_gmt":"2008-08-01T23:37:00","slug":"syes-definition-of-proof","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/believingbullshit\/2008\/08\/01\/syes-definition-of-proof\/","title":{"rendered":"Sye’s definition of “proof”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here’s a small but I think very telling observation worth making at this point. Sye has just defined a “proof” as a valid argument with true premises<\/span>.<\/p>\n

This really does explain a lot.<\/p>\n

For that’s not what a “proof” is, in fact.<\/p>\n

Suppose I am trying to convince you that I have an offspring. You don’t believe me. As a matter of fact I do have an offspring. I now offer you this “proof” of that fact:<\/p>\n

I have a daughter
Therefore, I have an offspring<\/p>\n

This argument is valid. And its premise is true, too. But obviously I would not ordinarily be considered to have “proved” to you that I have an offspring – not in the sense of giving you good grounds to accept that conclusion, or in the sense of demonstrating to you, beyond reasonable doubt, the truth of my conclusion.<\/p>\n

Why not? well, in order to provide a genuine “proof”, I must not help myself to any unargued for and contentious premises, as I do in the above example. That is why it fails as a genuine proof. (In fact, the premise presupposes the truth of the conclusion.)<\/p>\n

Sye’s “proof” similarly contains an unargued for and contentious premise. So it’s not a genuine proof either. Whether or not its a valid argument with true premises.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sye can call it a “proof” if he wants (he can just insist it is a valid argument with true premises). But only by using the word “proof” in his own very peculiar way – a way that prohibits him from then accusing anyone not convinced by his argument of any sort of illogicality or unreasonableness.<\/span><\/p>\n

I think this goes some way to explaining why Sye’s so convinced he has a proof, despite the fact that he very obviously doesn’t. He is confused about what a “proof” is. Is that fair comment, would you say, Sye?<\/p>\n

Sye – is it your view that if we find your argument unconvincing and so reject your conclusion, we are not guilty of any sort of unreasonableness or illogicality<\/span>? Given your definition of “proof”, and given your argument does help itself to an unargued for and contentious premise, it looks like it has to be your view.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here’s a small but I think very telling observation worth making at this point. Sye has just defined a “proof” as a valid argument with true premises. This really does explain a lot. For that’s not what a “proof” is, in fact. Suppose I am trying to convince you that I have an offspring. You […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sinner-ministries-proof-of-the-existence-of-god"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/believingbullshit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/believingbullshit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/believingbullshit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/believingbullshit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/believingbullshit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=812"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/believingbullshit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/812\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/believingbullshit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/believingbullshit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/skepticink.com\/believingbullshit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}