Last Tuesday, Beertje remarked that the lecture was rather difficult and hard to understand that day. I admit, the theme wasn't easy and maybe rather abstract indeed.
What it was all about, was actually the holy grail of philosophy: a complete understanding of the world, for understanding the world could mean that we would have THE answer to the question "Why am I here?"
The first step in this proces was the refewrence to the fact, that homo sapiens survived by discovering patterns in the nature and culture that surround us.
Whether we want to make a hand axe from the right type of stone or understand the movements of planets, in both cases we posit general principles to test and explain observed patterns.
It is based on the familiar pattern of what we call the empirical cycle. We observe things, we form a hypothesis and experiment on that basis.
We analyze the results and come to a conclusion. Others can then repeat the cycle and see if they also come to the same conclusions. If so, then we understand a little bit more of the world.
A second point was that we have made little progress with artificial intelligence in this context. Sure, it shows exceptional performance, but it is only based on pattern recognition in large datasets.
The philosophical question of why exactly THOSE patterns exist is not asked, but when we do get an answer to this question, it would lead to the question of why exactly THAT is the answer.
But do we really understand the world better if we find principles that generalize about patterns found? After all, a principle is nothing more than a deeper regularity. How deep should we go?
According to American physicist and Nobel Prize winner Steven Weinberg (1933 - 2021), we must continue searching until we finally arrive at the smallest elementary particles.
Every question about the world ultimately ends up at the smallest particles, after which we can go no further, whether it concerns physical, chemical, biological, sociological, psychological, or cultural phenomena.
This is the method of reductionism. It means that we try to reduce complex matters to their component parts and then reduce those component parts to their component parts, and so on.
Unfortunately, here we reach the limits or maybe the limitations of human understanding. To understand, for instance, the Renaissance, we can analyse, reduce it to its political, economic, and cultural elements and patterns.
Of course, the Renaissance was a movement of real human beings, and as such of biological organisms, that were subjected to biochemical laws.
But understanding these biochemical laws and processes doesn't contribute to a better understanding of the origins of the Renaissance. In other words, here the reduction to smaller elements stops.
And even when we reached the level of the most elementary particles, we still don't understand why these particles exist. Astrophysics may tell us how these particles came into being, but what was the origin of the Big Bang itself?
This all leaves me with the feeling that a quest to understand the world, to answer the metaphysical question why there is, what there is, is not the path to get to the meaning of life.
And now I also have a feeling that I have disappointed Beertje by delivering a lecture that is maybe even more difficult than the former one........
Thank you for your attention... the floor is yours...
Maybe this was another way of telling you that I personally find metaphysics as a part of philosophy a waste of time :-)
Thank you for your attention... the floor is yours...
Main Sources:
MacMillan The Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2nd edition
TABLE OF CONTENT -----------------------------------------------------------------
1 - 100 Philosophers 9 May 2009 Start of
2 - 25+ Women Philosophers 10 May 2009 this blog
3 - 25 Adventures in Thinking 10 May 2009
4 - Modern Theories of Ethics 29 Oct 2009
5 - The Ideal State 24 Febr 2010 / 234
6 - The Mystery of the Brain 3 Sept 2010 / 266
7 - The Utopia of the Free Market 16 Febr 2012 / 383
8. - The Aftermath of Neo-liberalism 5 Sept 2012 / 413
9. - The Art Not to Be an Egoist 6 Nov 2012 / 426
10 - Non-Western Philosophy 29 May 2013 / 477
11 - Why Science is Right 2 Sept 2014 / 534
12 - A Philosopher looks at Atheism 1 Jan 2015 / 557
13 - EVIL, a philosophical investigation 17 Apr 2015 / 580
14 - Existentialism and Free Will 2 Sept 2015 / 586
15 - Spinoza 2 Sept 2016 / 615
16 - The Meaning of Life 13 Febr 2017 / 637
17 - In Search of my Self 6 Sept 2017 / 670
18 - The 20th Century Revisited 3 Apr 2018 / 706
19 - The Pessimist 11 Jan 2020 / 819
20 - The Optimist 9 Febr 2020 / 824
21 - Awakening from a Neoliberal Dream 8 Oct 2020 / 872
22 - A World Full of Patterns 1 Apr 2021 / 912
23 - The Concept of Freedom 8 Jan 2022 / 965
24 - Materialism 7 Sept 2022 / 1011
25 - Historical Materialism 5 Oct 2023 / 1088
26 - The Bonobo and the Atheist 9 Jan 2024 / 1102
27 - Artificial Intelligence 9 Feb 2024 / 1108
28 - Why Am I Here 6 Sept 2024 / 1139
The Discussion
[13:20] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) GIGGLES!!
[13:20] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ...LOL...
[13:20] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): ツ
[[13:21] Maybe this was another way of telling you that I personally find metaphysics as a part of philosophy a waste of time :-)
[13:21] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): In short we need to find the standard model for philosophy but even that wont help in many cases
[13:21] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): this is what Bej's beloved collider is trying to do
[13:21] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): go way down tho the particulars
[13:21] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): as said, biochemical processes and the Renaissance
[13:21] herman Bergson: yes, but that thing doesn't answer the metaphysical question either
[13:22] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): nope
[13:22] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): they are not connected but a product of culture
[13:22] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): i doubt nothing will
[13:22] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and yes culture comes from the mind of humans but
[13:22] herman Bergson: Yes Gemma, indeed....it is an interesting feeling
[13:22] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): extremley hard if not impossible to connect these, they are too unrelated
[13:22] herman Bergson: Just to experience the limits of our brain
[13:23] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): or unrelated.. its all to abstract
[13:23] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): is the word i look for
[13:23] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): abstract
[13:23] herman Bergson: Reductionism works to some extent tho
[13:24] herman Bergson: It is a method of thinking
[13:24] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah
[13:24] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): yes
[13:25] herman Bergson: I think I am more pragmatic in these matters...if something works, it works, asking why is not always meaningful
[13:25] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): true
[13:25] herman Bergson: Like reducing reality to the smallest particles...the theory works in most cases....
[13:26] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): quantum physics is working on that also
[13:26] herman Bergson: As a student I always equated metaphysics with theology....
[13:26] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa yes gemma
[13:27] herman Bergson: When Leibniz searched for the explanation of what is and why....he concluded: God
[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and LHC is reducing stuff to its smallest bits since a goo while, however a particle accelerator cant help us with finding the standard model of philosophy
[13:27] herman Bergson: In onther words...no answer either ㋡
[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): its a matter analusis machine
[13:28] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): concrete stuff while philosophy is abstract
[13:28] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): but the analogy is visible
[13:28] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): somewhat
[13:28] herman Bergson: But such a particle machine is beging the question ....
[13:28] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): take stuff apart again and again and find the connecting bits
[13:29] herman Bergson: it is built on the assumption to discover certain particles...
[13:29] herman Bergson: How can you search for the unknown?
[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): well thats true, the higgs was already calculated that it HAD to exist so they knew what to look for and they found it
[13:29] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): they just needed a powerful enough machine
[13:30] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): indeed herman
[13:30] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): thats harder, trickier
[13:30] herman Bergson: So we may conclude that our thinking simply stops at a certain level depending on the subject
[13:31] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): mayb e we don't ask the right questions
[13:31] herman Bergson: Fortunately, there are many other answers to the question why I am here ㋡
[13:31] herman Bergson: THAT is the tricky part, Beertje....
[13:32] herman Bergson: A question in a way implies already its answer....or sends us in a certain direction...
[13:32] herman Bergson: just take the simple questions... WHO is that and WHAT is that
[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa yes
[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): thats equal to setting up the LHC to look for a specific thing versus running it at random i guess
[13:33] herman Bergson: The first forces us to refer to a person...the second to an object..or an asshole :-)
[13:33] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): the first one is much easier and still its darn hard
[13:34] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): smiles
[13:34] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): what to look for
[13:34] herman Bergson: SO formulating the right question is already a problem in itself often
[13:34] herman Bergson: You have such problems with Google and AI for instance....
[13:34] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): we willnever know fur sure if it's THE question
[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa indeed
[13:35] herman Bergson: the answer you get depends on how you formulate the question
[13:35] herman Bergson: I alweays find that problem very interesting
[13:35] herman Bergson: what answer causes my question?
[13:36] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): AI I had an amazing experience yesterday with AI
[13:36] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): went to my doctor
[13:36] herman Bergson: with itself???
[13:36] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): and she puton her phone the entire visit
[13:37] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): NOT recording it
[13:37] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): connected to aI
[13:37] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): and we talked about a lot of stuff
[13:37] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): trump of course
[13:37] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): and she a bad accident she told me aboujt
[13:37] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): and we discussed medical stuff
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): at the end the AI spit out a summary containing only my medical info
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): from the visit
[13:38] herman Bergson whispers: oh...and the rest?
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): not recording and talk etc
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): gone
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): the rest was gone
[13:38] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): amazing stuff
[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ok
[13:39] herman Bergson: There is little to say about Trump indeed
[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): so it is being used by the medical profession to do that
[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) GIGGLES!!
[13:39] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ...LOL...
[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): trump dont like medicine so, he just cuts funding for it
[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hmm
[13:40] herman Bergson: Today I used it for legal stuff...got perfect answers
[[13:41] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): i don't think we will ever answer why am I here
[13:41] herman Bergson: You see!!
[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): we might come somewhat close maybe but
[13:41] bergfrau Apfelbaum: wow Gemma!! which AI was that? ... which gives a summary
[13:41] herman Bergson: The question WHY am I here....? already implies an answer!
[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): as said, its too abstract like u cant directly connect many parts
[13:41] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): no clue
[13:42] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): it went through her phone
[13:42] herman Bergson: WHY means....give me a REASON....
[13:42] bergfrau Apfelbaum: i will ask my mama :-) why i am here
[13:42] herman Bergson: That answer is simple Bergie.....:-)))
[13:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:42] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): In religions if you did believe you would have the answer
[13:42] bergfrau Apfelbaum: grins
[13:42] herman Bergson: She will tell you...there was that night with your dad and then......etc....:-)
[13:43] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate) GIGGLES!!
[13:43] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ...LOL...
[13:43] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): i doubt she would
[13:43] bergfrau Apfelbaum: yes :-) si i hope
[13:43] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): haha
[13:43] bergfrau Apfelbaum: or .. i dont know it was a long party
[13:43] herman Bergson: That is my problem with religion Gemma....philosophers like questions...not answers ㋡
[13:43] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): i said IF you believed
[13:43] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa indeed
[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): Philosophy is after all about the unsolved things
[13:45] herman Bergson: Well...enough to think about for the weekend, I guess :-))
[13:45] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): guess so
[13:45] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaaa
[13:45] herman Bergson: So, enjoy it :-)
[13:45] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ♥ Thank Youuuuuuuuuu!! ♥
[13:45] herman Bergson: Class dismissed.....
[13:45] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): nice Herman
[13:45] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): Thank yoy Herman
[13:45] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): ♥ Thank Youuuuuuuuuu!! ♥
[13:45] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ㋡
[13:45] bergfrau Apfelbaum: ty!! Herman and class!
[13:45] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): YAY! (yay!)
[13:45] bergfrau Apfelbaum: yay
[13:46] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): see you Tuesday I hope
[13:46] Gemma (gemma.cleanslate): have to poof
[13:46] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hugs Gemma
[13:46] bergfrau Apfelbaum: good poof :-) and a good weekend
