Quote:
Originally Posted by SMadsen
In defining the qualities of a ____, what is your reference? Could it be that a ____ has been produced already so that you are able to describe the qualities of a ____ from actual practical experience? Or are you inferring some qualities from a ____ that has never been produced but is perhaps contained in some folklore?
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In all cases, I may have personally seen the thing in question or may have merely read about it in a book (or been told about it). Either way, my path to seeking (further) evidence for it remains the same.
For example, I have never seen a brown recluse spider, but I have read about them and about the distinctive appearance of their bite. But regardless of whether my familiarity with the brown reclusive comes from personal experience or reading books about spiders, when I observe that distinctive bite mark on my arm I will take it as evidence that I have, in the recent past, been near a brown recluse spider.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SMadsen
Would it be correct for me to assume that little green leprechauns chew up electrical cables (thus defining the quality of a leprechaun) and say that if I observe chewed up cables when I look behind my computer (thus defining the evidence to look for) then I have evidence of leprechauns in my home?
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Certainly.
I would suggest that if you continue looking for evidence you will likely find that the concept of a "mouse" fits more of the evidence (and fits it better) than does the concept of your little green leprechauns.
But, none-the-less, if "little green leprechaun" means "a thing that chews on cables" then finding chewed cables is evidence that a "little green leprechaun" has been in the vicinity. It is, IMO, woefully insufficient to conclude that "little green leprechauns" actually were there, but I can't deny that in-and-of-itself it supports that argument (if only just barely).
Quote:
Originally Posted by SMadsen
Would it be correct for me to assume that Mjollnir (that's Thor's Hammer) attracts iron to itself, then state that "If Mjollnir is in this shoe-box, when I place an iron spoon near the box I should observe the spoon moving toward the box"? If I do in fact observe the spoon move toward the box, do I have some evidence that Mjollnir exists in that shoe-box?
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Of course.
Think about it, if the only thing with magnetic properties you had ever heard of was Mjollnir, and you observed the spoon moving toward the shoe-box, you would logically have evidence that shoe-box either contained or
was Mjollnir.
Of course you might have even
stronger evidence against such a hypothesis, but having stronger evidence against something doesn't mean there is no evidence for it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SMadsen
If not then it'll be a darn good idea to start there before going any further. And, as you go along obtaining evidence of the divine Zeus creature, please keep us informed of your progress.
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Perhaps I'm confused, but it looks like you're saying that I must have evidence that the Zeus creature exists before I can go about looking for evidence that it exists.
All I need is the concept of a thing (in this case, I have labeled the concept "Zeus"). It may have come from my own past experiences, from someone else who told me about it or recorded in a book, or in a dream I had. Once I have the concept, I can go about looking for evidence that my concept has a counterpart in reality.