Scientism is simply not a coherent position. You cannot avoid having distinctively philosophical and extra-scientific theoretical commitments, because the very attempt to do so entails having distinctively philosophical and extra-scientific theoretical commitments. And if you think that these commitments arerationally justifiable ones – and of course, anyone beholden to scientism thinks his view is paradigmatically rational – then you are implicitly admitting that there can be such a thing as a rationally justifiable thesis which is not a scientific thesis. Which is, of course, what scientism denies. Thus scientism is unavoidably self-defeating.
Of course, this has been done many times before, and usually beating a dead horse is an exercise in futility. But the problem with this particular dead horse is that the Coyne’s of the world keep trying to prop it up and pretend to ride it. “Ignore that ripe smell; this pony can win the Derby.” So until Coyne and his fellow travelers have the decency to allow this expired equine to be buried and forgotten, it will be necessary to continue beating it.
So until Coyne and his fellow travelers have the decency to allow this expired equine to be buried and forgotten, it will be necessary to continue beating it.
The only possibilities I can see are that Coyne and friends do not have the decency – that is, they are just lying and deliberately ignoring the argument that destroys their position. They’re blatantly dishonest, manipulating propagandists.
Or, they may possibly be so ignorant that they really cannot understand the argument, no matter how many times their position has been beaten to death.
Maybe there’s another option. I don’t know. I’ve never seen an a-mat respond to the argument. They always just become quiet, go away or change the topic.
But one thing is certain to me – they never have even a halfway reasonable counter-argument.
You have to understand that they’re blinded by their religious fervor which ironically they do not recognize.
It’s not pining, it’s passed on!