Scientific method demands objectivity to find truth; empiricism calls upon experience and observation.

Is it logical to love your neighbor? Was Jesus observing the benefits of behaviors he observed, or experienced? And if so, was Jesus using good logic in His teachings?

we'd need to know exactly what jesus' words were in order to say if he was using logic.

Can we paraphrse or recite the Gospels?

Can we make a statement that we think represents His teachings and analyze it?

we can

You cannot draw that clear a line between empirical and scientific methods. Science and logic rely on assumptions that are presented as truth because someone experienced them as truth.

Truth is subjective.
Truth is subjective.
Say it with me now.
Postmodernism is so last decade. Get with it.

Value is subjective, yet we can agree to some extent that value is rankable, and therefore some measurement system can be objectively devised to decern some level of truth ie. happiness on a scale of 1 to 10.

We can theorize a relationship between some value and a lifestyle that returns higher scores of happiness. Am I totally crazed here, or is it impossible to set a scale for such a subjective emotion as 'happiness' ?

happiness may be subjective but it can be measured objectively - i agree with you there.

most of the post-modernist criticism is based around objectively measuring subjective things - level of happiness seems to be the prevalent measure. if we don't think in this manner we end up everything being as valid as everything else.

truth is subjective when objectively viewed logic is a tool used to keep us subdued
and happiness a distraction used to keepus from truth

Some good points so far.

Happiness appears to be relative. Is truth relative from your subjective view?

Is happiness and quality reasonable to compare using a subjective ranking or scale?

How? By calcultating the minutes in a day that people smile? That's crazy talk.

Did you maybe mis-speak? Cause that first part makes no sense, but I agree with you that everything is not as valid as everything else. That said, I think that value and truth can only be objective from the standpoint of the subject; that is, I have to believe in and operate as though I believe in certain things. And to me they are true. To you, the opposite might be true.

what the fuck does subjective mean anyway.

subjective is subjective

Yeah. Insightful.

What is the purpose of measuring happiness anyway?

oh wait i'll answer this one..

because happiness is subjective?

is happiness the bottom line?
truly
i think its obsolete and selfish considering the world as is

Awesome!
Now that's lawyer-logic, my friend. You could have a big career ahead of you.

you're an idiot.

exactly.

no, it's not impossible to set a scale for a subjective emotion such as happiness. for yourself.

there is no such thing as a happiness "ruler" or "scale" that you can buy at fucking wal-mart for $18.87 to let you know how fucking happy you are today.

you decide how happy you are using whatever "ruler" or "scale" you set for yourself.

And suppose you could measure it... to what end?
Is there a purpose to quantifying anything that is subjective?

This thread is absurd. The premise of it seems to be that experience and logic are incompatible.

It's like paladin learned some new words and strung them together to sound smart.

hahahaha... yeah.

you'll find that the very first sentence in this thread appears in his "spirtual marriage" thread.

but anyway...

to what end?

i don't fucking know, that's up to paladin to decide.

for each one of us to decide.

i think that there is a point in quantifying something subjective.

it's how we go about making decisions a lot of times, isn't it?

we'll often choose that which we think will make us most happy, don't we?

Yes of course. I was unclear. I meant in the scientific sense. Like, I am happy to the amount of 10.

Almost all concepts (especially those which have been reduced to binaries) exist on a continuum, and trying to identify an exact point of the continuum seems futile and without merit. But if someone can think of an example, I'd be interested to hear it.

It's like Kinsey. I'm gay to the amount of 4. Big who cares.

nah, i can't think of an example.

you can't apply science and logic to emotion.

i mean, quantifying that which is subjective goes along the lines of "this makes me happier"; "that makes me less happy", ya know?

whatcha gonna do, paladin, draw up a "happiness chart"?

consult it when it comes time to make a decision?

check it to find out how happy you are?