How do we know what is and isn't real?

Discussion in 'Existentialism' started by 60s-70s-80s, Feb 28, 2010.

  1. 60s-70s-80s

    60s-70s-80s Member

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    Okay, so here's another of my many most likely unanswerable philosophical questions.

    Okay, so generally, we as humans just accept that we and everything around us exists. We generally accept that everything that can be perceived by the five senses is real. But how do we know that our senses are real? How do we know that we ourselves exist?

    I've heard the 'I think therefore I am' theory, and assuming that I accept this as true, how am I to know that everyone around me is actually thinking in the same way I think and acting on free will rather than being controlled or acting on a bunch of internal commands?

    I'd love to hear all your input and theories regarding this. No better or wiser people to ask than hippies IMO. :) Not sure if this is in the right place either.

    Peace and love. :peace: <3
     
  2. We know we exist because all that can possibly be meant by existence is whatever we are doing.

    About our senses, there is no way of telling whether or not they're very good at telling what's going on. Only in the sense that they're perfect at telling what's going on for humans. 'Cause even if they can't tell what's actually happening, what's happening for us would be not knowing whether or not we can sense what's actually going on.
     
  3. thedope

    thedope glad attention Lifetime Supporter

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    We may compare our hypothesis of what is real to the following criteria:
    It must be non local nor remote.
    It is never absent.
    Remember if it is not real, it does not exist.
     
  4. tikoo

    tikoo Senior Member

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    in the theory of Relationalism
    everything existing deserves a relationship
    and any whatever can get one

    the value of a relationship doesn't really
    depend on existence , but existence is nice .

    i know a stone deaf old man who loves to play his little drum .
    how does he know he's making good music ?

    the more you love , the more you can know .
     
  5. FreshDacre

    FreshDacre Senior Member

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    You have to trust your eyes. If you can't do that, then why trust anything?
     
  6. 60s-70s-80s

    60s-70s-80s Member

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    I do trust my eyes...but seeing something doesn't mean it's real. I see things in dreams, but dreams aren't real. They're just my imagination. How can I be sure that everything I'm experiencing right now isn't all one big dream?

    And how can I be sure everyone else thinks and feels in the same way I do?
     
  7. Sam_Stoned

    Sam_Stoned Senior Member

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    I exist, I believe other people when they say they exist.

    I admit I do not understand the nature of existence. Humanic existence, The existence of time and space, the nature of the earth and the universe.

    We don't know what is real. We don't know what is. We don't know what. We don't know. (I know that sounds like psuedo-intelligent gibberish, but it really does mean something. It sums up quite well my feelings on the topic)
     
  8. FreshDacre

    FreshDacre Senior Member

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    Just trust with your instincts, if there is something you love, and you know it is real with all of your heart, then it is real to you and thats all that matters. For me its snowboarding. And dreams are very real to me.
     
  9. What do you mean by "real"? Anything you see effects you in some way -- doesn't that make it real enough?
     
  10. famewalk

    famewalk Banned

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    (a) The subject must make the distinction between academics and the Real Life of the experience of reality.


    (b) What is Real and not Real is beyond difference, and it is a serious question about the negative in Being. Absurdity is not to be taken lightly:)
     
  11. auri_rain

    auri_rain Olá!Eu sou alto como uma.

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    i used to think[still kinda do] that my dreams were reality and reality was my dreams..i can never tell.my dreams are realistic my life is a blur.most things that happened to me in dreamstate have come true or am i simply living and then dreaming of what happened?? i've been thinkin like this since preschool and i still dont know the answer.
    there are many questions to be asked bout whats real and isnt but some just cant be answered for we do not truely know.
    "The eyes see only what the mind is prepared to comprehend." Davies, Robertson
     
  12. tanasi

    tanasi Member

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    If all of this shit is a figment of the imagination then I am one warped self-loathing, uh thinker.
     
  13. tikoo

    tikoo Senior Member

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    .
    .

    perhaps the trouble is that the universe blinks on and off . we seem to experience non-existence , then have doubts about it . moment to moment a little bit of nothingness happens . worriers will neurotically fill in the blanks ?
    .
    .
     
  14. famewalk

    famewalk Banned

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    That's the way learning is teaching, and knowledge existed prior to birth, LOL


    But some people wished 'the Roads of (using) Liberty'. In order that these be Defining moments for Character, moments of reality of a lesser degree than the ordinary habits of Time can give, the definition is alas only in the authority of repeting one's capacities as the clever talent. Truly defining moments were to create TALENT, or discover TALENT. That knowledge existed prior to birth; the useful belonging was truly the USELESS lesson of Life. Man is that Being who's being is in question. What is Other is made own only Once repetition of authority is eliminated from the Trust.

    The ways of Liberty (the being in Question implying being Other than Himself) thereby becomes the ways of Science (Pure man for himself).
     
  15. themnax

    themnax Senior Member

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    by testing what works.
     
  16. killswitchjd

    killswitchjd Senior Member

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    Buddhist's claim that what we perceive is just an abstraction of true reality.... once enlightened then we can perceive the true metaphysics.
    Existentialist's ultimately think the individual is God-so what is and what is not is subjective- what you make of it.
    There are limitations on self via physical laws, preconceived mental constructs, ect... what Im getting at is theres no evidence a person can't break free from these limits and truly experience metaphysics.
     
  17. famewalk

    famewalk Banned

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    But it won't work this way for telling the Real. Telling the real from the non-real is done withstanding one's own character. It is truly to find one's character by understanding the Ideal.:p
     
  18. Sam_Stoned

    Sam_Stoned Senior Member

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    I agree with both ideas personally. Though I will never be a buddhist, I agree with a lot of their ideas.
     
  19. IntellectualCurious

    IntellectualCurious Member

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    depends on what you define as reality. What is real, what isn't?
    some say any idea can be some alternate reality.
    but perhaps we aren't even real.
    perhaps this is a dream.
    perhaps i'm not real, none of this is, its just a dream.
     
  20. deleted

    deleted Visitor

    you wonder sometimes, when a giant praying mantis pokes you on the shoulder from behind and says "hey bud, hows it going??"
     

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