[Matchett-PI]

Sorry that I haven't been able to devote the time to respond to your post here IN #482 yet (my work keeps me on the road a lot), but I hope to be able to respond to it either tonight or tomorrow.

In the meantime, I notice that you attempted to answer most of my questions, except for the one I asked you at least twice before. I am sure it was just an oversight but I am most interested in hearing your answer, so will continue to press for your response. Here are the two instances that I know of where I asked you the question:

"..... is the phrase "others beside myself have minds and aren't just preprogrammed robots" .... a postulate, i.e. "axiomatic", and not a scientific proposition that can be submitted to testing?"

Since I can't scientifically prove it, is it RATIONAL for me to believe that others beside myself have minds? Post #399

Since I can't scientifically prove it, is it RATIONAL for me to believe that others beside myself have minds and aren't just pre-programmed robots? Post #437

[StJacques]

"Since I can't scientifically prove it, is it RATIONAL for me to believe that others beside myself have minds?"

It is the premise of your question that is flawed. You can scientifically prove that others besides yourself have minds. Take a very large number of people (sample), test them for rational behavior (observation), and you can conclude through this inductive, i.e. "scientific," method, that others have minds (conclusion).