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If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one to hear it, it does not make a sound. This makes sense because sound is a perception. Without a perceiver, the falling tree just creates sound waves that are never perceived as sound. But, Schrödinger's cat applies to a living thing whose existence is not dependent on any outside observation. Why is it that the the cat cannot be said to be alive or dead until an observation is made? Seems that the status of the cat is simply unknown until an obervation is made. Please explain.
Joseph G. Moore
November 15, 2005
(changed November 15, 2005)
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When the proverbial tree falls in the forest, it vibrates creating sound waves that will, under normal conditions, cause a sound-experience as of a crashing tree in the mind of any normal hearer who is within range. There are plenty of vibrations and sound waves, and conditionas are ide... Read more
Hi. As an undergrad I became deeply interested in philosophy two years ago, and am currently on track to graduate next semester. I've enjoyed relative academic success in my studies but am usually unable to translate this into any sort of "philosophical" confidence. My question I suppose is this, did any of you experience extreme dread before considering grad school and lack of confidence as well? I feel that in ways philosophy has opened up so much for me, and that I can either continue to pursue it academically or live out a "philosophical" existence of experience. This is all very vague but I'm looking forward to hearing advice from a diversity of people in the field. Thank you for your time...Jake Claro
Alexander George
November 15, 2005
(changed November 15, 2005)
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Dear Jake,
People differ, of course. Some are sort of cocky and look graduate school in the face without blinking. Others — and I've known many, many such — are very nervous at the prospect, convinced that they just don't know enough to go to graduate school, aren't well prepared en... Read more
Who said "The married philosopher belongs to comedy"? (I think it was a 19th century German philosopher but I'm not sure.) Thanks.
Alexander George
November 15, 2005
(changed November 15, 2005)
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In On the Genealogy of Morals, Friedrich Nietzsche says that "A married philosopher belongs to comedy" (with the exception of "the mischievous Socrates").
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A fish may approach the surface but may never "know" what it is like to live in air. Is there any discussion relating to the limitations of our own knowledge with respect to knowing a "larger" reality or a more "complete" reality. I ask this with particular reference to the search for understanding as it relates to a deity.
Alexander George
November 15, 2005
(changed November 15, 2005)
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There is a grand history of such discussions. One wonderful place to start is with David Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, a modernized version of which you can find on the Web here.
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This question obviously has a large psychological component, but I think there is a philosophical aspect as well: I have a four year old that is vaguely aware of a death that recently occurred. I do not want him to be afraid that his family will suddenly and permanently vanish, but, as previously discussed on this board, it seems neither moral nor prudent to lie to him. Is there any theory of what happens when someone dies that is at least somewhat plausibly correct but that will not terrify the little guy?
Joseph G. Moore
November 15, 2005
(changed November 15, 2005)
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You're right, I think, that this is largely a psychological matter. So I respond here mostly as a fellow parent struggling with precisely this issue. Yesterday, Annabel, the pet goldfish of our our almost four-year old daughter, Lane, died suddenly while Lane was watching. Lane knew imm... Read more
Is there a moral difference between killing a newly born baby and having an abortion? To be consistent, do we have to say either abortion/infanticide is morally wrong OR that abortion/killing a newborn can be morally permitted if the circumstances are right?
Andrew N. Carpenter
December 9, 2005
(changed December 9, 2005)
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The view that Matthew articulates--that the moment of birth is not morally significant in a way affects deeply the moral status of the newborn infant--is a popular one, but it has been challenged by some. For example, the feminist philosopher Mary Anne Warren argues that birth is mora... Read more
One of the guiding principles of experimental science is the assumption that it's (and I'm stating it bluntly) preferable to have less "explanation" to more "problem". This seems to imply that science prefers its description of the universe to be simple, which makes economic sense. But isn't a general description that "the universe is infinitely complex" simpler than a general description that "the universe is simple", since infinity is simpler to define than any specific "finity" (of which there may be infinitely many)? This would seem to be rather self-defeating.
Peter Lipton
November 15, 2005
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Scientists do seem to have a strong preference for simple theories, though the relevant concepts of simplicity are not at all easy to analyze. It is also very difficult fully to justify a simplicity preference, since scientists seem to prefer simpler hypotheses because they think them mor... Read more
All spoken and written languages - current or extinct - have things they express poorly or can't express at all. Art can be used to fill in the gaps of the inexpressible. How many languages would a person need to know to express everything, and by being able to express everything, would they be more capable or less capable of art?
Richard Heck
November 16, 2005
(changed November 16, 2005)
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These new coffee beans I just got make very nice coffee. I could try to describe the difference in the taste, but I'm not much of a coffee expert. I'm sure there are people who could do a better job than I could, but, frankly, I don't find the descriptions I read on the bins all that helpf... Read more
In art or design, why do certain combinations of color, shape, contrast, font, etc., strike more visual impact and/or seem more appealing than others? There are certain standbys or principles of design that seem to be successful (e.g., appropriate white space, complementary colors, etc.), yet it also seems entirely subjective as to what we find beautiful in artistic realms. Is there any generalizability to the quality of visual appeal?
Aaron Meskin
November 16, 2005
(changed November 16, 2005)
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I want to emphasize that the question of the subjectivity of beautyis distinct from the question of whether there are rules or principlesabout beauty. Many aestheticians are particularists. They believe thatthere are no general rules or principles governing what makes thingsbeautiful, and... Read more
Is it possible to determine whether the laws of Physics as they are currently perceived will last indefinitely? Is there anything to prevent the nature of the universe changing so much tomorrow that reality as we know it breaks down?
Andrew N. Carpenter
December 10, 2005
(changed December 10, 2005)
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Kant thought he had a strong answer to Hume, but this answer requires embracing a strange metaphysical doctrine of transcendental idealism that few have found palatable. Kant' s best discussions of this occurs in his Critique of Pure Reason.
Suppose, however, that we reject "strange... Read more