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Sun 6 Dec, 2015 07:53 pm
Does "Nothing could change about this world" mean "Anything (that involves this world) could not be changed"?
In addition, does "that" refer to the sentence - "Nothing could change about this world"?
Context:
This is the very same faith that will not stoop to reason when it
has no good reasons to believe. If a little supportive evidence
emerges, however, the faithful prove as attentive to data as the
damned. This demonstrates that faith is nothing more than a will-
ingness to await the evidence-be it the Day of Judgment or some
other downpour of corroboration. It is the search for knowledge on
the installment plan: believe now, live an untestable hypothesis until
your dying day, and you will discover that you were right.
But in any other sphere of life, a belief is a check that everyone
insists upon cashing this side of the grave: the engineer says the
bridge will hold; the doctor says the infection is resistant to peni-
cillin!athee people have defeasible reasons for their claims about
the way the world is. The mullah, the priest, and the rabbi do not.
Nothing could change about this world, or about the world of their
experience, that would demonstrate the falsity of many of their core
beliefs. This proves that these beliefs are not born of any examina-
tion of the world, or of the world of their experience. (They are, in
Karl Popper's sense, "unfalsifiable.") It appears that even the Holo-
caust did not lead most Jews to doubt the existence of an omnipotent
and benevolent God. If having half of your people systematically
delivered to the furnace does not count as evidence against the
notion that an all-powerful God is looking out for your interests, it
seems reasonable to assume that nothing could. How does the mul-
lah know that the Koran is the verbatim word of God? The only
answer to be given in any language that does not make a mockery
of the word "know" is - he doesn't.
-The End of Faith
@oristarA,
Quote:Nothing could change about this world, or about the world of their
experience, that would demonstrate the falsity of many of their core
beliefs.
That's the sentence you are examining.
Nothing could change about this world that would demonstrate the falsity of many of their core beliefs.
In other words, they will hold to their core beliefs no matter what evidence to the contrary is presented to them.
@McTag,
McTag wrote:
Quote:Nothing could change about this world, or about the world of their
experience, that would demonstrate the falsity of many of their core
beliefs.
That's the sentence you are examining.
Nothing could change about this world that would demonstrate the falsity of many of their core beliefs.
In other words, they will hold to their core beliefs no matter what evidence to the contrary is presented to them.
Thank you McTag.
Now I got the meaning. But the grammatical structure seems still confusing to me:
(1) According to the structure, what would demonstrate the falsity of the core believes is "this world." And so "nothing could change about this world" appears mysterious to me. We know only science can best demonstrate the falsity of anything. Thus, "nothing could change about this world" would have meant "nothing could change about science."
Well, I'd better not speak (2) and (3), because (1) has already been a mess.
@oristarA,
I don't think the language/ style used in the exerpt is very clear. It's difficult to read, and rather obscure.
I'm not surprised it causes you problems.
Note, that the author offers an alternative to "this world", namely, "the world of
their experience". Looking at it from that point of view might make it easier for you.
@McTag,
McTag wrote:
I don't think the language/ style used in the exerpt is very clear. It's difficult to read, and rather obscure.
I'm not surprised it causes you problems.
Note, that the author offers an alternative to "this world", namely, "the world of their experience". Looking at it from that point of view might make it easier for you.
If so, why not remove "about"? It would become clearer:
Nothing could change this world, or the world of their experience.
@oristarA,
Whatever works for you. I think it's more meaningful with "about" in.
@McTag,
McTag wrote:
Whatever works for you. I think it's more meaningful with "about" in.
Well, what definition would you give to the word about?
How about the definition as follow that I give?
about
adv.
Of, relating to or concerning.
@oristarA,
It's not about the meaning of "about". Your dictionary definition is faultless, by the way .
@oristarA,
Your original quotation:
Quote:Nothing could change about this world, or about the world of their
experience, that would demonstrate the falsity of many of their core
beliefs.
"Nothing could change about this world" and
"Nothing could change this world" are quite different in meaning.
The first is very like "Nothing could change in this world"
@McTag,
McTag wrote:
Your original quotation:
Quote:Nothing could change about this world, or about the world of their
experience, that would demonstrate the falsity of many of their core
beliefs.
"Nothing could change about this world" and
"Nothing could change this world" are quite different in meaning.
The first is very like "Nothing could change in this world"
Cool. It is clearer now.
Does "that" refer to "this world" in "
that would demonstrate the falsity of many of their core beliefs"?
Because anything is changing. You remain unchanged, which proves your falsity?
@oristarA,
Quote:Does "that" refer to "this world" in " that would demonstrate the falsity of many of their core beliefs"?
It refers to "nothing"- no single thing or fact- which (if it became apparent) would demonstrate the falsity of their beliefs.
@McTag,
I got a clearer picture for the meaning.
But why not use two nothings there? The use of "that" seems misleading to me:
Nothing could change about this world, or about the world of their
experience;
nothing would demonstrate the falsity of many of their core
beliefs.
@oristarA,
Quote:Nothing could change about this world, or about the world of their
experience; nothing would demonstrate the falsity of many of their core
beliefs.
You have got the meaning right, but the sentence hangs together in one piece (contrary to what you have written here)
Nothing could change about this world which would demonstrate the falsity of many of their core beliefs.
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