Problems of Philosophy: Takeaway of the Table
There was a lot I went over in Philosophy 101 last semester that I really liked. Readings like the Golden Mean, MLK's letter on just and unjust laws, the Ring of Gyges, and several others were all thought-provoking and really affected my way of thinking about certain topics. It really felt like meaningful stuff.
Then we have this lovely little book. Now we can spend an extensive amount of time learning whether a table still exists when you look away from it, if we know for certain the sun will rise tomorrow, and whether a thing can simultaneously "be and not be." To be blunt, would spending a decade considering this material really do anything to influence your life? There's not much here to truly affect your mind's working; and if it did, there's nothing you can do about the subjects involved. Does it make one iota of difference to a man's life if he suddenly woke up one day with the knowledge that his kitchen table won't exist until he goes downstairs and looks at it, or that he'll never perceive the "true" table? Would that man truly feel enlightened if he realized "Hey, the sun is still going to rise tomorrow"?
I can understand that extensively analyzing these topics is still in line with philosophy's end goal of "uncover the truth," but is all truth really worth the time and effort to determine? Would the time and energy that went into writing about whether the table exists have been better spent on a topic more applicable to solving real-world problems? Aside from a couple neat little lessons about when not to assume certain knowledge, I can't really say I'm going to remember any of this through the end of the week.
P.S. I commented on Ty and Michael’s posts.
Then we have this lovely little book. Now we can spend an extensive amount of time learning whether a table still exists when you look away from it, if we know for certain the sun will rise tomorrow, and whether a thing can simultaneously "be and not be." To be blunt, would spending a decade considering this material really do anything to influence your life? There's not much here to truly affect your mind's working; and if it did, there's nothing you can do about the subjects involved. Does it make one iota of difference to a man's life if he suddenly woke up one day with the knowledge that his kitchen table won't exist until he goes downstairs and looks at it, or that he'll never perceive the "true" table? Would that man truly feel enlightened if he realized "Hey, the sun is still going to rise tomorrow"?
I can understand that extensively analyzing these topics is still in line with philosophy's end goal of "uncover the truth," but is all truth really worth the time and effort to determine? Would the time and energy that went into writing about whether the table exists have been better spent on a topic more applicable to solving real-world problems? Aside from a couple neat little lessons about when not to assume certain knowledge, I can't really say I'm going to remember any of this through the end of the week.
P.S. I commented on Ty and Michael’s posts.
Thank you so much for asking those questions so I didn't have to. I think I am much more inclined to say that some of the philosophical thoughts that have been explored are way too lofty and maybe were not really important enough to be looked at as deeply as they were. Im more in the camp of practical things that would help more people than just throw wrenches in the very processes we use to do good and solve problems.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Even if I was able to fully understand and see the "true" table upon what my laptop is sitting on right now, I would not be able to do anything about it or really have the knowledge affect my life all that much. The more we read this book the more unnecessary the cause seems to become.
ReplyDeleteI think it has to do more with the spirit of doing it instead of how you're doing it. If our brains have the capacity, why not think about if a table disappears if you leave the room? This is what separates humans from animals. I guarantee my goldfish couldn't care less if the rocks at the bottom of his tank disappeared if he looked away. Humans have a crazy amount of imagination compared to the rest of the animal kingdom. While questions like these seem like a waste of time, I think they are a good practice of the amazing tool God gave to us known as the brain.
ReplyDelete