Agnostic.com

3 1

Hard Solipsism

The old "brain in a vat" problem. Well, only a problem if you demand absolute proof of anything. The idea is that nothing can be absolutely proven other than yourself. More specifically your consciousness, and this also can only be proven to yourself, by yourself, as you are the direct experiencer of that consciousness. The Matrix has shown just how easy it is to imagine that our reality could be nothing but illusion. It's really as simple as fooling all 5 senses as we do not perceive reality in any way beyond them.

As such, almost nothing can be absolutely certain. Absolute certainty of course, is not important to everyone and it doesn't need to be either to maintain any sort of sane and secure life. But for some, it lingers in the back of the mind, always making one wonder if it's all just a big show. What if you are the only thing that actually exists and are generating this reality you experience? And not by any sort of choice or control.

Of course there is no reason to believe that that is the case, as by your own experience, you have much reason to believe it is not. But no matter how much you believe and are justified in believing that this reality is real and independent of your own consciousness, there is always the possibility that solipsism has something going.

How do you feel about the topic? Is it just silly and shouldn't be given a moment's thought? Or is it something you sometimes wonder about when other distractions are not present?

aussj4link 5 Mar 8
Share

Enjoy being online again!

Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.

Create your free account

3 comments

Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.

2

I recognized a long time a go that nothing is absoluely certain. But there are plenty of things that we can be pretty sure of for all practical purposes, and that's what really matters.

Indeed. I think it's more of just a fun thought every now and then rather than anything to take too seriously. It really just helps show the limits of what we can fully call absolutely certain.

0

As a software developer I find this sort of speculation entertaining to an extent, but irrelevant.

If I am just code running in a simulation then it would be interesting if I could find a way to alter my own code and maybe even the simulator itself. Not sure what that would involve and doubt it could even be possible unless the author of the simulation left a back door on purpose for us to eventually discover.

It doesn't matter how reality is generated, it only matters that I experience it.

0

It does not matter. There is simply no guarantee of correspondence between thought and 'reality'. The only reality is the phenominal. If what I see is projected to me by a demonic nitwit it really makes not difference because the only reality is what I can sense, anything else is codswallop 🙂

cava Level 7 Mar 8, 2018
You can include a link to this post in your posts and comments by including the text q:34213
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.