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If someone was blind since birth, do they see objects/colors when they dream? What do they see when they dream?
Alexander George
October 24, 2005
(changed October 24, 2005)
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You might be interested in reading On Blindness, a book of letters between the philosophers Bryan Magee and Martin Milligan. The first is sighted, the second blind almost from birth. They argue about whether blindness is a limitation and, if it is, what kind it is. Milligan makes many... Read more
Is it possible for one to be in love with the feeling of being in love, instead of loving the person you believe you're in love with?
Alan Soble
October 24, 2005
(changed October 24, 2005)
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Both Jyl and Alex have covered the territory, and I have little to add. It seems to be true that loving a person (or even an animal) and loving an object or thing (chocolate, or a feeling) are different. In the philosophy of love the question arises: if both these two phenomena are in fact typ... Read more
Is it possible for one to possibly know what exists after death? As humans, with a mind that exists solely as physical matter (and a soul, if religion is counted), when we die, how is it possible for this purely physical mind to keep on functioning, and allow us to realize that we are dead? As well, if we have souls, how can an entity created purely of energy (or whatever you think a soul is made of) have senses and detect that it exists, or even think?
Richard Heck
October 25, 2005
(changed October 25, 2005)
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Some people think they do know what exists after death. As Alex notes, "Nothing" is one option, and some people believe they have strong enough evidence for this view to make it a reasonable belief, and perhaps even to count as knowledge. On the other side, there are people who would claim t... Read more
It seems that philosophers have reduced philosophy to nothing more than theories of knowledge, and are asserting epistemologies that prevent anyone from philosophizing. I understand the power of doubt, and that we cannot describe morality in “indubitable” or absolute terms. But, speculation and wonder are what make philosophy interesting to me. Why won’t you construct philosophy from the basis of wonder? Is it so terrible to view your profession as art instead of science?
Jyl Gentzler
October 24, 2005
(changed October 24, 2005)
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According to Plato’s dialogues, the philosopher Socrates was a masterat inducing wonder in the minds of others. Before they met Socrates,most people believed that they had a good grasp of matters of someimportance. After he asked them a few questions, it became clear tothem that matters were... Read more
What is the difference between law and justice?
Peter Lipton
October 24, 2005
(changed October 24, 2005)
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This is a big question, but it is easy to see that there is a difference, since a law may be unjust, and justice may require something not mandated by law.
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This one is mathematical, but seems to address philosophical issues regarding definition and the nature of mathematical truth. So: If, for any x, x^0 = 1, and, for any y, 0^y = 0, then what is the value of 0^0?
Daniel J. Velleman
October 24, 2005
(changed October 24, 2005)
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There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to making definitions in mathematics. We can define things however we please. However, mathematicians generally try to make definitions that will be useful, and one way to do this is to preserve general rules.Now, you have identified... Read more
Are there any arguments against allowing gay marriage that aren't religious or bigoted or both?
Tamar Szabo Gendler
October 30, 2005
(changed October 30, 2005)
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Here (http://examinedlife.typepad.com/johnbelle/2005/10/anti_same_sex_m.html)is another attempt to offer such an argument, with second thoughts bythe author here(http://examinedlife.typepad.com/johnbelle/2005/10/uncle_kvetch_is.html).
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What do you believe to be the square root of -1? Is it a flaw in our complex math system? Is it really a non-existent and incomprehendable thing? Or are our brains simply too basic to understand this notion?
Daniel J. Velleman
October 24, 2005
(changed October 24, 2005)
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Mathematicians have defined many different number systems--integers, rational numbers, real numbers, complex numbers, quaternions, etc. The answer to your question will be different depending on which number system you use.In the real numbers, there is no number whose square is -1. I... Read more
5 divided by 0? Personally, I believe that it is infinite based on the idea that division is just repeated subtraction just like multiplication is repeated addition. For example, in 4/2, it's pretty much like saying how many times can you subtract 2 from 4 before you get to 0.
Daniel J. Velleman
October 24, 2005
(changed October 24, 2005)
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I would give a slightly different moral to Peter's story. Mathematicians could have defined 5 divided by 0 to be infinity--one of the wonderful things about mathematics is that we can define things however we want. However, what Peter's proof shows is that if you define division by 0... Read more
Recent research seems to indicate that the religious sense is innate. If that is so, wouldn't it be likely to be true of animals as well?
Alexander George
October 24, 2005
(changed October 24, 2005)
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If having a religious sense is innate in humans (and see here for more discussion on the obscurities of this notion), it doesn't follow that it's innate for non-human animals. Perhaps some song repertoires are innate in birds — but don't ask me to sing them.
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