RE: subjective reality

From: Lee Corbin <lcorbin.domain.name.hidden>
Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 17:18:36 -0700

Chris writes

> >>Well, maybe some of the above helped to explain it. Basing stuff
> >>on "1st person" has a long history. That's what everyone, it seems
> >>to me, did before the scientific era (about 1600?). So far as I know,
> >>nothing has ever come of it.
>
> Its been the cornerstone of modern philosophy since the 1600's. It defines
> the moment the 'scientific era' begins. In the realm of indubitable facts,
> that I exist is one of them.

Name even *one* other indubitable fact. I don't even think that *that*
so-called fact is indubitable, because you could be an AI, or I'm just
imagining having read something from you.

The first thing to get past is the yearning for *certainty*. It doesn't
exist.

> It is established to me, for myself if not you,
> just by the fact I have 1st person experiences going on. No doubt you know
> this, perhaps it will incur your ire that Im reminding you of it, but this
> subjective fact unfalsifiable though it is, has more certainty than any
> 'objective' scientific truth. Why not build from this certainty?

Well, the ball is in your corner, and as I say, no one has produced *anything*
of value (except to the lone eccentric who proclaims it now and then).

Lee

> Private subjective experiences exist more certainly than the objective and
> public world. It requires a satisfactory explanation, it isnt that
> convincing to watch it continually ignored . Futhermore, in ignoring it,
> disciplines that have every right to be described as scientific, rational
> and illuminating suddenly become 'soft' and suspect.
Received on Thu Aug 11 2005 - 20:17:43 PDT

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