quote:

Originally posted by jennypie Atheists aren't going to like this.

Why specifically atheists? What if someone was pretending to be religious to his friends but was actually an atheist?

Lira to be honest those questions are kind of silly.

To paraphrase:
"If you see someone doing one thing but they actually like doing the opposite then is your perception correct?"

That question sounds kinda silly but with a lot of extra words it could seem less silly. Obviously the truth is that the person likes doing what they like. We can always be tricked to perceive the opposite. Are you trying to make a statement about something?

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It all depends. Do Richard and Kurt wear sneakers with suits?

I think behaving as if you like or understand something is different from your personal perception of whether you like or understand it.

For all you know, the two people are zombies who have been programmed with only the instructions needed to display a certain behavioral response for the exact situations that you have observed them in, and nothing more. Would you then say that one 'understands' German and the other 'likes' Pepsi? I would say no, simply because of the lack of any internal perception of whether one likes or understands. Then again, you could argue that the the very instructions that determine the behavior amount to understanding or liking, but then you're up against Searle's Chinese room argument. Just my thoughts...

Eh ofcourse behaviour doesn't always follow beliefs/attitudes. In a classical social psychology study conducted in the 50s (or 60s) in the USA, a psychologist called various motel owners and asked them (through telephone) if they would accept a chinese couple. For some reason, prejudice was high in the states for chinese people during that period and as a result, around 70-80% answered "no". When the same researcher had actually send a chinese couple to visit the same motels, most of these motel owners have accepted them.



But maybe i don't get what you say lol.

Last edited by PETRAN on Feb-20-2009 at 23:43

quote:

Originally posted by coroknight Why specifically atheists? What if someone was pretending to be religious to his friends but was actually an atheist? Lira to be honest those questions are kind of silly. To paraphrase: "If you see someone doing one thing but they actually like doing the opposite then is your perception correct?" That question sounds kinda silly but with a lot of extra words it could seem less silly. Obviously the truth is that the person likes doing what they like. We can always be tricked to perceive the opposite. Are you trying to make a statement about something?

Thats what i understood, but maybe he is trying to tell that observations-no matter what or how many-are not capable of unveiling/justifying the truth?

quote:

Originally posted by PETRAN When the same researcher had actually send a chinese couple to visit the same motels, most of these motel owners have accepted them.

Prejudice has a hard time standing up when cold hard cash beckons in the other direction.

quote:

Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles Prejudice has a hard time standing up when cold hard cash beckons in the other direction.

exactly!



Which poses the question of how much of our behaviour is accounted by our attitudes/beliefs and how much by the given context and instances.


Ofcourse both contribute and interact in complex ways. Its just that those interactions are very complex lol

I. Yes
II. No

quote:

Originally posted by PETRAN Thats what i understood, but maybe he is trying to tell that observations-no matter what or how many-are not capable of unveiling/justifying the truth?

That's more like it, as Jive kind of pointed out. But, rather then point out and say "Look, this is not enough to justify the belief", I was wondering whether anyone would feel this limitation.

I just came back from an awesome night, and can't really say anything meaningful right now (nor I think I'd wish to ). But, my real question is - what if, in those cases, you were the one whose behaviour was being interpreted? How autonomous are you to give meaning to your own behaviour and attitudes? If you claim to like/want/do something, how much authority can others have to tell you otherwise (like in Richard's case).

That's an interesting reference to Searle's work, Tachobg... I'm going to get some rest and I will think about it in the morning.

By the way, Coroknight, I don't expect these questions not to be silly (it's a curiosity, really). And, no, Renzo, they're not Brazilian

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