more idealist philosophy. fascinating

Interesting. (I disagree with most of it though! But I have to then do the hard work of understanding both what I disagree with and the basis of why I disagree. Obviously, therefore, I have to agree with it first if I am to understand it. Probably more Aristotle than Plato).

yes it is interesting abailart isn't it. Idealist philosophy is counter-intuitive which doesn't mean it is wrong. But it won't go away will it? Professional philosophers have difficulty combating it. A thing that strikes me is that the people who have put it forward in the past have been no slouches. Leibniz and Whitehead put forward such strange ideas that you have to wonder whether their level of intelligence is so much higher than our own that we are intrinsically unable to understand them. Where did monads come from for instance and Whitehead's ideas about existence being a process of constant change?

-1=0 There! A clip to think about...

crikey, have I started something?

I'm thinking...

..therefore I am not -1

reality is very fluid. nothing is really there until you pin it down to look at it, then what you see is the result of what you pinned down and how. we're not really equipped to understand the basic fabric of reality, using a souped up monkey brain based on technology pioneered by sea slugs in order to get the front of the animal to move when something bites its rear.

I like what you say gzuckier but I think you are being unkind regarding the human brain. I'd heard that it was in fact about the ideal size, any bigger and the time taken for the electrical signals to 'get around' detracted from efficiency.

When you think about it, the notion that nothing existss without an observer is a sort of pre-Xtian creationism.

Descartes is in a bar with a row of empty glasses in front of him. The bartender asks him if he'd like another. Descartes blearily raises his head and says "I don't think..." and vanishes.

Being Irish myself, I'm hoping the drinks survived...