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> Are you saying we are born with that knowledge? Some of it, yes. Some of it seems to be encoded in our genes. It may also be culturally acquired. Further

> Are you saying we are born with that knowledge? Some of it, yes. Some of it seems to be encoded in our genes. It may also be culturally acquired. Furthermore, there exists a priori knowledge, without which you can throw away most of mathematics. Given a set of mathematical axioms, you can derive truths through deduction and pure reason, independent of experience. > That certainly requires empirical evidence to confirm Most people do not require such confirmations; they go about their lives without it.

cycomanic 5y ago
> > Are you saying we are born with that knowledge? > Some of it, yes. Some of it seems to be encoded in our genes. How do you arrive at that conclusion? > It may also be culturally acquired. Furthermore, there exists a priori knowledge, without which you can throw away most of mathematics. Given a set of mathematical axioms, you can derive truths through deduction and pure reason, independent of experience. Yes and mathematics is not science. You can build all sort of logical constructs that have absolutely no relation to the real world. > > That certainly requires empirical evidence to confirm > Most people do not require such confirmations; they go about their lives without it. I thought we talk about acquiring knowledge? Sure lots of people do not question anything they do, but I don't think we should use that as a standard.
- robonerd 5y ago
  > > Some of it, yes. Some of it seems to be encoded in our genes. > How do you arrive at that conclusion? Instinctual behaviors are simple to empirically observe. It's easy to demonstrate an instinctual fear of snakes in people or animals that never saw a real snake before and have no empirical knowledge of snakes. This shows there is knowledge about the danger of snakes encoded in the genes of vertebrates. That we can study these instincts through empirical means does not mean the individual's instincts are empirically informed. The individual gets this knowledge not through observations of the world, so that well-founded fear of snakes isn't empirical knowledge.

cycomanic 5y ago

> > Are you saying we are born with that knowledge? > Some of it, yes. Some of it seems to be encoded in our genes. How do you arrive at that conclusion? > It may also be culturally acquired. Furthermore, there exists a priori knowledge, without which you can throw away most of mathematics. Given a set of mathematical axioms, you can derive truths through deduction and pure reason, independent of experience. Yes and mathematics is not science. You can build all sort of logical constructs that have absolutely no relation to the real world. > > That certainly requires empirical evidence to confirm > Most people do not require such confirmations; they go about their lives without it. I thought we talk about acquiring knowledge? Sure lots of people do not question anything they do, but I don't think we should use that as a standard.

robonerd 5y ago
> > Some of it, yes. Some of it seems to be encoded in our genes. > How do you arrive at that conclusion? Instinctual behaviors are simple to empirically observe. It's easy to demonstrate an instinctual fear of snakes in people or animals that never saw a real snake before and have no empirical knowledge of snakes. This shows there is knowledge about the danger of snakes encoded in the genes of vertebrates. That we can study these instincts through empirical means does not mean the individual's instincts are empirically informed. The individual gets this knowledge not through observations of the world, so that well-founded fear of snakes isn't empirical knowledge.