Can I infer from the fact I am thinking that I have existed for a finite period of time (as opposed to simply "I exist"), irrespective of how short that period of time might be?

Great site. How does our approach to knowledge about the past differ from our approach to knowledge about the future?

It would seem to me that I don't have to have ever witnessed a particular phenomena to be able to recognize evidence of it. For example, if I were to see a set of footprints in the sand, and on every left footstep there's a small hole, I might explain this finding by hypothesizing a person walking across the beach with a nail stuck in their shoe. Of course I understand that it could be explained in an other way, but if that was actually what had happened and I'd never before seen a person walking with a nail in their shoe then I'd have recognized evidence of something that I'd never seen before. But I have experienced footprints and nails before so perhaps I'm mistaken. My question then is, Is it possible to recognize evidence of something I've absolutely no experience whatsoever of? And what are the implications to the idea of sense data being evidence of the external world (if our only evidence of the external world is our sense data, how can we hypothesize an external world to explain such data when...

To understand something you need to rely on your own experience and culture. Does this mean that it is impossible to have an objective knowledge?

Is it possible to have an opinion on something and not have a bias in any way? Take the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for example. If I were to research both sides extensively, learning every single fact I could from every single possible source, then find that one side was clearly in the wrong most of the time. Could I say "Israel is in the wrong more than the Palestinians" without having a Palestinian bias? And furthermore, what does the word "bias" entail? What is its meaning?

My dog sometimes acts in an aggressive way because he feels he has to protect my family like we're his pack. I find it interesting that although he lives in an environment very different from what would be natural, he still feels the need to do this because of his instinct. He feels that the world is in his control and is oblivious to politics and other issues that affect the whole world. How do we know that we are any different to my dog? We assume that he knows very little about the world, but he probably thinks the same about us and so how can we know that the world isn't actually being run by him? Or if not by him how do we know that everything we think we control and understand isn't actually in the control of ants, or plants, or stars? Millie =]

First, thanks for this great website. I was talking to a friend about Descartes and Cogito and it revived my curiosity in the subject. Most of us would agree that there is an objective world out there. Is there a way to prove it? How can I prove to my self that I am not the only thing that exists? I thought perhaps because there is an order in the things around me, in which I have no will. I can not change the laws that the things around me obey, wether they are objective or part of my imagination. Does this force me to admit then that the things I perceive are objective? I could definitely use some help. I would like to read more in the subject as well so if somebody could give me ideas and refer me to some books, it would be great. Thanks in advance. Alejandro

How do we know we are not a computer program? In other words, some kind of video game? I know of the the brain in a vat argument but why suppose we have a brain at all? What if our "mind" is a computer only running a "human program" or some such thing? What if all sensation is just data in a computer and all "WE" are is just data in a computer? Any problems with this argument?

If I say my hand is a parrot, is there anyway for you to prove me wrong with 100% objective data?

Can the "real world" provide evidence that mathematical knowledge is legitimate? I think its many peoples' intuition that the successful application of math to science and engineering (e.g., that we can use math to build bridges) shows that math is true.