A Philosopher Every Programmer Should Know: Susanne K. Langer

Re:A Philosopher Every Programmer Should Know: Susanne K. La... by ubernostrum on Wednesday July 06, 2011 @03:32AM (#2732888)

A wise man (my advisor when I was doing my philosophy degree) once said something to the effect of:

There are two great mistakes you can make in philosophy. One is deciding there is no ultimate answer. The other is deciding you've found it.

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Re:A Philosopher Every Programmer Should Know: Susanne K. La... by araneae on Wednesday July 06, 2011 @09:10AM (#2733696)

That's rather trite, especially considering it follows that standard wise-mystic pattern of "two statements which contradict each other." Someone wrote a comic about it but unfortunately I can't find it.

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Re:A Philosopher Every Programmer Should Know: Susanne K. La... by rektide on Wednesday July 06, 2011 @10:55AM (#2734154)

There's nothing inherently contradictory about an unknowable truth. Disagree: it's merely trite, not incorrect, and in spite of being trite it still brings a grin to my lips.

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Re:A Philosopher Every Programmer Should Know: Susanne K. La... by Symmetry on Wednesday July 06, 2011 @10:15AM (#2733981)

Is it a mistake to say "There may be an ultimate answer, but we have no means of reaching it"?

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Re:A Philosopher Every Programmer Should Know: Susanne K. La... by kruhft on Wednesday July 06, 2011 @11:40AM (#2734373)

I think that would be Absurdism, but instead of reaching it, we can't understand it.

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