Thinking Game: Who Has the Better Thoughts?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the criteria that determine the value or superiority of one person's thoughts over another's. It explores concepts of intelligence, evidence, and the nature of thought itself, with references to notable figures and their perspectives.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the meaning of "above" and "puts," suggesting that clarity in terminology is essential for the discussion.
  • Another participant cites Stephen Hawking and Richard Dawkins to argue that evidence is fundamental to assessing thoughts, emphasizing an evidentialist perspective.
  • A different participant challenges the notion of superiority by referencing Leonid Yarosh, a football trainer who created complex chess puzzles, suggesting that valuable thoughts can come from unexpected sources.
  • There is a repeated emphasis on the need for thoughts to be tested beyond reasonable doubt, indicating a preference for rigor in evaluating ideas.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on what constitutes the value of thoughts, with no consensus on the criteria for superiority or the definitions of key terms.

Contextual Notes

The discussion lacks clarity on the definitions of "above" and "puts," which may affect the interpretation of the central question. Additionally, the reliance on evidence as a criterion for thought evaluation is not universally accepted among participants.

wolram
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What is it that puts one persons thoughts above another's? please do not quote some thoughts from people that have not been tested beyond reasonable doubt.
 
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"Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change" - Stephen Hawking

"Science frees us from superstition and dogma and allows us to base our knowledge on evidence […] Reason and the respect for evidence are the source of our progress, our safeguard against fundamentalists and those who profit for obscuring the truth. We live in dangerous times when superstition is on the rise and rational science is under attack." - Richard Dawkins

So the answer to your question is, from a foundational evidentialist perspective, well, evidence.
 
What do you mean by "above"? While we're at it, what do you mean by "puts"?
 
wolram said:
What is it that puts one persons thoughts above another's? please do not quote some thoughts from people that have not been tested beyond reasonable doubt.

Not sure what you mean by that second one. Cannot a football trainer have brilliant thoughts? Leonid Yarosh for instance. He made several absolutely most incredible chess puzzles, known as the "Babson task".

Details: http://www.xs4all.nl/~timkr/chess/babs.html

That's beyond a normal mortal ever could think of.
 
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