The Philosophy Thread

[Schism]

Ah! the uncommitted critic

Fluffy cats might be evil, but we're...too lazy...t-*falls asleep on windowsill*

 

[Username: required]

“The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are out there.”
― Don't remember

“Talk of mysteries! — Think of our life in nature, — daily to be shown matter, to come in contact with it, — rocks, trees, wind on our cheeks! The solid earth! The actual world! The common sense! Contact! Contact! Who are we? Where are we?"
― Don't remember

“You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche

A few more thoughts.

 

[Louanne Learning]

“The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are out there.”
― Don't remember

This makes me remember a quote from Eddie van Halen. He was talking about all the technology that was starting to be used in making music. But he was about the pure sound, the man and his guitar. "If it sounds good," he said, "it is good."

So, we can sort of approach reality in the same way. "If it feels real ... it is real."

“Talk of mysteries! — Think of our life in nature, — daily to be shown matter, to come in contact with it, — rocks, trees, wind on our cheeks! The solid earth! The actual world! The common sense! Contact! Contact! Who are we? Where are we?"
― Don't remember

Hopefully in a rewarding human relationship

“You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche

Depends what you're talking about?

 

[Username: required]

So, we can sort of approach reality in the same way. "If it feels real ... it is real."

Yeah but my whole thing is where is the evidence that the feeling/emotion/perception of "real" isn't just a fantasy made up by a human mind to explain whether or not something holds truth or lies?

Hopefully in a rewarding human relationship

With yourself or another?

Depends what you're talking about?

I took what he said as we all have our own truths and views on the world, therefore the one true, real, only way doesn't exist.

 

[Louanne Learning]

where is the evidence

the evidence is in a lover's kiss, or the feel of a cold shower, or the warmth of the sun on my face, or the pain of getting kicked in the shins, or the incredible flavour of my mom's spaghetti sauce, or all the clothes scattered around my living room right now as my niece decides to reorganize all her closets, or the smell of lilacs, or my ability to make plans for what comes next

With yourself or another?

Good point! Probably having a good relationship with yourself comes before good relationships with others

I took what he said as we all have our own truths and views on the world,

We do, I am still unsure if there is any such thing as objective truth, that maybe all our truths are subjective, but they are still true

 

[Username: required]

the evidence is in a lover's kiss, or the feel of a cold shower, or the warmth of the sun on my face, or the pain of getting kicked in the shins, or the incredible flavour of my mom's spaghetti sauce, or all the clothes scattered around my living room right now as my niece decides to reorganize all her closets, or the smell of lilacs, or my ability to make plans for what comes next

Whose to say it's not all a lie and these things are made just to further our thoughts on reality? FYI, I agree with you 100%, but playing devil's advocate is sometimes fun lol

Good point! Probably having a good relationship with yourself comes before good relationships with others

People tend to overlook this in life and then wonder why they are not happy. I was forced to learn this at an even younger age than I am now

We do, I am still unsure if there is any such thing as objective truth, that maybe all our truths are subjective, but they are still true

What is truth? Is truth a lie, or are we lying about truth being truth when we know it's a lie? Or do we not know it's a lie, and therefore know it's true, but then what is truth, and are we lying about it? Confusing stuff lol

 

[Louanne Learning]

to say it's not all a lie and these things are made just to further our thoughts on reality?

the person living their subjective experiences?

What is truth? Is truth a lie, or are we lying about truth being truth when we know it's a lie? Or do we not know it's a lie, and therefore know it's true, but then what is truth, and are we lying about it? Confusing stuff lol

There are personal truths and then there are cultural/political truths. What is true to one person, because it is true to them, is true.

it gets a lot more murky when you get into cultural and political truths, which may be known to be lies to leadership, but are nevertheless spread not to enlighten but to manipulate and gain power

 

[Rath Darkblade]

I'd like to ask a philosophical question, a riddle that has baffled philosophers since the dawn of time: why? Why why why why?

Why anything?
Why everything?

Why are we here?
Why are you here?
Why am I here?

I suspect the answer might be 'Because', but I'm sure you have your own answers!

 

[Madman Starryteller]

I'd like to ask a philosophical question, a riddle that has baffled philosophers since the dawn of time: why? Why why why why?

Why anything?
Why everything?

Why are we here?
Why are you here?
Why am I here?

I suspect the answer might be 'Because', but I'm sure you have your own answers!

Either intelligent design, or random chance. The real question is: why not?

This reminds me of my text "To the Circularity of Existence" that I posted in the showcase here on the forum.

 

[GrahamLewis]

I'd like to ask a philosophical question, a riddle that has baffled philosophers since the dawn of time: why? Why why why why?

Why anything?
Why everything?

Why are we here?
Why are you here?
Why am I here?

I suspect the answer might be 'Because', but I'm sure you have your own answers!

I don't think it has "baffled" philosophers because it's not really a philosophical question.

Someone, I think it was the Gestalt psychologist Fritz Perls, once called "why" a bullshit question, because it invites speculation and any such answer is not really subject to challenge. Lawyers hate such questions for the same reason.

I think it's really a religious question. One says, "because" that's the way things turned out, no divine plan. Another says "God made it this way," so there is a plan. Both must ultimately fall back on faith.

 

[GrahamLewis]

. What is true to one person, because it is true to them, is true.

i

This invites the question, how do you define "truth" -- if one person believes one thing to be true, and another believes the opposite to be true, how can they both be true? If I -- and most people -- believe the earth is round, and another sincerely believes it is not, does that mean both are true? Of course that one is subject to an objective test -- measurement. But what if most of us believe the sky is blue, and another sees it as green, can both be true? I don't think so, unless you are saying that there is no objective truth, just subjective. In which case, is there any point in talking about "truth"?.

 

[Louanne Learning]

Why anything?
Why everything?

the simple answer is of course so things can happen.

Why are we here?
Why are you here?
Why am I here?

Now, these questions are human-centric, and we might get more specific about purpose. IMO, our purpose is to best realize our humanity. Under that umbrella, we might consider not only expressing our selves and our creativity, but prioritizing connections to other human beings. A good mix of introspection and extrospection, with the goals of personal growth and caring about others, especially expressed in our behavior.

 

[Louanne Learning]

how do you define "truth" -- if one person believes one thing to be true, and another believes the opposite to be true, how can they both be true?

that is why I was careful to say "if it is true to them" - subjective truth = the truth held by the subject

I'm talking about the relationship between knowledge and the one brain that knows it

That's the greatest motivator of any one person.

like the concept of shradda that we talked about before

I don't think so, unless you are saying that there is no objective truth, just subjective.

No, I don't think subjective truth and objective truth are exclusionary - just may be different

 

[JLT]

Someone, I think it was the Gestalt psychologist Fritz Perls, once called "why" a bullshit question, because it invites speculation and any such answer is not really subject to challenge. Lawyers hate such questions for the same reason.

I think it's really a religious question. One says, "because" that's the way things turned out, no divine plan. Another says "God made it this way," so there is a plan. Both must ultimately fall back on faith.

Margaret Atwood made the same point about the existence of God. She said that the only rational stance as agnosticism, since it was outside the purview of rational thought. There is no scientific experiment you could make that would prove the existence of God, nor any scientific experiment that would disprove the existence of God.

Stephen Jay Gould wrote a book called Rocks of Ages that argued that science and religion could never be seen to be in contradiction because the two subjects addressed different areas of thought. He describes science and religion as each comprise a separate magisterium of human understanding. Science defines the natural world, and religion the moral world. If each realm is separate, then according to Gould, they are not in conflict. (This explanation I copped from Wikipedia.)

So his argument is in line with Ms. Atwood's. I would only add that when people attempt to overlap the two magesteria, bad things usually happen.

 

[Riddley Walker]

I'd like to ask a philosophical question, a riddle that has baffled philosophers since the dawn of time: why? Why why why why?

Why anything?
Why everything?

Why are we here?
Why are you here?
Why am I here?

I suspect the answer might be 'Because', but I'm sure you have your own answers!

Wrong question.

 

[GrahamLewis]

I don't think subjective truth and objective truth are exclusionary - just may be different

I respectfully disagree. I think you've broken the link between truth and any connection to verifiable reality. What's the difference between your subjective truth and a sincere belief? Why not just call it a belief or opinion that one acts in accord with, and reserve truth for what you call objective truth? Or simply say that we all have opinions, some of which are more in accord with accepted facts, and concede that there is no absolutely objective truth, only tentative understanding, i.e., tentative truth?

 

[GrahamLewis]

Wrong question.

The answer in any case is 42.

 

[Louanne Learning]

I think you've broken the link between truth and any connection to verifiable reality.

Verifiable to whom? My brain verifies my reality (which I concede may be different from another's).

My perceptual truth, my lived experience, makes my truths

I actually laid out my position in this post on page 17 of this thread -

Post in thread 'The Philosophy Thread'

Feb 7, 2026

why we talk about probabilities instead of hard truths

I'm not shy about using the word "truth." Some people may prefer the word "conviction" or "belief" but I go all in.

Subjective truth is some aspect or representation of reality that we create in our minds and wholly accept.

Here are some of my subjective truths -

My mother loves me. My sisters will never abandon me. Being caregiver to my disabled husband was the most important thing I ever did. Everyone is doing the very best they can. Honesty produces better outcomes than falsehood. Givers are happier than takers. The...

• Louanne Learning

• 

Why not just call it a belief or opinion that one acts in accord with, and reserve truth for what you call objective truth?

I have read so much about the artist expressing their truth. I have no problem using the word in this context.

 

[Schism]

Seems Nietzsche was one of the few philosopher artists out there.

 

[Louanne Learning]

Seems Nietzsche was one of the few philosopher artists out there.

Don't make me google what you mean. lay it out for us, please