Is it possible to know anything at all?

[Diogenes Of Pumpkintown]

How do you know that most of your of life hasn't been a dream? That you won't wake up suddenly, find yourself just 14 years old in your bed, with all your subsequent "life" just a vivid dream?

For that matter, how do you know you aren't just a disembodied brain in a vat somewhere, hooked up to some alien contraption, with all your memories an illusion?

Is it possible to ever be certain of anything at all, even of the most basic questions such as the state of your existence?

[nick1979]

The Matrix theory....Who's to say!

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[Diogenes Of Pumpkintown]

Originally posted by nick1979: The Matrix theory....Who's to say!

Hmmm . . . I've never seen the Matrix, but certainly this is a very old question in philosophy.

[Moridin]

I heard an intersting twist on this concept

How do we know that the world was not created 15 minutes ago? There is no real 'proof' of the past except memories (both physical and mental) but if there is a 'being' powerful enough to create a physical world, then it would be powerful enough to put 'memories' into our brain and create the physical memories (pics/videos/books/etc...) that go along with them.

So maybe everything that you think you have experienced in life is actually just a planted memory and in reality the world just appeared 15 minutes ago!

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Never try to teach a pig to sing; it wastes your time and it annoys the pig
I've got to admit it's getting better, it's getting better all the time

[nick1979]

Originally posted by Diogenes Of Pumpkintown: Hmmm . . . I've never seen the Matrix, but certainly this is a very old question in philosophy.

YOU HAVE TO SEE THE MATRIX...The whole movie is about this topic. It is awesome. Go rent it now!



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[nick1979]

Originally posted by Moridin: I heard an intersting twist on this concept How do we know that the world was not created 15 minutes ago? There is no real 'proof' of the past except memories (both physical and mental) but if there is a 'being' powerful enough to create a physical world, then it would be powerful enough to put 'memories' into our brain and create the physical memories (pics/videos/books/etc...) that go along with them. So maybe everything that you think you have experienced in life is actually just a planted memory and in reality the world just appeared 15 minutes ago!

The problem is that as crazy as this theory is there is no way to disprove it.


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[Larry_OHF]

Originally posted by Diogenes Of Pumpkintown: Hmmm . . . I've never seen the Matrix, but certainly this is a very old question in philosophy.

AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!
Go get the Matrix today! Now!!! GO!!!



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Devoted member of the Ironworks
Loyal guardian of the OHF
Member of the Ancients' club

[domingo]

The only way to back up the fact that we exist is our personal consiesness (I think I spelled that wrong)

[Diogenes Of Pumpkintown]

Originally posted by nick1979: The problem is that as crazy as this theory is there is no way to disprove it.

Okay, since the initial responses seem to hold that one might after all be just a brain in a vat: does this possibility bother you, philosophically? Or the possibility that the world was created 15 minutes ago? How do you reconcile these possibilites with your life?

[machinehead]

If life is just a dream then the awakening from it would be death - the end of the dream. Seems to me all you can do is go with the flow changing it as best you can to meet the needs of you and yours.