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What cannot be known cannot matter.

OK Hank, how can one determine what cannot be known? Seems to me we've done pretty well expanding the sphere of the known in the face of the naysayers over recent centuries. As to philosophy, there is no basis for the statement. What cannot be known may matter greatly, as a function of course of what "to matter" means (no, I am not a Bill Clinton wannabe -- where are the lawyers when we need them?).

What cannot be known cannot matter.

OK Hank, how can one determine what cannot be known? Seems to me we've done pretty well expanding the sphere of the known in the face of the naysayers over recent centuries. As to philosophy, there is no basis for the statement. What cannot be known may matter greatly, as a function of course of what "to matter" means (no, I am not a Bill Clinton wannabe -- where are the lawyers when we need them?).

You have restored my faith in philosophers. The "principle" is sort of a trap for those who want to make some unknowable the ultimate "principle" or something. Like those who make God the ultimate reason for everything, but then declare "He cannot be known." It is neither in opposition to God, or any other principle, only the idea that "what cannot be known," can be part of any answer.

You are absolutely right, it has nothing to do with philosophy, at least any correct philosophy, and you are also correct, that men have leaned much, and will continue to do so.

I wasn't trying to trick you, by the way, simply interested in your response, which pleased me much.

Thanks! Hank

As a follow-up, and something you might be interested in, there are things we cannot know, and they can be identified.

For example, we cannot know the future, at least not until it has arrived.

We cannot know what another's conscious experience is like. Even if you describe yours to me, I must interpret it in terms of my own conscious experience, which might be the same as yours or not, but there is no way to know.

I would even adventure to say, there are probably more things we cannot know than there are that we can, simply because we are finite, and there infinite things to know. (This, of course, is very abstract, because it does not specify any particular class of things we cannot know.)

Maybe you can come up with some other things we cannot know. I think it would be an iteresting experiment, and possibly even useful, eliminating from the field of enquirey those things that cannot be known so we can concentrate on those that can be known.

Hank