The "Scientific Law of Reciprocity"??????

Last edited Tue Oct 16, 2012, 10:57 AM USA/ET - Edit history (1)

So in this post on the "Religion" board

http://www.democraticunderground.com/121851070

"SarahM32" is telling us all about Karma. I of course challenged the notion that Karma exists and that we have made the notion up, like "justice", because it doesn't exist outside of human endeavors. Sarah of course will now not answer my (and others who disagree with her) posts.... big surprise!

Anyway, she says Karma is scientific because of the "scientific law of reciprocity". Is there such a thing? I did a Google search and got this:

http://www.abundance-and-happiness.com/law-of-reciprocity.html

Obviously this new age feel good site is a hoot!... but not scientific.

I am assuming there is no such thing as a "Scientific Law of Reciprocity".
Am I correct?

(Sarah also sites the laws of action and reaction, and cause and effect to support her view of god and karma. Alas, I only pointed out they have to do with matter and energy after she took her toys and stomped off in a righteous huff)

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4 replies	Author	Time	Post
The "Scientific Law of Reciprocity"?????? (Original post)	AlbertCat	Oct 2012	OP
Newton's 3rd I guess	dmallind	Oct 2012	#1
There is a tendency amongst social animals	intaglio	Oct 2012	#2
The last I heard that was called the Golden Rule.	rrneck	Oct 2012	#3
LOL, the law of reciprocity relates to photography.	Curmudgeoness	Oct 2012	#4

Response to AlbertCat (Original post)

Tue Oct 16, 2012, 11:51 AM

dmallind (10,437 posts)

1. Newton's 3rd I guess

Bugger all to do with human intercourse except on the most ephemeral of metaphorical levels. If I'm nice to you, you are indeed probably slightly more likely to be nice to me, unless you are:

in a bad mood
suspicious of my being nice
a total dick
oblivious to my niceness
disagree that what I am doing is nice in the first place
incentivized more significantly by reasons not to be nice in return
painfully shy
incorrect in your assumption of what I would consider as being nice in return
.......................................... ad infinitum

So yep - every bit as mathematically quantifiable, verifiable and predictive as Newton's 3rd. In the eyes of the religious....oh sorry "spiritual", that is.

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Response to AlbertCat (Original post)

Tue Oct 16, 2012, 12:51 PM

intaglio (4,636 posts)

2. There is a tendency amongst social animals

to act in a manner that reciprocates good for good and bad for bad.

Law - nah

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Response to AlbertCat (Original post)

Tue Oct 16, 2012, 05:41 PM

rrneck (13,756 posts)

3. The last I heard that was called the Golden Rule.

And karma just means my descendents will help your descendents if you help me, and if you fuck with me, my friends will kick your ass.

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Response to AlbertCat (Original post)

Tue Oct 16, 2012, 07:15 PM

Curmudgeoness (10,489 posts)

4. LOL, the law of reciprocity relates to photography.

Reciprocity law
States that exposure = intensity x time, where intensity is equal to the amount of light and time is equal to the time that amount of light is allowed to act upon the photographic emulsion.

So, yes, there really is a law of reciprocity. And, no, there are not reputable scientists who would say it relates to karma.

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