Guiding Principles

My world view is based on a number of guiding principles. I will provide some arguments as to why I chose those principles, but I will not provide proof. Each is a theory that I'll assume to be true until it can be falsified, meaning that it can be logically contradicted by an empirical test. When any of my principles is falsified, I'll have to revise my views!

The principles are ordered and there is some logic to that ordering, though it is certainly not meant that the principles are logically dependent or dependent in that order. I can also introduce new principles or remove those that turn out not to be fundamental or false, it is certainly not meant to be set in stone.

Long story short: if you agree with my guiding principles, you may agree with my world view and take away some useful ideas. If you don't, I'd be surprised if you would. They are meant to determine whether we have enough in common in our thinking to help each other move forward.

That said, here's the current list:

1. Humans as a group have the capacity to understand how the world works, using their intellect and senses, and tools to enhance both.
2. The individual human intellect and senses are error-prone. True knowledge must be interpersonal.
3. The way the world works can be understood by referring to this world alone, without appealing to any transcendental reality.
4. Humans are social beings that cannot exist in isolation.