Are we dreaming or are we awake?
Hello my cupcakes! In Philosophy class, I was learning about René Descartes. He was the father of modern Western Philosophy. He inquired whether do we exist or not? How do we know if we are dreaming or not? That got me pondering. He said that our own senses may be deceiving us or that some sort of a genius is deceiving us from the real world. I really like the Wax Example. If we imagine a wax, we presume it to be solid and yellow. But if it is placed next to a fire, its shape transforms and the smell is noted. That tells us that the senses did not tell us that the wax is capable of many changes. Back to the question: are we dreaming? How do I know that I may not be sitting here typing this paper and that I am actually sleeping somewhere else? Well, I think in a dream, we feel like we are moving in a dream-like state where everything seems so far yet so close. It is sort of like a out of body experience where you know that you are in a dream because you see yourself walking or seeing people that you would not normally interact with in a dream. There are symbols in our dreams, but that is a whole different subject. The main takeaway is how do we know that this world is not an illusion? That enquiry leads to the one million dollar question: Why are we here? Is there other worlds with copies of myself? Why are we dreaming? Descartes said that God would never allow us to be fooled. It is the evil genius's scheme to fool us from the real truth. Moving on, David Hume, an empiricist studied the cognitive mind (our desires, thoughts) and said that we should just forget about the evil genius because he cannot prove that. Instead, we should realize that everything we learn comes from sensory experience and a priori. The things we experience mean that there is an external world. So wait. Is he arguing that our senses lead us to an assertion that the external world does indeed exist? What about the heavens; the afterlife? David Hume is interested in wanting to know how can we go beyond our sensory knowledge. Where do our knowledge come from? Yes we do gain knowledge from repetitive observation, but why do we think? Why do we have desires? How can we be assured that matter of fact can occur an infinite times without fail? For instance, the sun will rise tomorrow. We can check if there will be a solar eclipse or the sun will become a supergiant. At least knowing that anything can happen will break our reliance on the assurance of cause and effect. Still, I find it interesting to find out how can we go beyond our senses to find knowledge? Why do we think these things? Is it better to follow our conscious or our heart? Let me know your comments!
Citation:
Cahn M. Steven. Exploring Philosophy. An Introductory Anthology. 5th ed., Oxford University Press, 2015.
Citation:
Cahn M. Steven. Exploring Philosophy. An Introductory Anthology. 5th ed., Oxford University Press, 2015.
Physics and metaphysics are strictly different subjects yet they dichotomize in very partial ways. This means that you MUST be able to discern between probabilistic and deterministic natures and the objective and subjective realities. Descartes had few interesting points about finite and infinite substances but this dualistic approach cannot be interchangeable with scientific notions. Questions such as "why are we here, why do we have desires, are there other worlds with copies of myself?" are metaphysical but can be explained in the realm of physics. For example, quantum mechanics as a theory is deterministic. In reality however, we need a probabilistic framework to make SENSE of experimental results under Born's rule. You can read up on the 'Many-worlds interpretation,' but need to realize the importance in creating a distinction between what is purely philosophical and scientific.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, philosophy makes me think too much and makes me depressed...and I would follow my heart! :)