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8-Bit Philosophy
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thewake
Unconstructive
Posts: 5,917
Joined: Jun 2007
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Given 296 thank(s) in 201 post(s)
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05-26-2014 04:59 PM |
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Ky
Shadow
Posts: 5,201
Joined: Aug 2012
Thanks: 1794
Given 1469 thank(s) in 972 post(s)
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8-Bit Philosophy
It took me just over ten minutes to process these four episodes that were worth several weeks' worth of study in my Philosophy & Ethics class.
I'm particularly fond of the content in the first episode. Nice find.
Public Service Announcement: First world problems are still problems.
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05-27-2014 12:45 AM |
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TheCancer
Fanatic
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Given 568 thank(s) in 340 post(s)
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RE: 8-Bit Philosophy
I still think Descartes "I think, therefore I am" is a (and the only) capital T Truth.
If you want to be a different fish, you've got to jump out of the school.
Captain Beefheart
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05-27-2014 01:59 AM |
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Ky
Shadow
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Joined: Aug 2012
Thanks: 1794
Given 1469 thank(s) in 972 post(s)
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8-Bit Philosophy
That's assuming existence is entirely objective - if it is, then it cannot be called into question: the one existing must exist if it is able to ponder its existence. Therein lies the problem, though; if it isn't...
Public Service Announcement: First world problems are still problems.
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05-27-2014 02:17 AM |
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TheCancer
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RE: 8-Bit Philosophy
We may not exist in this form but you but you can't have a thought without existing in some form. You could a be a millionth of a computer pixel or a fleeting microsecond from a cat's dream. Everything else may be an illusion but the ability to consider that can't be. Something can't come from nothing.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Universe_from_Nothing
I haven't read this yet. And ultimaty whether it's the universe or God or God's creator or so on either something existed forever or something appeared from nothing so... Hmmm...
If you want to be a different fish, you've got to jump out of the school.
Captain Beefheart
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05-27-2014 03:17 AM |
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Ky
Shadow
Posts: 5,201
Joined: Aug 2012
Thanks: 1794
Given 1469 thank(s) in 972 post(s)
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8-Bit Philosophy
How do you know something can't come from nothing? Surely it cannot be a capital T Truth.
Public Service Announcement: First world problems are still problems.
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05-27-2014 03:33 AM |
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TheCancer
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RE: 8-Bit Philosophy
Yeah
The 2nd half of that post was meant to be an acknowledgment of the fact that I don't know. For I long time I thought Descartes really nailed it but it's been a long time since I've thought about it and now I'm suddenly reconsidering. One thing is for sure, a seemingly impossible paradox is afoot. Our minds can't handle the truth.
If you want to be a different fish, you've got to jump out of the school.
Captain Beefheart
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05-27-2014 03:57 AM |
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Ky
Shadow
Posts: 5,201
Joined: Aug 2012
Thanks: 1794
Given 1469 thank(s) in 972 post(s)
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8-Bit Philosophy
Our minds cannot comprehend a rational explanation of the truth, in any case. Indeed, there are alternatives to logic and science - as pointed out in the Nietzsche video, they do a good job of explaining how something is, but simply cannot answer why.
Public Service Announcement: First world problems are still problems.
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05-27-2014 04:02 AM |
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TheCancer
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Given 568 thank(s) in 340 post(s)
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RE: 8-Bit Philosophy
Have you read The Tao of Physics?
If you want to be a different fish, you've got to jump out of the school.
Captain Beefheart
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05-27-2014 04:10 AM |
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thewake
Unconstructive
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8-Bit Philosophy
I don't think Descartes's idea is without merit. I think it goes a long way towards demonstrating, a priori, the self-evident fact that we exist. Even the evil wizard thought experiment presupposes the existence of your mind (in some form) to put false notions into it.
But why do we exist? Well, that's a different question.
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05-27-2014 04:20 AM |
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Ky
Shadow
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Thanks: 1794
Given 1469 thank(s) in 972 post(s)
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8-Bit Philosophy
Philosophy is a lot greater than the musings of any one philosopher. Descartes' idea does have merit; not the iconic quote "I think therefore I am", but the existential question that stems from that: How do we know that to be really true? Could reality, or even our own existence, be a dream of some kind?
Public Service Announcement: First world problems are still problems.
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05-27-2014 06:06 AM |
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brainiac3397
Machiavellian Amoeba
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8-Bit Philosophy
Cogito ergo sum
/thread
I don't bother really thinking about my own existence. Logically and practically thinking, there is absolutely no benefit to be gained from figuring out whether you exist physically or whether we're in the matrix. I have more pressing questions to answer ya know...
Plus regardless of whether we exist or not, if I stab myself, it's gonna hurt. Chocolate cake tastes damn good and sex will feel good(unless you try it with a tree or something).
Personality DNA Report
(06-14-2013 08:02 AM)Potato Wrote: watch the fuq out, we've got an "intellectual" over here.
Brainiac3397's Mental Health Status Log Wrote:
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05-27-2014 07:07 AM |
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Ky
Shadow
Posts: 5,201
Joined: Aug 2012
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Given 1469 thank(s) in 972 post(s)
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RE: 8-Bit Philosophy
(05-27-2014 07:07 AM)brainiac3397 Wrote: Cogito ergo sum
Cannot be proven. Pay attention to what we've been saying.
Public Service Announcement: First world problems are still problems.
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05-27-2014 07:57 AM |
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brainiac3397
Machiavellian Amoeba
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Given 1983 thank(s) in 1428 post(s)
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8-Bit Philosophy
If it can't be proven why are we spending so much time on it?
Personality DNA Report
(06-14-2013 08:02 AM)Potato Wrote: watch the fuq out, we've got an "intellectual" over here.
Brainiac3397's Mental Health Status Log Wrote:
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05-27-2014 09:26 AM |
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thewake
Unconstructive
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8-Bit Philosophy
For something to think, it must first exist to think. We have to, in some form, exist. Even if we're just a magic trick of an evil wizard. It makes no logical sense to say thinking can happen without a thinker. So, we exist. I think that pretty much proves it.
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05-27-2014 01:34 PM |
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Chanku
Fanatic
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8-Bit Philosophy
Yeah in order for the evil magician(as the video put it) to be able to control something it must exist in some way, shape, or form. And it must exist somewhere. Because if the thing doesn't exist then it can't be controlled due to the fact that there would be nothing to control.
Pretty Much my only signature...I'm mainly a lurker....you can find me on the IRC (or on DnE and their IRC).
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05-27-2014 05:19 PM |
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Ky
Shadow
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Given 1469 thank(s) in 972 post(s)
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8-Bit Philosophy
That would be assuming that existence is entirely objective; in being so, it would be binary (you either exist or you don't), and it would be immutable (if you exist, you exist, no question about it).
What if existence were a subjective experience? What if there were multiple levels of existence (for instance, non-existence, plain existence, and self-aware existence), and it were possible to both exist and not exist (for instance, as in a dream or an illusion)? For something to think (or pretend to think), it would have to at least have the illusion of existence. But what if it doesn't exist to the degree it "thinks" it does? What if this thing is a person telling you not to wake up from your dream, lest it die forever?
Okay, brain hurts. Maybe we should stop talking about this.
Public Service Announcement: First world problems are still problems.
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05-28-2014 03:10 AM |
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thewake
Unconstructive
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8-Bit Philosophy
Even if you exist as an illusion or a dream, you exist in some form that has its own awareness. So yes, it is possibly we don't exist to the "degree" we think we exist, but I don't think there's any way to argue we don't exist. Or, that I don't exist. The rest of you could be illusions. But even if you're an illusion, you still exist as an illusion, maybe even some sort of aware illusion that is under the illusion it exists as a flesh-and-blood being,
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05-28-2014 03:56 AM |
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Ky
Shadow
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8-Bit Philosophy
Perhaps. So perhaps it's not the statement "I think, therefore I am", but the question "I think, therefore I am what, exactly?"
Public Service Announcement: First world problems are still problems.
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05-28-2014 03:57 AM |
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thewake
Unconstructive
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8-Bit Philosophy
DoA is Descartes II.
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05-28-2014 03:58 AM |
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Chanku
Fanatic
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8-Bit Philosophy
Technically speaking, the phrase, "I think therefor I am" is correct, however how we exist exactly is unknown, along with what we are.
Pretty Much my only signature...I'm mainly a lurker....you can find me on the IRC (or on DnE and their IRC).
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05-28-2014 04:46 AM |
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