Re:Why Did a Billionaire Give $75M to a Philosophy Department?
by klez on Wednesday January 31, 2018 @12:10PM
(#16275406)
Descartes would like to have a word with you :)
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Re:Why Did a Billionaire Give $75M to a Philosophy Department?
by jandrese on Wednesday January 31, 2018 @01:07PM
(#16275972)
The guy who in the end just said "Fuck it, a Wizard (God) did it."? It's really interesting to see the logical hole he digs for himself in the book but then cops out in the end with a "Well, God is good so he wouldn't let something bad happen to us so we must exist."
Re:Why Did a Billionaire Give $75M to a Philosophy Department?
by vlunkr on Wednesday January 31, 2018 @08:47PM
(#16279159)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademark_argument. You kind of have it backwards, he first concluded that he existed (I think therefore I am). Then because of that (and other arguments), he believed god exists and is good, so he wouldn’t deceive his senses.
Re:Why Did a Billionaire Give $75M to a Philosophy Department?
by sekh60 on Wednesday January 31, 2018 @01:25PM
(#16276158)
He ended with that about non-first-person existants. His argument works for proving oneself exists to oneself.
Re:Why Did a Billionaire Give $75M to a Philosophy Department?
by jandrese on Wednesday January 31, 2018 @02:12PM
(#16276615)
He basically defined existence as thinking, then turned it into a tautology. And then it blew up in his face when he realized that he couldn't prove anything else was thinking. And in fact even if there wasn't some devil tricking him (ala brain in a box hooked to the Matrix), things like rocks and water could never exist.
His entire philosophy was flawed right from the start. But it usually is. That's why so many philosophy texts take the first chapter (or volume) refuting philosophers who came before them.