Posted on 04/06/2005 2:47:51 PM PDT by Callahan
How do you know they aren't... right now? After all, there's no way to prove that what we see and hear, etc. is real. For all a person can know, what we call "reality" may be no more "real" than a dream. Dreams seem "real" to the dreamer. Is it possible to prove one isn't dreaming at any given moment?
Of course it isn't. This is the major logical flaw in scientism and materialism, by the way: materialists believe that only things that can be observed by the senses (and measured, in the case of scientism) are real -- but of course there is no way to know for sure if our observations and measurements truly correspond to a "real" outside Universe at all. The senses can be fooled; we cannot know anything for certain by means of our fallible senses alone.
Yet one can "hear oneself think" even when one is deaf; one can "see with the mind's eye" even if one is blind. From the experiences of persons who have been confined to sensory-deprivation tanks, we know that one cannot see, hear, feel, taste, or touch anything in such a tank -- yet the sensory-deprived person does nt cease to exist. He continues to experience his own existence without using any of his senses. He hears his own thoughts; his mind's eye is as bright as ever -- he is awake, aware, and conscious of his own being. With this in mind, we know that at least one thing exists that cannot be observed: the human mind. Therefore, the only thing that we can know for certain is that which we know a priori, without the use of the senses, by direct experience: our own existence. The eye and ear can be fooled, but not the mind; as long as we can "hear ourselves think, we exist. "I think, therefore I am."
One cannot honestly state that "the universe outside of my own consciousness exists"; the best an honest man can do is to admit that "I believe the Universe outside of my own consciousness exists". This statement of faith has formed the basis of all rational thought in the West from the time of Aristotle until recently. We each accept the existence of reality outside ourselves on the basis of a system of faith. And since we all must adopt some system of faith in order to live, the only question that remains is which system of faith to live by.
This is ultrasound. You will need to wear a cardboard box on top of your tinfoil hat.
OK.. you can go back to the Matrix now.. ;oP~~~
"Death ray, fiddlesticks! It doesn't even slow them up!"
It won't cook your brain like Microwaves, but it will clean the electrodes in your brain.
No, tinfoil would be "stannic," steel foil hats would be "ironic."
OTOH, "tinfoil" is usually made of aluminum, so maybe we should just say it would be "aluminic."
Morpheus?
Is that you?
Should I take the red or green pill?
Next step: Pinging threads directly into the heads of folks on your ping list.
Do you "Brainhoo?"
Oh no.. I'll have to get off mhking's "just damn" list.. I would never get anything done with him pinging constantly LoL.
Welcome to FR.
Neo: Can you fly that helicopter?
Trinity: Not yet!
No kidding. This is quite scary.
In Greg Bear's "Eon", the far-future humans called Ralph Nader "The Good Man." LOL!!! Their whole philosophy was based on his "works". They were called "Naderites" IIRC. Been at least 15 years since I read it.
Sounds like Plato's discussion of reality and the archetype with the shadows on the wall. But in essence you are correct. We take a LOT of information on faith.
Or as Saint Paul said, we see Reality "through a glass, darkly".
Seems like one of those classic Bad Ideas.
If you're taking English, finish the course.
Forgot the smiley face. ;^)
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