Do you believe in God?

Manjit’s description included a ‘fucking’ somewhere, possibly before the word ‘mysterious’.

Reminds me of a Monty Python record which enumerated all the bad language on the record in a warning at the start, then added, reassuringly "and as they only occur in this opening introduction, you're past them now".

Reminds me of a Monty Python record which enumerated all the bad language on the record in a warning at the start, then added, reassuringly "and as they only occur in this opening introduction, you're past them now".

I removed the word when I put the description in my book, as it contains no swearing, unlike my first one. I’m now not so sure I made the right decision. 

[Laird]

Logically speaking authority cannot exist since you always have the option of just not obeying and doing your own thing.

Isn't this a little like saying "Logically speaking, arithmetic cannot exist, since you always have the option of not obeying its definitions and defining instead that 1+1=3"? I mean, it just seems like a very black-and-white sort of way to look at things. Aren't there domains where authority is natural if not inevitable? For example, if somebody breaks the rules you've set in your home, don't you have the natural authority, as the owner of the home, to say, "Alright, that's enough. Please leave", and expect to be obeyed? Or, if you're working for somebody, and they say, "We do things this way at my company", isn't it natural and reasonable for him/her to expect to be obeyed?

Isn't this a little like saying "Logically speaking, arithmetic cannot exist, since you always have the option of not obeying its definitions and defining instead that 1+1=3"? I mean, it just seems like a very black-and-white sort of way to look at things. Aren't there domains where authority is natural if not inevitable? For example, if somebody breaks the rules you've set in your home, don't you have the natural authority, as the owner of the home, to say, "Alright, that's enough. Please leave", and expect to be obeyed? Or, if you're working for somebody, and they say, "We do things this way at my company", isn't it natural and reasonable for him/her to expect to be obeyed?

Not really since math is objective whereas authority is a subjective claim made by people. For example, sure you could tell someone to leave, but what if they say no? Now what? Now you have to make them leave. and that requires you to have both the power and will to do so. Without them it simply doesn't matter how you think or feel. If there was any logical reality to authority there would never have been such a thing as  aggressive warfare in history. Of note, power is more or less a function of applied math when you think about it.

[Laird]

Not really since math is objective

Here perhaps is a better analogy then: language. Are you justified in saying: "Logically, speaking, the English language cannot exist because you always have the option of choosing your own meanings for its words"?

In other words, I don't think that just because you can choose to deny the authoritative meaning of a word, it follows that the word has no authoritative meaning, just as it doesn't follow that just because you can choose in general to deny authority, authority does not exist at all.

If there was any logical reality to authority there would never have been such a thing as  aggressive warfare in history.

You're attacking a straw man. Nobody that I know of claims that (legitimate) authority entails that those subject to it do comply, just that they ought to comply.

But "What grounds authority?" is an interesting question, or would be, if we could get past the question of its existence in the first place!

This sounds a bit like “if there was a god, bad things wouldn’t  happen” idea unless I’ve misunderstood?

[Laird]

I guess it's a little like that. I'm reading it as: "if there was a God, S/He would by definition be the ultimate authority, but since authority doesn't exist, nor is it possible that God exists".

This sounds a bit like “if there was a god, bad things wouldn’t  happen” idea unless I’ve misunderstood?

Who’s post are you talking about, Obiwan?

Who’s post are you talking about, Obiwan?

Sorry Stan I meant Mediochre’s take on it.

As an aside, @Laird, I can’t see how anyone can say there is definitely is no “authority”. Even if there was no evidence. I guess it’s about how such authority is exercised. I suspect we have a very narrow view of things down here on Earth 😀

This sounds a bit like “if there was a god, bad things wouldn’t  happen” idea unless I’ve misunderstood?

That would depend on how you define "God" but yeah it does bring up the problem of evil.