Objective Metaphysics

reply to post by HarryTZ


Thanks. But I wasn't asking about society. Personally, I don't believe in society. This is addressed specifically in the world view of Objectivism. I was asking you; what makes "good" good and "bad" bad? How do you rectify it with your epistemology? Actually, what are your metaphysical claims and the subsequent epistemology? I've laid mine out, what's yours?

Originally posted by Philodemus
reply to post by HarryTZ

 

Thanks. But I wasn't asking about society. Personally, I don't believe in society. This is addressed specifically in the world view of Objectivism. I was asking you; what makes "good" good and "bad" bad? How do you rectify it with your epistemology? Actually, what are your metaphysical claims and the subsequent epistemology? I've laid mine out, what's yours?

Good and bad are just concepts we use to label the corresponding chemical reactions in our brains.

reply to post by HarryTZ


Thanks for contributing to the conversation.

reply to post by Philodemus


no problem

reply to post by Philodemus

Originally posted by Philodemus

Originally posted by PhotonEffect
1) Nothing is a concept. So is existence. In fact, it is the broadest of concepts.

Yes, we can agree that the state of nothingness is a concept. No one has ever experienced nothing in its most literal sense. However, I might argue that existence goes beyond being just a concept since we are experiencing existence through our physical and mental being.

Originally posted by PhotonEffect
2) How would we know the difference between being in a conscious state or an unconscious one? Could we be conscious of being unconscious? Is this the feeling of nothing? How would we know and what is the act of knowing?

Consciousness is action. You have observed my point precisley.

I think consciousness is a state, but I don't understand the essence of it. We are conscious of being conscious (metacognition) and some may argue that we can in fact still experience consciousness while in a state of unconsciousness. I'm intrigued by folks who while in a state of cardiac arrest- i.e no heart, lung, or brain function- have experienced full awareness and consciousness and were able to recount their experience after being brought back to life. Similar experiences have been had by people who had been in coma for extended periods of time. This could seem to indicate a possibility of consciousness from without the body, but we haven't the full understanding of how this happens.

3) A = A only in a static universe. Never in ours.

So, a thing is not a thing itself and no other thing? If you are not you, then what are you?

Nothing is ever what it was just a second ago. So by that account I'd say A will never equal A from the moment before. But I saw what you wrote on page 1 and I can agree with that notion as well.

Cool thread

reply to post by Philodemus


We will someday come to find that only social animals reach our point in evolution. Therefore the real important thing to consider is that empathy and compassion may be evolutionarily inseparable from sentient species.

Morality is about human wellbeing, because our evolutionary progress demands it.

reply to post by Philodemus

I don't think anything equals anything else. You use of A=A is simple enough, but really the two are not equal because the number of atoms in the one A on the left do not equal the number of atoms in the right A. Or any two real things.

I say real because the As are literal. In math they exist maybe but in the real world they don't. Neither does a point, line, plane or cube.

At some point we are "fudging". Its what you settle for. Thats why they called them "settlers".

Originally posted by Kashai
reply to post by HarryTZ

 

Given infinity exist and in relation to math it should be subject to the idea it can be multiplied and divided.

And it is.

Infinity is endlessness and it cannot be measured. Science cheats and goes to great lengths to change it, to something finitely huge to take measurements, but you must understand its not true. It's an artificial cheat and yet no matter what way they measure or divide or attempt to place the dot, the same infinite endlessness goes in all directions from that point and all other conceivable points, and all unconceived points.