We think ...
... that the grass is green, that stones are hard, that the snow is cold. But physics assures us that the greenness of grass, the hardness of stones, and the coldness of snow, are not the greenness, hardness, and coldness that we know in our own experience, but something very different. The observer, when he seems to himself to be observing a stone, is really, if physics is to be believed, observing the effects of a stone upon himself ...
- Bertrand Russell, 1950
posted by Lazarus, 2:15 PM
3 Comments:
This is a problem that has preoccupied philosophers and serious scietista for centuries.
Besides Bertrand Rusell each of Hume and Kant have dealt at length with the issue of what is knowledge and what is metaphysics.
To my mind the above statement sheds doubt on knowledge that is aquired through experiencing its effectc i.e contrary to the popular thinking, empiricism is not certain. The only real knowledge is the one arrived at through reason. Maybe thats why I am always repulsed by what seems to be badly reasoned positions.
BTW, I am not clear of the mtive behind this post, but to my mind the larger issues facing Lebanon currently stem from the fact that most and maybe all positions are being taken without due regard to reason and rationality. But then maybe there is something in the air that we breath or the water that we drink that makes a mockery of rationality?:-)
By
Anonymous, at 4:18 PM
well ... the motive is actually very sinister ...
... i read it in a book, liked it, and posted :P
and the actual quote is open to interpretation. You can take it as Russell does ... in which he argues against naive realism (I didn't post the entire passage) ... you can take it as a debate of rationality and empiricism ... or, if we just want to narrow it down to lebanon (which probably isn't the best way to look at it) ... you can take it as to refer to the current sociological divides that are nothing else but the product of social relationships between the different groups. All the "ism"-ic divides (for ex., sectarianism) aren't as innate as some insist on believing ... but are just the effects of the "stone" upon the individual. more on that later ... when i have some time.
By
Lazarus, at 7:42 PM
Laz,
I am quite familiar with this quote , believe it or not!!!! I think that it is from Truth and Knowledge or something like that. This passage became very popular because Einstein commented on itin a rather lengthy article which I aon't recall. This idea of how do we know and how do we know that we know is fascinating. Actually the recent developments in quantum physics have a lot to say about what is real and what is not. I am not a scientist and so my explanation will not pass mustard but I trust that the new discoveries are lebding credence to the principle that a thing can be and not be at the same time, parallel universes make it difficult to tell what is reality and what is fantasy.
By
Anonymous, at 8:04 PM
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