A Conversation for Ask h2g2

Is 'reason' powerful enough to understand everything?

Post 21

Great Western Lettuce (no.51) Just cut down the fags instead

Maybe I'm missing the boat with the bidding here - but....

Is it not possible to reason using science, or more specifically scientific knowledge? For example (if I knew much about physics this would be easier to describe, so you'll have to bear with me), the electrical current in my fridge is fitted in a circuit with a lightbulb. When the fridge door is open this electrical current is allowed to pass along through the circuit to the lightbulb. When the fridge door is shut, the circuit is broken thus preventing the electrical current from reaching the lightbulb.

Therefore the light will not be on when the fridge door is shut. This conclusion being achieved via scientific reasoning, the dwarf doesn't even have to bother putting on his crash helmet.


Is 'reason' powerful enough to understand everything?

Post 22

Xanatic

Yeah, but this seems to be about pure reason.


Is 'reason' powerful enough to understand everything?

Post 23

Great Western Lettuce (no.51) Just cut down the fags instead

OK fairy nuff...
Is it possible to say though that 'pure reason' is where you can reason only using things that are empirically observable? Or is it reasoning using only things that are identifiable by their context (is this what Wittgenstein was attempting to say?)

Or maybe I just need a better definition of 'pure reason'. I saw you brought it up previously in the thread, but I still don't quite get it smiley - headhurts


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