Did you know today is World Philosophy Day??
I admit it, I am a total nerd. I didn’t join a sorority in college, instead, I became a member of “Phi Sigma Tau”- an International Philosophy Honor Society. That’s the equivalent of joining the chess club in high school. Dweeb! I had a double major- philosophy and law. Even now, it sounds pretentious! What can I say, I had a mad crush on the Philosophy professor at my school, so it was not entirely an intellectual pursuit! I learned a lot about philosophy though.
The author of this article asks “Four Philosophical Questions to Make Your Head Hurt”. Um…ok. I read them, thought about them…my head feels fine! The questions:
1. Should we Kill Healthy People For Their Organs??
Really stupid hypothetical, and it’s an age old question- do the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few…or as Mr. Spock said, “the One.” I think the key word in this equation is “kill”. My answer? Hell no. Took me all of 3 seconds.
2. Are you the Same Person Who Started Reading This Article?
Author states “In the end, then, no attempt to make sense of your continued existence over time works. You are not the person who started reading this article”
Everything in the Universe is constantly in flux, so in an abstract sense, he’s right. I am not the same person now as I was 3 minutes, or even 3 seconds ago. In a non-abstract, mundane sense- yes, I am the same person. I did not start out reading this as Michelle and end as a Vegas pole dancer named Kitty.
3. Is That Really A Computer Screen In Front of You?
The author says: “…you cannot independently check your senses. You cannot jump outside of the experiences they provide to check they’re generally reliable. So your senses give you no reason at all to believe that there is a computer screen in front of you.”
Well no wonder the dude gave himself a migraine! While it is true that you can’t independently check your senses, does this make them any less real? If I think I see a ghost- that’s my perception- it becomes “real” to me. Is it real in the context of the material world? Who cares. If it’s real to you, it’s real. Those billions of tiny purple spiders I saw on my windshield when I dropped acid back in the day…those were fucking real! So yeah, I am really looking at a computer screen right now. Of course, it could just be the residual effects of the acid talking.
4. Did you Really Choose To Read This Article??
Author states: “So freewill begins to look incompatible both with causal determination and with randomness. None of us, then, ever do anything freely and responsibly.”
Yes I did. I could have just skipped it and checked out what’s new on YouPorn, but I chose to read this. He’s saying I was predestined to read this article, and everything else I have done or will do in life. I don’t believe that. I think we all have choices and there are an infinite number of outcomes, depending on what we choose. Is there some “grand design” to the Universe? I’m comfortable in saying I’m not sure. That’s the great part of being an existentialist, you can answer questions like this with 2 words- “I exist.” Period. Ok, that’s 3 words.
I wonder if the author will be disappointed that his questions did not give me a headache?
He did end the article with one of my favorite quotes though, so I’ll give him props for that.
“…the end of our exploring,
Will be to arrive where we started,
And know the place for the first time.”~ TS Eliot
