Tom Storm

I understand that people may argue this. But since we only have our possible world to go by, how do we know that the logical absolutes, for instance, ...

You often seem to present your ideas in the manner of a Christian or Muslim apologist, with the loaded rhetorical questions. Answer: no. Really? Why d...

I think I can see this. As a non-philosopher, with a tendency towards postmodernism (often with reluctance - it's cultural) I generally hold an anti-f...

You ought to know that nothing is certain. :razz: But lack of certainty is no reason adopt an untrammelled fantasy life. As I've said to you previousl...

Nice place to be. But how is it different to collecting antiques? It's because of my conversations with others about metaphysics that I have arrived m...

That is interesting. You may like Kierkegaard. It's rich material for speculation, but I am unclear what it tangibly provides me with. I have often fe...

What else do you expect from a people that stick their fingers up dykes all the time?

An Australian friend traveling in America got to slightly know a homeless African American man and his young son. They were sleeping rough and begging...

That's an interesting frame. I quite like it. I've generally thought that there is something wrong with the plethora of contradictory values humans ho...

It's probably more the case that I'm ambivalent and therefore inconsistent.

It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it. Not me necessarily. I think most reflective people can't help but wonder to what extent they can justify...

This is an interesting observation and you have suggested as much in other places. Can you say some more about what you mean by 'if you have a choice'...

Yeah. Besides, I'm generally not all that impressed with human awareness. It's pretty hit and miss.

What a thoughtful and interesting response. Thanks. But I fear it is lost on me. Not sure I can use this and I have, of course, heard such things expr...

I can't see a ready answer to this either, but I'm not philosophically inclined to such views. Possibly @"Wayfarer" would provide us with an account o...

Indeed. Would not all gods be the 'artificial' creation of humans? Like polyester. Begs the question, what is a natural god and how would we demonstra...

Nicely put. But as someone who is neither an artist, philosopher or scientist, I feel I don't need to concern myself with idealism and such speculativ...

:up: Nice quotes.

That's probably right. Phenomenology seems to examine how we experience reality as opposed to identifying what reality is. But it seems to me that in ...

I think I'm in agreement with you. I can only speak for myself, but this type of metaphysical construction is of almost no use to me personally and ha...

Yes... but I guess it still leaves us with open questions about which metaphysical models we may be willing to engage with, or accept as worth our tim...

Thanks for doing this - saved me the trouble. These are challenging times. But times have always been challenging. I remember vividly when a not very ...

I tend to think this is the right frame. Hence we can well ask the question - :up:

This kind of thinking occurs to most people by the time they are teenagers. For some it's a pathway to radical politics. For others it's a retreat int...

I'm of no use here, Bob, apologies. There wasn't an argument. It was simply the fact that for practical purposes idealism makes no difference to my da...

How much Kant have you read? Have you moved away from Kastrup? I think many people with an interest in philosophy end up here abouts at some point. I ...

Words do not have inherent meaning, they have usage. I can see the argument you are making but someone with a different usage preference may not. What...

Either missing the point spectacularly or you're not serious. People play dangerous sex games, they undertake high risk activities for the adrenalin r...

I find this an odd question. Humans seem to have always enjoyed altering their consciousness and augmenting their quotidian experiences through all ma...

I wouldn't have thought so. But how does one determine or measure purpose? Against what?

Notice that DT are the same letters as the DT's or delirium tremens? Which, like Trump is a medical emergency causing:- Severe agitation and restlessn...

Got ya. I have nothing. Good luck.

I'm not sure I understand the question. But perhaps the clarity of this matter rests upon the underlying assumptions one holds. Humans are clever anim...

Thanks for clarifying. It's an interesting subject but I doubt philosophy or science will solve it any time soon. I have no expertise in the subject s...

I think that's sometimes a consequence, sure. What I meant is that terrorist acts and retribution are a form of showbiz - a vulgar calling card of the...

:yikes:

Fair point. My life has largely been free of trouble but I certainly wouldn't want to relive any of it. I choose extinction. :wink:

Isn't it also showbiz? A snuff movie? Explosions, screams, fire, ruins, dramatic footage of people suffering in the aftermath - this guarantees notori...

I guess I don't understand what you're trying to do. I was just curious why you settled on those options.

No idea, really. None of those. Any reason why you left out idealism? Or Integrated Information Theory (IIT)? And I guess you could also add emergence...

I like the idea of a triangle with four sides - that seems a match for what is happening. If someone says to you - Why is there something rather than ...

That sounds right. In this way we have any number of books being seen as helpful, inspired or revelatory, from Mein Kampf to You Can Heal Your Life. O...

I think that sounds right, but you have more expertise in such matters than I do. Would you define it this way?

Yep. And this has also led to a lucrative and violent gang led illicit and tobacco industry here called chop-chop. I did buy some of this about 20 yea...

They do. But isn't that the problem? Can we talk about nothingness, other than to say there is a concept we imagine wherein there is a total absence o...

Got ya. Thanks for the clarification. :up:

Got ya... Yep, I don't think this can be demonstrated. But let's explore this in a more appropriate place some other time. Thanks for the chat. :up: Q...

There's a 24 hour taxi driver venue 15 minutes from me but burgers are $17 each. A toasted cheese and ham roll is about $10. So hardly cheap. But I've...

These are middle of the road prices. I’m not aware of any cheap places. Generally the prices are similar but quality does vary.

A coffee here is around $5-$6. I almost never have coffee out. I drink it black and strong and the shit I make at home is as good as, or better than, ...