I don't see how it's truth would change anything (from your mind's perspective, at least), so I'm not sure why you would find it "too scary." Consciousness built on neurons made of atoms is no more real than consciousness built on simulationed neurons made of simulationed atoms. Consciousness is as consciousness does.
Cogito ergo sun (I think therefore i am.)
Descartes, ( Born March 1596, died Feb 1650)
This all goes down to the old questions:
Do I really exist?
Does the world around me exists?
Is the world as i percieve it to be?
Descartes tried to answer the first question.
While trying to explain the other two, don't forget that the only proof that you have that the world out there exists comes through your senses. For all you know, there are no other people out there - maybe your senses are being mislead:
by a complex computer simulation
by a powerfull telephatic entity
by a drug
by yourself - you've suffered psychological trauma this is all a dream
...
According to Descartes, the only thing you can be sure about is that you exist.
We get to self-existence. Since everything has a cause, there must be a root cause, and this must be God. God, as we all know, created the world, therefore that exists too. And since God is good, he wouldn't lie, therefore the senses must provide an accurate picture.
Thre's a reason everybody stops after Cogito ergo sum, and that's because the rest of the reasoning was a bit, well, dodgy.
I'm sure I've misprepresented it a bit, but Rene can always speak up if he feels slighted. No? Well, then.
woooah (Score:5, Funny)
but either way, i wouldn't believe this because it would be too scary if it were true.
Re:woooah (Score:5, Insightful)
Old philosophy (Score:5, Insightful)
Descartes, ( Born March 1596, died Feb 1650)
This all goes down to the old questions:
- Do I really exist?
- Does the world around me exists?
- Is the world as i percieve it to be?
Descartes tried to answer the first question.While trying to explain the other two, don't forget that the only proof that you have that the world out there exists comes through your senses. For all you know, there are no other people out there - maybe your senses are being mislead:
- by a complex computer simulation
- by a powerfull telephatic entity
- by a drug
- by yourself - you've suffered psychological trauma this is all a dream
- ...
According to Descartes, the only thing you can be sure about is that you exist.Re:Old philosophy (Score:5, Informative)
Descartes tried to answer all three.
We get to self-existence. Since everything has a cause, there must be a root cause, and this must be God. God, as we all know, created the world, therefore that exists too. And since God is good, he wouldn't lie, therefore the senses must provide an accurate picture.
Thre's a reason everybody stops after Cogito ergo sum, and that's because the rest of the reasoning was a bit, well, dodgy.
I'm sure I've misprepresented it a bit, but Rene can always speak up if he feels slighted. No? Well, then.