Unfortunately, in this case I would agree with the original poster.
Your hyperbole doesn't quite work because we are dealing with human experience here. Poverty is not just a lack of money, it is most of all a very powerful internal human experience. There is no words to describe it. Kind of like there is not words to describe effectively what falling in love or dealing with a loved one's death is. Understanding that is not just a matter of reading an equation, you have to experience it yourself in order to more effectively talk about or try to fix it.
Does that stifle debate? Perhaps. I think the original poster was highlighting that it is important to keep in mind the personal experience before engaging in theoretical discussions about the subject.
> So why do we accept such a statement when it is made about nothing but a different sort of human experience?
The answer is in your question -- because _it is_ a human experience.
It seems to boil down to "how important is human experience?" Well, that's a topic for a new thread or a new philosophical debate...
Why do you believe human experience is not amenable to reason and analysis by other humans, but quantum physics is? Shouldn't it be easier to reason about the familiar than the unfamiliar?
In any case, I could make the same argument about different types of human experience, and you'd still reject it. Do you believe that only devout muslims can rationally opine on honor killings, or that only racists can discuss racism?
It is amenable to reason but only up to a limit. Certainly someone who had the experienced would be more qualified to reason about it.
I would say that is even true for racism and honor killings. Someone who grew up in a muslem country or in the deep south in US will definetly understand better the underlying causes for rampant racism or why honor killings happen.
As for quantum physics, I would take someone's word if I believed they could experience it. I don't think any one can, so that's why anyone that can do the maths is just as good.
Your hyperbole doesn't quite work because we are dealing with human experience here. Poverty is not just a lack of money, it is most of all a very powerful internal human experience. There is no words to describe it. Kind of like there is not words to describe effectively what falling in love or dealing with a loved one's death is. Understanding that is not just a matter of reading an equation, you have to experience it yourself in order to more effectively talk about or try to fix it.
Does that stifle debate? Perhaps. I think the original poster was highlighting that it is important to keep in mind the personal experience before engaging in theoretical discussions about the subject.
> So why do we accept such a statement when it is made about nothing but a different sort of human experience?
The answer is in your question -- because _it is_ a human experience.
It seems to boil down to "how important is human experience?" Well, that's a topic for a new thread or a new philosophical debate...