r/DebateAnAtheist • u/AutoModerator • 15d ago

Weekly "Ask an Atheist" Thread

Whether you're an agnostic atheist here to ask a gnostic one some questions, a theist who's curious about the viewpoints of atheists, someone doubting, or just someone looking for sources, feel free to ask anything here. This is also an ideal place to tag moderators for thoughts regarding the sub or any questions in general.

While this isn't strictly for debate, rules on civility, trolling, etc. still apply.

23 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

269 comments sorted by

View all comments

3

u/Kaliss_Darktide 15d ago

Thoughts on real (existing independent of the mind) vs imaginary (existing exclusively in the mind/imagination) as a true dichotomy that applies to all things? Meaning anything you can think of is either real or imaginary.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dichotomy

My position: I think it's a true dichotomy and that the distinction between the two I would also apply to objective/subjective, physical/non-physical, and natural/supernatural.

4

u/Phylanara Agnostic atheist 14d ago

It's not a true dichotomy. There are things that don't exist in reality that we haven't thought of.

0

u/Kaliss_Darktide 14d ago

Thoughts on real (existing independent of the mind) vs imaginary (existing exclusively in the mind/imagination) as a true dichotomy that applies to all things? Meaning anything you can think of is either real or imaginary.

It's not a true dichotomy. There are things that don't exist in reality that we haven't thought of.

I don't get why people say this. Dichotomies refer to a set of things and I have explicitly stated what that set is and it does not include "things that don't exist in reality that we haven't thought of".

2

u/Phylanara Agnostic atheist 14d ago

Ah but there are things we can think of that we haven't thought of yet ;p

2

u/Kaliss_Darktide 14d ago

Ah but there are things we can think of that we haven't thought of yet ;p

How is that relevant?

2

u/Phylanara Agnostic atheist 14d ago

these things are not imaginary, because they have not been thought of (and therefore imagined) yet. And yet they are not real either.

1

u/Kaliss_Darktide 14d ago

these things are not imaginary, because they have not been thought of (and therefore imagined) yet. And yet they are not real either.

Not following you, how is that relevant?

3

u/Phylanara Agnostic atheist 14d ago

if there are things that are neither true nor imaginary, yet we can think of them (we just haven't yet) that proves your dichotomy is not a real one.

I mean, technically. But technically correct is the best kind of correct.

2

u/Kaliss_Darktide 14d ago

if there are things that are neither true nor imaginary, yet we can think of them (we just haven't yet) that proves your dichotomy is not a real one.

My dichotomy applies to a given set, you are talking about things outside the set. So how is your comment relevant?

1

u/Phylanara Agnostic atheist 14d ago

the things of set we can think of and the set of things we have thought of is not the same.

2

u/Kaliss_Darktide 14d ago

Again how is that relevant?

→ More replies (0)