At this point, one may get the sense that everything is relative, but that can't be the case right? Surely there have to be some absolute facts about the world. For instance, I exist and you do too (otherwise how else are you reading this) and that's just a basic fact. In addition, questions about the nature of reality on matters such as determinism, the mind, and free will should be ones that have definite answers to them. Indeed, despite the varying opinions that people may have on such matters, and the fact that we cannot empirically settle them one way or another, we engage in heated debates under the implicit assumption that one position or another is the true one. — Mr Bee
We can establish that you and I exist relative to each other, but that doesn’t make it an absolute fact that either of us exist. In a galaxy far far away, you and I are yet to exist. — Possibility
Likewise, we can ask a question about the nature of reality, and determine an answer relative to the question, but this answer cannot be absolute. — Possibility
But you can certainly see from your own point of view that you exist. And from your POV there are states of yourself that you were and have yet to become. That's just a fact as much as the cogito is one and surely that must mean something, right? It's hard to see what that could mean to exist in a "relative" sense. It's almost as if you're saying that we're all Schrodinger's cats in a sense. — Mr Bee
Then doesn't that make the answer pointless? Philosophy in general is all about determining the true nature of reality. If there is no such thing then why do we engage in these debates as if there is one instead of just acknowledging each other's different ontological views and leaving it at that much like we do on matters of orientation or motion? — Mr Bee
But I have to admit that I ascertain this existence only in relation to what is not me. — Possibility
If we expect it to be neatly packaged into our language and logic and presented to the world whole, then I’d say any absolute ‘answer’ will elude us. — Possibility
At this point, one may get the sense that everything is relative, but that can't be the case right? Surely there have to be some absolute facts about the world. — Mr Bee
So perhaps there are some matters that are relative and others that are absolute. There are some issues that have absolute answers (like those in philosophy) and others (like direction) that don't. But how does one go about distinguishing between the two? At least that's the issue that I've been grappling with as of late and currently I don't have much of a satisfactory answer apart from the fact that I feel like that's how things should be. — Mr Bee
Of course on the other hand this may just mean that everything is either relative or absolute, but then the question becomes which one to pick. On the one hand I like to think that there is an absolute set of facts out there to uncover about the world, but at the same time I also don't like the idea that there is some sense of an "absolute left" in the world. — Mr Bee
Well couldn’t something be a fact and be relative? — DingoJones
I’m not sure how you are using “absolute” here...is 2+2 equals 4 absolute? What kinds of philosophical answers are absolute?
I’m confused about your treatment of “relative” being the opposite of absolute, is that how you are using the terms? Like “up” and “down”? — DingoJones
Time is relative according to Einstein, yet when time distorts because of gravity there is still a fact of the matter depending on the relative position. — DingoJones
Well there are facts out there to be discovered, but also there are facts about relative positions. “Left” is relative, but that doesn’t change the fact that something can be factually to your “left”, and factually to someone else’s “right” at the same time. Right? It’s not like the fact that the other persons position which puts the object on their “right” somehow makes the object not to your “left” anymore..it’s still absolutely to your “left”. — DingoJones
I think Descartes would disagree with you. — Mr Bee
If we expect it to be neatly packaged into our language and logic and presented to the world whole, then I’d say any absolute ‘answer’ will elude us.
— Possibility
The answer doesn't have to conform to our language. It just has to exist, at least that's my point. — Mr Bee
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