the tree in the forest

Discussion in 'General Philosophy' started by camilus, Aug 19, 2007.

  1. one_raven God is a Chinese Whisper Valued Senior Member

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    As this is a philosophical question, this has nothing to do at all with pressure waves, or whether or not they hit your ear.
    It is not a scientific question, thus these notions are meaningless in this context.

    My answer: Butterfly effect. Whether or not you (or any person) is present to witness an event, it still did happen, as the future is irrevocably changed by the event, and the effects run far and wide and fanning out exponentially, affecting everything behind it.
    Yes. It most certainly makes a sound.
    One tree falling changes the world.
     
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  3. ibm.eub Registered Member

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    Thats a hard one........wait...............give me some more time!!!
     
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  5. Grantywanty Registered Senior Member

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    Any words you describe that event are misleading however. To say it made a sound is misleading. The words were made to describe situations where subject and object are present. They lose meaning when referring to a situation where there was no experiencer. To paraphrase Wittgenstein: we oughtta be silent about it.
     
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  7. Read-Only Valued Senior Member

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    So. If there's no one present to hear the eruption of a volcano (or the blast like resulted from the meteror/comet in the Ukrane) then the pressure wave created has NO effect. Right? After all, it was just sound and no one heard it. :bugeye:
     
  8. Pete It's not rocket surgery Registered Senior Member

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    Semantics, shemantics.

    Arguing over what the word "sound" means is pretty pointless.

    How about "noise", "flash", and "light"?
    If lightning strikes and no one is there to hear it or see it...
    Does it make a flash?
    Does it make light?
    Does it make noise?

    Now there's a useful discussion.

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  9. leopold Valued Senior Member

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    well, here's my 2 cents worth:
    no, the tree doesn't make a sound but it does produce the sound waves.
    how's that?
     
  10. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    That is your OPINION not everyones.
     
  11. one_raven God is a Chinese Whisper Valued Senior Member

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    I would think that was quite obvious (if you notice, I did not claim otherwise) and being that this is a discussion forum, I decided to join in the discussion and share my opinion.
    That is what a discussion IS - the sharing and conversing about differing opinions.
    Do you have a problem with me taking part in this discussion?
     
  12. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    Not at all but you seem to think that your view is a view that is widely held. I do believe that many other views are just as good as yours and just wanted to mention it.
     
  13. one_raven God is a Chinese Whisper Valued Senior Member

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    I do think it is widely held - in fact I am quite sure of it - that does not mean that other opinions are not valid, or even that I am "right" if there even can be a "right" in a philosophical discussion.
     
  14. GhostofMaxwell. Banned Banned

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    It doesnt matter the dick will still argue the toss for the sake of it. Even the ones that can differentiate with summation.
     
  15. leopold Valued Senior Member

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    yeah, that avatar of yours is vile, disgusting, evil, unpaid for, nasty, ugly, fat, and looks hideous.
     
  16. one_raven God is a Chinese Whisper Valued Senior Member

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    "Unpaid for"?
    What do you mean by that?

    Charles Manson may have been vile, disgusting, evil, nasty, ugly and hideous looking, but he wasn't fat.
     
  17. leopold Valued Senior Member

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    huh? did i say something?

    charles manson !? who's that?
    well it doesn't matter.
    that avatar looks like a clown throwup.
    it smells like unwashed 10 day old underwear.
    gag, puke, snort.
     
  18. one_raven God is a Chinese Whisper Valued Senior Member

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    Well, thanks for your valuable input into this discussion.
     
  19. leopold Valued Senior Member

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    why thank you kind sir!
    may your avatar eat shit and die.

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  20. Ripley Valued Senior Member

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    Actually, Raven is right, Cosmos. A few years ago I became "emotionally" attached to a lone tree standing high in a field overlooking the airfield here, where I live. I'm not sure how it happened, perhaps it was when I climbed her many years earlier, and experienced again the thrill of youth. But a few years ago, after I had moved here and began visiting the airfield again, she had lost the branch that had once enabled me to reach up and pull myself over. But I use to visit her anyway, or acknowledge her presence whenever I passed by in the vicinity. She was beautiful, and I always felt an exuberance or peaceful reassurance whenever I saw her.

    Then one day, a bulldozer uprooted her, making way for a parking lot. I never saw her fall. My world changed. Forever.
     
  21. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    Reminds me of the short story called "The Giving Tree" ever read it?
     
  22. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

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    If a leaf falls in the forest, does it make a sound?
     
  23. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    I catch it before it hits and use it as toilet paper!

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