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How far can/should one press philosophical doubt?
Should we keep on questioning until nothing is left to question or is there a point on which we need to stand (which we often tend to do)? Descartes used 'I think' as this fixed point where the skepticism abates, there may be others. But what is a…
Ather Cheema
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A companion or guide to Kant's Critique of Pure Reason
Which companion, or guide, would you recommend to someone trying to read and understand the original work, The Critique of Pure Reason? Why?
I'm inclined towards these two, The Cambridge Companion to Kant's Critique of Pure Reason and A Kant…
Adeel Ansari
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Is there a connection between Kants thought & the observer-dependent interpretation of quantum mechanics?
Kants copernican revolution placed the observer squarely back into universe. The universe wasn't just an objective reality out there, but also entangled up in our own ways of knowing and perceiving at a fundamental level, that is our understanding…
Mozibur Ullah
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Intuitively, why is ¬(P ↔ Q) ≡ P ↔ ¬Q?
Source: p 77. Sweet Reason: A Field Guide to Modern Logic (2010 2 ed) by Henle, Garfield, Tymoczko.
I pursue only intuition; please do not answer with formal proofs or Truth Tables. I already comprehend, and so ask not about, the direct proof.…
user8572
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Proof Universe Came From Nothing?
Consider the following proof:
(1) Let the Universe be defined as the set of all things.
(2) It is impossible for a thing to come from itself. (You can't be your own parent)
(3) 2 implies a set of things cannot contain its own source.
(4) For all…
Andrew Tomazos
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What does "to cause" mean?
What does it mean, strictly, for one event to "cause" another? If I throw a ball, does the movement of my arm cause the ball to move, or are they simply correlated events? If you say the arm caused the ball to move, how can you be sure?
Kenshin
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Euler's 1746 philosophy paper
In 1746, Euler, a famous mathematician, published what I believe to be a little-known philosophy paper. It seems interesting, but it is difficult for me to follow as I lack adequate philosophy background. Euler reduces his argument to a simple…
glebovg
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If eating in vitro animal meat is morally acceptable to vegetarians, does it follow that eating in vitro Human flesh is morally acceptable?
Several research groups around the world are attempting to perfect techniques for growing animal flesh for human consumption, without requiring the killing of a complete intelligent organism. This is known as in vitro meat. Vegetarian groups are…
Bogdanovist
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Is the simulation of emotional states equivalent to actually experiencing emotions?
According to the 'Mario Lives!' video, researchers have been able to develop an AI unit that is able to experience emotional states, such as greed, hunger, and curiosity. If the AI is currently experiencing an emotion, it will engage in certain…
Left SE On 10_6_19
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What does mathematical constructivism gain us philosophically?
Constructivists restrict the kind of entities they are willing to let into the mathematical domain; thus, e.g., Leopold Kronecker did not accept transcendental numbers as well as other entities (see What was Leopold Kronecker's philosophical view…
L.M. Student
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How does Schopenhauer maintain idealism without God?
In Berkeley's idealism God holds the world together, enabling us to avoid chaos and experience a shared, orderly reality. But Schopenhauer is an idealist and an atheist. How can we then explain the shared experience of reality? What holds everything…
Bill Herd
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Why should we care about personal identity?
I just read a book about personal identity and it gave me insights in different theories about personal identity. But after all, I still don't get, why we should care about personal identity.
Being a philosophy student, I can usually grasp…
Metaphysiker
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What are computable numbers, and what is their philosophical significance?
What are Computable Numbers? Is computability (or non-computability) some sort of technology-dependent characteristic of numbers (via e.g. Turing Machines)? What are the philosophical implications or significance of computable (and non-computable)…
L.M. Student
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Is Feyerabend confusing discovery and justification when he criticizes the scientific method?
I am reading Feyerabend's "Against Method", where he uses Copernicus's (and Galileo's confirmation) discovery of the fact that the Earth orbits around the Sun and other examples to show that irrational approaches can lead to legitimate scientific…
Alexander S King
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In what fundamental ways, if any, does Husserl break with Kant?
I've read only slim secondary works on Husserl some time ago, and recently started "The Crisis in the European Sciences." So far, the framework seems faithfully Kantian. Husserl, for example, describes geometry as a priori constructions "filling…
Nelson Alexander
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