All men, at one time or another, have fallen in love with the veiled Isis whom they call Truth. With most, this has been a passing passion: they have early seen its hopelessness and turned to more practical things. But others remain all their lives the devout lovers of reality: though the manner of their love, the vision which they make to themselves of the beloved object varies enormously. Some see Truth as Dante saw Beatrice: an adorable yet intangible figure, found in this world yet revealing the next. To others she seems rather an evil but an irresistible enchantress: enticing, demanding payment and betraying her lover at the last. Some have seen her in a test-tube, and some in a poet’s dream: some before the altar, others in the slime. The extreme pragmatists have even sought her in the kitchen; declaring that she may best be recognised by her utility. Last stage of all, the philosophic sceptic has comforted an unsuccessful courtship by assuring himself that his mistress is not really there.
How does thought A lead to/cause/remind us of thought B, in the same way that we can ask, How does my action of chewing a mouthful of food lead to/cause me to have a drink? — J
we are limited in our ability to know these general truths — Colo Millz
The pursuit of knowledge is often mistaken for the pursuit of truth. They are not the same.
Knowledge is aesthetic; it beautifies the mind. Truth is theoretical; it exists only as a limit we can never reach.
The terminal nihilist studies not to “discover” but to experience the pleasure of comprehension.
Science and philosophy, when freed from the burden of eternity, become art forms — games of intellect that reward curiosity without demanding conclusion.
It is not necessary to believe in what one studies. Belief is possession; it creates anxiety and defense. Knowing without believing — observing, testing, and discarding ideas as one does melodies — allows freedom of thought without the sickness of conviction.
Thus, the scientist’s laboratory and the philosopher’s desk are stages, not temples. The experiment and the essay are performances of curiosity, not pilgrimages to revelation.
The wise man learns as a connoisseur, not as a missionary.
The first thought reminded me of the second thought — J
"We" need a state because if it is not our state, then it is anybody's state and may become their state. — unenlightened
Your cognitive sword is skepticism, propelling you forward thrusting and parrying at the devious world of deception? — ucarr
whatever the "self" is — Nils Loc
whether you have any counter-arguments — Mijin
Usefulness is practicality.
If you're satisfied with practical benefits then sure. I'm not. I'm a theoretical person. To me, the truth is more important than functionality. — Copernicus
performative contradiction. — Banno
there is no relation. — Banno
Fried eggs, therefore, are a leap of faith. Cool. — Banno
So the true reality is that true reality is unknown... — Banno
I'm pointing out your part in the conspiracy. — Banno
still just a guess. — Outlander
What's the relevance of that? — Banno
You have admitted multiple times that not all actions are selfish or self-serving — Outlander
You're one man with one brain, and you still fail to realize there's 8.2 billion people with 8.2 billion brains whose might work just a tad differently than yours — Outlander
the core problem in Copernicus's threads is the failure to acknowledge the other. — Banno
Just like I don't measure everything in the universe but know that (a+b)²=a²+2ab+b². — Copernicus
Is it to replenish the water supply? Is he exercising? Is it to mix the poison so as to kill the town's population? Or is he just amusing the kids by making funny shadows on the wall behind him? — Banno
a father that sacrifices because he wants the best for his children — Mijin
Outside of threads like this — Mijin
How do you understand the distinction between distance and spacing of objects if not the different areas they appear relative to each other in your conscious visual experience? — Harry Hindu
The very feelings you speak of IS your consciousness — Harry Hindu
Aquinas would say that principles are not like commands shouted by a superior - they are expressions of reason itself. — Colo Millz
Since Aquinas.
Summa Theologiae I–II, q.18, a.4.
Morality depends on what the will chooses as an end. — Colo Millz
If the soldiers don't intend to follow orders there's not much point being in the army. — Colo Millz
intention matters — Mww
You seem to be saying that indirect access is what provides truth where direct access does not, which is counter-intuitive. — Harry Hindu
