What is real, and what can be known of that reality?

Discussion in 'General Philosophy' started by wesmorris, Jul 10, 2008.

  1. Dinosaur Rational Skeptic Valued Senior Member

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    Reality is that which does not go away when you stop believing in it.
     
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  3. Simon Anders Valued Senior Member

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    Is that a testable hypothesis?
     
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  5. lixluke Refined Reinvention Valued Senior Member

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    The point being made here is that:
    1. Anything one is 100% certain about is their belief.
    2. If a person is not 100% certain about something, it is not their belief.
    3. Whatever a person belives is either correct or incorrect.
     
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  7. Mr. Hamtastic whackawhackado! Registered Senior Member

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    So there is no verifiable reality, just belief?
     
  8. lixluke Refined Reinvention Valued Senior Member

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    Nothing I have stated has even come close to imply that there is no verifiable reality.
     
  9. Simon Anders Valued Senior Member

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    Can you give me an example of some things you believe in?
     
  10. Dinosaur Rational Skeptic Valued Senior Member

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    Simon Anders: If you stop believing in gravity, try jumping off the roof of a 30 story building. I believe that gravity is real. do you?

    Perhaps jumping from a second story window to a concrete sidewalk might be enough to convince you. While you are having your broken bones set, you will realize that gravity is real.
     
  11. lixluke Refined Reinvention Valued Senior Member

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    Logic is an assumption based on faith. It is the basis of human understanding.
    Logic is the only way to have productive discussion on any topic.
    Truth is absolute.
    As stated, everything is either true or false. Never neither. Never both.

    There are 2 different contexts in which a human states they know something.
    1. When a human claims to know something, and is correct. Actual knowledge.
    2. When a human claims to know something, and is incorrect. Not actual knowledge.
     
  12. swarm Registered Senior Member

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    Every thing is either true or false, or it's not.
     
  13. Enmos Valued Senior Member

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    You mean everything is true, false or neither ?
     
  14. sigurdV Registered Senior Member

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    Truth is a property of statements and existence is a property of names and descriptions.
    Think of the winged snake named "Slime" ...no such thing exists right? So its not the non existing thing that has or has not the property. Its the name and the description that has the property of referring either to something or nothing!
    Again: what is claimed when we say that electrons exists is that there are objects the description "Electron" refers to.
     
  15. shichimenshyo Caught in the machine Registered Senior Member

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    Everything is true, false, and neither.
     
  16. Merlijn curious cat Registered Senior Member

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    It is very nice to see that all are realists. I am too, but not because I know the world to exist - it is out of convenience.
    Here are a few thoughts about the question "what is real and what can be known about reality?"

    Jumping off roofs will not proof anything about gravity outside the axiomatic system of the realist.

    Russell and Whitehead proved that 1 + 1 = 2, but they had to add "when aritmatical addition has been defined" (Principia Mathematica).

    In short, I believe that when we want to say something meaningful about the question posed, we should first investigate our axioms and our definitions.
     
  17. river

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    what is real is when you turn off all your senses , and try to still exist but knowing that at that moment you won't within yourself because you can't find a way to survive

    and nothing can be known of this reality , other then passing ( death )
     

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