Philosophical Proof

Just how advanced they might be? If in 100 years from now, men invented an effiecient way to travel through space, first thing they would do is explore other planets.

Assume they came across a green piece of space rock, with undeveloped forms of life.
The most advanced form of life on that small planet was a hybreed of a wild pork that tatsted like the best dinner served at that new restaurant overlooking Rockefeller Center.

Now you have to ask yourself.


A. Would all people share all their technological advances with these pigs and treat them equally

or

B. Would they officially label that planet as a farm and export premium porkchops back to earth?

"Don't get on that ship! The book, To Serve Man...It's a COOKBOOK!"
Heh!

Very valid point has been made: How do we know what, if anything, found on Earth might be of value to an ET species?

Our "noise" (Radio/TV broadcasts/etc) may only be a few light-decades out into space, but who's to say that an ET species hasn't already developed a technology that *ignores* such EM transmissions in favor of something more efficient that we haven't discovered yet? Who's to say whether or not their "First Contact" with us might not have been some kind of robotic/mechanical probe of some kind? Perhaps ET has decided that they don't want to become widely known to exist to us because they've seen how we treat our own environment (The *only* environment we can live in, no less!) & don't want the risk of us "contaminating" their environment in the same way? Would we reveal ourselves to another intelligent race without extensive study of them first?

All of the above opinions & questions are still presumed from a *human-level* of behavior & understanding...Who's to say that ET's even have to *think* like us & draw the same conclusions from the same information as we do? You have to admit that our "information" & "conclusions" are pretty sketchy considering that we have so few "facts" to work with...

How can we expect to understand someone else if we cannot develop the ability to question ourselves first? Personally, I try to see things from as many different points of view as possible...I may not *agree* with some points of view, but that doesn't stop me from at least trying to *understand* them.

Originally posted by Mitnik
I tend to favor the opinions of the ancient philosophers when dealing with things that are difficult, if not seemingly impossible, to prove. "Though you cannot prove to me that something does not exist, and I cannot prove that it does, It does not change the fact of whether it exists or not.
Thus, no matter how much evidence someone gives to prove that I exist, Someone on the other side of the planet could still believe that my existance is just a hoax. Even if I do really exist.
Therefore, aliens could still exist, no matter what anyone tries to say or prove wrong. Although, I do find it hard to accept the self centered and egocentrical attitude that we are the only inhabbited planet in this vast universe. And I highly doubt that we would be the most advanced race either.

I don't have an egocentric attitude, I Would love aliens to be real, But I see no evidence, and, unlike you, It is important to me to keep my understanding of reality contingent on reality. The problem with your argument is that it isn't an argument, it's an excuse to keep your beliefs from being susceptible to annoying kill-joys like reality.

Originally posted by Mitnik
I tend to favor the opinions of the ancient philosophers when dealing with things that are difficult, if not seemingly impossible, to prove. "Though you cannot prove to me that something does not exist, and I cannot prove that it does, It does not change the fact of whether it exists or not.
Thus, no matter how much evidence someone gives to prove that I exist, Someone on the other side of the planet could still believe that my existance is just a hoax. Even if I do really exist.
Therefore, aliens could still exist, no matter what anyone tries to say or prove wrong. Although, I do find it hard to accept the self centered and egocentrical attitude that we are the only inhabbited planet in this vast universe. And I highly doubt that we would be the most advanced race either.

I know that in my own case, to maintain a clear and objective mind set concerning the possible existence of a given unknown, (all that Fortean goodness I enjoy considering and speculating about) I have to be able to suspend all belief in either camp and carefully entertain both notions until clear and present evidence is made known for one possibility or the other.

Even in basic philosophy, if you go with the logical reasoning that because a given perspective consideration has not been conclusively shown to be nonexistent or knowingly something altogether different, prior to such a possibility's mainstream acceptance as a real item rather than just a "perspective consideration" or "possibility", you have precluded your experiment by invalidating your own test matter, and most certainly all to follow until you correct the flaw in your logic's due process and your personal subsequent validation (acceptance or dismissal) of these speculative considerations.

It's not a bad thing, not a good thing, right thing, wrong thing, just a built in safe guard that keeps us from "flipping" ideas in check as we examine them. Unknowingly, "idealizing" and short cutting our logical process in these all too frustrating affairs. It's a very tough thing to catch and an even tougher thing to want to routinely catch in my case.;-)

Whereas it has been said, and is ultimately true in these matters, that, "the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" , that statement "in effect" has to apply to BOTH possible camps simultaneously as we do our best to suspend our beliefs in favor of either camp while making our speculative considerations. This, or the experiment (our logic/reason) is flawed and our preferences outweigh the what real results we may have obtained. So this perspective stance is, in and of itself, for all practical purposes, a philosophical thwarting of the typical discouragement associated with the patience weary pursuit of esoteric knowledge, more than it is a formula whereby our subconscious mind can facilitate a convenient "hide out" in the blurry shadows of our fancy's uncertainty while basically proclaiming "anything's possible". A very effective passive defense system.

Originally posted by phunky monkey It's just something that you can't prove or disprove, simple as that.

I would not agree with that statement.

You can't prove that there are no aliens in the universe (Ok in theory you can search over the entire universe and all the dimensions etc. However that is far beyond our possibilites.)

You can however prove that they do exist. For example make them land on our planet and greet everyone. Wouldn't that be enough? Not just record it and post it on youtue though. Go and actualy touch, smell, hear, feel and see them.