Check out some similar questions!

peterbranton · Jan 17, 2011, 08:30 AM

J_9 · Jan 17, 2011, 08:32 AM

Bigfoot!

NeedKarma · Jan 17, 2011, 08:38 AM

ebaines · Jan 17, 2011, 08:38 AM

Yep - really.

peterbranton · Jan 17, 2011, 08:44 AM

Sigmund Freud

Wondergirl · Jan 17, 2011, 09:21 AM

I think, therefore I am. I scoop kitty litter, therefore I am. I do laundry, therefore I am. I shovel snow, therefore I am.

Want more?

ebaines · Jan 17, 2011, 10:13 AM

Wondergirl: How do you know your cat exists? Because you see it (or smell it when changing litter) - you brain perceives the cat in front of you. Which means at the fundamental level you must prove your own existence before you can claim that you have the ability to perceive the cat. So how do you know you exist? Because you think. Thus sayeth Descartes.

Wondergirl · Jan 17, 2011, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by ebaines

Wondergirl: How do you know your cat exists? Because you see it (or smell it when changing litter) - you brain perceives the cat in front of you. Which means at the fundamental level you must prove your own existence before you can claim that you have the ability to perceive the cat. So how do you know you exist? Because you think. Thus sayeth Descartes.

When I scoop, the litter becomes clean. Etc. That's beyond my own senses, because the cats will use it (but won't if it's dirty).

(You're welcome to come on over to help scoop.)

ebaines · Jan 17, 2011, 10:39 AM

You realize that according to Schrodinger your cat may actually be dead (sorry).

Wondergirl · Jan 17, 2011, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by ebaines

You realize that according to Schrodinger your cat may actually be dead (sorry).

I have five cats. If you were here at mealtime, you wouldn't say that.

Animus · Jan 18, 2011, 11:37 AM

I think its absolutely hilarious that you asked a paradoxical question on an ask search engine. That's like ordering pizza at a Chinese restaurant.

ebaines · Jan 18, 2011, 12:01 PM

Originally Posted by Animus

I think its absolutely hilarious that you asked a paradoxical question on an ask search engine. That's like ordering pizza at a Chinese restaurant.

You've never heard of Chinese pizza?

Chinese Pizza

TUT317 · Jan 18, 2011, 12:50 PM

"I think therefore I am" is the logical starting point for Descartes theory of knowledge.

In the end, " I think therefore I am" is a tautology. It is a self-evident truth and as such it cannot be proven false. "I think therefore I am" is the same as saying, " I think therefore I think".

It was an interesting starting point because it set up the distinction between mind and body. Descartes claimed the mind is a thinking substance while the body is an extended or physical substance. This also marked the beginning of modern philosophy.

Other than this I don't see Descartes postulation as being of any real value.

Tut

ebaines · Jan 18, 2011, 01:09 PM

Originally Posted by TUT317

This also marked the beginning of modern philosophy.

And also the beginning of modern science. The idea that nature is best understood by observing how it works was new and revolutionary - prior to that the workings of nature were explained by religion or the philosphical "systems" of the Greek philosophers. Descartes was the first to bring skepticism to ideas about nature - meaning don't believe something just because it's commonly thought to be true unless it can be observed or demonstrated.

peterbranton · Jan 18, 2011, 02:43 PM

Sounds nice really

peterbranton · Jan 18, 2011, 02:44 PM

Yes sounds nice really

Alty · Jan 19, 2011, 01:28 AM

I'm thinking that I'll get some of that Chinese pizza. Therefore, I am going to be at the Chinese pizza restaurant.

I'm really hoping that WG's cats won't be there, dead or alive.

Don't throw things. I had to say it. ;)

TUT317 · Jan 19, 2011, 02:33 AM

Originally Posted by ebaines

And also the beginning of modern science. The idea that nature is best understood by observing how it works was new and revolutionary - prior to that the workings of nature were explained by religion or the philosphical "systems" of the Greek philosophers. Descartes was the first to bring skepticism to ideas about nature - meaning don't believe something just because it's commonly thought to be true unless it can be observed or demonstrated.

Totally agree

Tut

Animus · Jan 19, 2011, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by ebaines

The idea that nature is best understood by observing how it works was new and revolutionary

This part needs rephrasing. Modern science was revolutionary because of the need to discover the CAUSE to the effects that we have been observing for thousands of years.

ebaines · Jan 19, 2011, 10:38 AM

Originally Posted by Animus

This part needs rephrasing. Modern science was revolutionary because of the need to discover the CAUSE to the effects that we have been observing for thousands of years.

Not really. Take as an example the famous experiment that Galileo performed dropping objects from the Tower of Pisa. He observed that the object's weight has no effect on how long it takes to hit the ground, which was not at all in agreement with what everyone "knew" to be true. That was science - he observed a phenomenon, repeated his experiment, and reported the results. But he had absolutely no idea why objects behave this way. It wasn't until Newton came along much later that an explanation was offered for this effect. But even Newton's explanation of gravity and F=ma doesn't truly explain the "cause" of gravity or why objects have inertia.