Is there tension between truth and math?
I think there is. Not that there should be, but some people think truth is what they believe, regardless of the math.
Truth = Math?
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Is there tension between truth and math?
I think there is. Not that there should be, but some people think truth is what they believe, regardless of the math.
by
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15 responses to “Truth = Math?”
In the middle ages you could be put on trial for witchcraft based on what you did in somebody else’s dreams. And I’ve personally witnessed some poor schmuck being dragged through the mud over what somebody else misheard, the “offending” statement never existed. I don’t know why society has become so niggardly wrt objectivity and truth.
“Truth” defined how? In congruence with objective reality, hopefully. Although that ceases to be the case when phrases like “my truth” come into play. To be clear, there is 1 (one) reality, and our senses report more of less accurately on it. Any other beliefs are mysticism trending towards insanity.
Math has the advantage (most math most people are ever likely to see, anyway) has exact, right and wrong answers. No wiggle room for emotions and subjectivity. It’s hard work, and it’s unforgiving. Mysticism can feel like a difficult intellectual achievement, something like Kabbalah can be really hard to master, but ultimately it means nothing, and the results are subjective, you can give yourself the warm feeling of accomplishment for mastering complete claptrap. So much more convenient.
Trooth is beauty. pshaaaaw. Real truth can be brutally ugly.
Math is hard.
–Barbie
.
Popper knows best…
“Calculus is fun” – me
For math to “work”, truth must exist and be knowable. Without “Truth” there is no foundation for math. Truth does not require belief, and therefore math, which relies on some knowable truth does not require belief. On a further note, scientific method also require truth.
“Truth” = a statement in demonstrable alignment with reality.
(LOL – “What is truth?” I feel like a kid again.)
Math works, it has no wiggle room. If it doesn’t work, you did it wrong. 2+2=4 – it does not equal 5 or -3 or infinity or whatever you FEEL it should equal. It equals 4.
SJWs and their feelings should be subjected to remedial math. (And science, if it ever straightens out its act.)
@MM
Calculus *is* fun. I’ve forgotten most of what I learned – only used a fraction of it after, but I loved it. (And could probably relearn it pretty quickly if I ever did need it.)
liberal 2+2=4 tea baggers 2+2= what ever I want it to be!
yeah, sure, pal.
Even more insightful commentary. From someone indistinguishable from a retarded bot.
Hey, zonetard…
I’ll play along and pretend you’re an actual human. So, how many years of math did you take? Can you count above 20 without taking your pants off?
Thing about calc and precalc is most people only need a small fraction of the total, but you can’t tell in advance which parts are going to be important to know.
@MM – quite true – and I enjoyed learning it – it stretched my mind, which I like.
And, who knows – I may someday need some of the more advanced parts.
And solid geometry. Which fails at the atomic level.
Straight lines are imaginary things. And that was true before Einstein.