Perception, Perspective, and the Reality of Appearances

Professor Bas van Fraassen argues science doesn't deliver literal truth about reality, meaning unobservable physics is merely a model. He also contends the self isn't a thing and that logic permits free will, ultimately sharing how he maintains faith in God without relying on metaphysics. As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe

TIMESTAMPS: - 00:00 - Reality vs. Appearance - 08:40 - Scientific Realism vs. Anti-Realism - 16:30 - The "No Miracles" Argument - 22:26 - Common Sense Realism - 27:54 - Trusting Instruments vs. Theories - 34:22 - Kierkegaard's Call to Decision - 41:50 - Determinism is a Model - 48:50 - Sartre on Free Will - 56:47 - Causation Doesn't Exist in Physics - 01:05:47 - Language of Human Action - 01:15:54 - Tarski's Limitative Theorems - 01:23:50 - "I Am Not a Thing" - 01:34:20 - Rejecting Analytic Metaphysics - 01:40:17 - Does God Exist? - 01:50:50 - Disagreement on Monty Hall - 01:56:15 - Conversion to Catholicism LINKS MENTIONED: - The Scientific Image [Book]: https://amzn.to/499SA72 - Bas's Blog: https://basvanfraassensblog.home.blog/about-me-2/ - The Empirical Stance [Book]: https://amzn.to/3MWbKEK - Bas's Published Papers: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=EBj6wCAAAAAJ&hl=en - Bas's Published Books: https://amzn.to/3L0njdw - Reality Is Not What It Seems [Book]: https://amzn.to/3YseMDe - Matthew Segall [TOE]: https://youtu.be/DeTm4fSXpbM - The "No Miracles" Argument: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/scientific-realism/#MiraArgu - Bas On Closer To Truth: https://youtu.be/nQnQ9ndlYi4 - The Most Terrifying Philosopher I've Encountered [TOE]: https://youtu.be/BWYxRM__TBU - Curt Reads Plato's Cave [TOE]: https://youtu.be/PurNlwnxwfY - Avshalom Elitzur [TOE]: https://youtu.be/pWRAaimQT1E - Formal Philosophy [Paper]: https://archive.org/details/formalphilosophy00mont/page/n5/mode/2up - Robert Sapolsky [TOE]: https://youtu.be/z0IqA1hYKY8 - Time And Chance [Book]: https://amzn.to/4qb6tru - Aaron Schurger [TOE]: https://youtu.be/yDDgDSmfS6Q - Nancy Cartwright's Published Work: https://www.profnancycartwright.com/publications/books/ - Tim Maudlin [TOE]: https://youtu.be/fU1bs5o3nss - Elan Barenholtz & Will Hahn [TOE]: https://youtu.be/Ca_RbPXraDE - On The Electrodynamics Of Moving Bodies [Paper]: https://sites.pitt.edu/~jdnorton/teaching/Einstein_graduate/pdfs/Einstein_STR_1905_English.pdf - The 'Twin Earth' Thought Experiment: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hilary-Putnam#ref1204773 - Yang-Hui He [TOE]: https://youtu.be/spIquD_mBFk - The Nonexistent Knight [Book]: https://amzn.to/3XWxfrs - Wolfgang Smith [TOE]: https://youtu.be/vp18_L_y_30 - Neil deGrasse Tyson Doesn't Understand What "Belief" Means [Article]: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/p/i-dont-use-the-word-belief-and-scientific - The Monty Hall Problem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Hall_problem - Daniel Dennett [TOE]: https://youtu.be/bH553zzjQlI - Michael Dummett: https://iep.utm.edu/michael-dummett/ - How To Define Theoretical Terms [Paper]: https://www.princeton.edu/~hhalvors/teaching/phi520_f2012/lewis-theoretical-terms.pdf - The Model-Theoretic Argument: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/realism-sem-challenge/model-theory-completeness.html - Remembering Hilary Putnam [Article]: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/remembering-hilary-putnam-harvard-philosopher-and-religious-jew - Hilary Lawson: https://www.hilarylawson.com/biography/ - Language Isn't Just Low Resolution Communication: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/p/language-isnt-just-low-resolution

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