Recent Responses
Is there any way to justify the laws of logic without using the laws of logic?
Richard Heck
November 6, 2005
(changed November 6, 2005)
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This is an incredibly complicated question. One question we might want to ask is what's meant by "justifying" a law of logic. I'll do my best to ignore that question here.
It's tempting to say that one can't justify anything without using the laws of logic, but that is arguably too strong.... Read more
I am a student interested in philosophy as a major. Are there any careers realistic for a philosophy major outside of teaching?
Richard Heck
November 6, 2005
(changed November 6, 2005)
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Lots! There are certain things for which philosophy obviously would not prepare you terribly well: Graduate study in physics, for example. But beyond these obvious sorts of cases, there is nothing you cannot do. Probably the single most popular career for philosophy majors is the law: A sign... Read more
Can a person imagine doing something while doing the thing imagined? For example, can I imagine touching a key on my keyboard while touching it?
Amy Kind
November 5, 2005
(changed November 5, 2005)
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I think it is easy to imagine things that you are presently doing that you don't realize that you are presently doing, as in Peter's Luxembourg example, above. More interesting is whether you can imagine things that you do realize that you are presently doing. Peter's example of the naked supe... Read more
Am I the same person today that I was when I was 2 years old?
Amy Kind
November 5, 2005
(changed November 5, 2005)
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See also the discussion in response to this question.
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What makes me the same person today as I was any time in the past? I have new memories and experiences, so why aren't I someone else?
Jay L. Garfield
November 8, 2005
(changed November 8, 2005)
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This is, indeed a matter of great controversy, and one that has generated a vast literature. There are those who argue that it simply wrong to say that you are REALLY the same person you were before, because there are so many differences; others who argue that because it is correct to say... Read more
I don't believe in any sort of a god, or supreme being, or flying spaghetti monster, and as a consequence I don't have any expectations or fear about what happens after I die. Up till now I've always behaved ethically--in a socially responsible way, more or less--it's been convenient. However, it's more or less a habit, layered on early canalisation of moral training by religious parents. Can you give me a reason for continuing to behave in an ethical fashion? Is there a compelling philosophical reason for being 'good'--assuming I'm not afraid of punishment, or don't expect to get caught?
Peter Lipton
November 5, 2005
(changed November 5, 2005)
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This is a question that has bugged philosophers since at least Plato. Suppose you have a clever, rational jerk, that is, a person who just doesn't want to do the right thing. Is there any argument we can give him that would force him to be moral if he remains rational? I have not seen suc... Read more
What makes me the same person today as I was any time in the past? I have new memories and experiences, so why aren't I someone else?
Jay L. Garfield
November 8, 2005
(changed November 8, 2005)
Permalink
This is, indeed a matter of great controversy, and one that has generated a vast literature. There are those who argue that it simply wrong to say that you are REALLY the same person you were before, because there are so many differences; others who argue that because it is correct to say... Read more
What makes an object living? Scientists have a number of qualities that an object needs to have to be considered living: Self-replication etc. What qualities do philosophers associate with living objects?
Mark Crimmins
November 5, 2005
(changed November 5, 2005)
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Philosophers might put the question like this: what constitutes being a living thing? And we might hope for a non-circular definition that spells out exactly what it takes to be a living thing.
Among the strategies for answering this sort of question, a common one is conceptual analysis.... Read more
The numbers e, i and pi are related. Is this natural or a consequence of the way we do our mathematics? Iain Nicholson
Daniel J. Velleman
November 5, 2005
(changed November 5, 2005)
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Richard makes a good point, but I still think that I had a good point also, although I may not have expressed it as well as I might have. It is often said that Euler proved that eix = cos(x) + i sin(x), but it seems to me this is somewhat misleading. Many (most?) modern complex analy... Read more
What makes me the same person today as I was any time in the past? I have new memories and experiences, so why aren't I someone else?
Jay L. Garfield
November 8, 2005
(changed November 8, 2005)
Permalink
This is, indeed a matter of great controversy, and one that has generated a vast literature. There are those who argue that it simply wrong to say that you are REALLY the same person you were before, because there are so many differences; others who argue that because it is correct to say... Read more