The below is content from: http://justanotherblogonsavingtheworld.blogspot.ca/
Original content is in black, annotations and insights by myself are in red
Experientialism - "What is the Matrix?"
Wait? The movie with roots in Plato's Cave Analogy is about the parameters of a physical world we only verify through our senses... mind = not blown... at all
I'm posting this note in honour of my SJPS class this Friday in which we will discuss the "Matrix."
You can also discuss the Matrix in World of Warcraft Anonymous support groups.
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I've dedicated a significant portion of my life towards answering the question: why do people do what they do?
"And what bland open ended questions can I ask them?"
Towards the end of last summer, I finally answered this question, at least, to the best of my current abilities.
This is actually more humble than he has ever been
First off, let me be clear, I'm not a psychologist. Or a neurologist, for that matter.
Everything that follows is based on my observation, reading, and reflection.
And a lifetime of getting shot down by romantic partners...
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What is Experientialism?
Well, my definition actually differs from that of Wikipedia's. Wikipedia currently states that: "Experimentalism is the philosophical theory that experience is the source of knowledge."
My definition is more exhaustive; I'd argue that experience is the source of nearly everything. (Excluding a priori innate knowledge such as animal instinct)
Why not argue with a source that your professors won't flunk you for citing?
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This is not my theory, but the theory of many philosophers before myself. To my knowledge, Protagoras, the pre-Socratic philosopher, was the first to coin something like this theory when he argued that "Man is the measure of all things."
Essentially, the theory is that everything exists because of our senses.
He's right so far...
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(Many philosophers would argue that there is an a priori knowledge: that is, knowledge independent of experience, as phrased by Kant. However, my argument is that experience always precedes a prioi knowledge. You can't understand a priori knowledge without having first experienced.)
Have you ever put 50,000 things beside 10,000 things? No? Then don't try to tell me what 50000+10000 equals! Aside from this wicked difficult math equation, much of our understanding of science and nature is based on unobservable phenomenon that cannot be deduced from experiences.
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This is already taking the form of a Kritique, so let's just assume for the purposes of this essay, that experience is the source of everything, and thus, the reason people do what they do.
Now, I could stop here: stop at experience as the source of human action, however, there's still a massive philosophical void. How does experience become action?
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This is not my theory, but the theory of many philosophers before myself. To my knowledge, Protagoras, the pre-Socratic philosopher, was the first to coin something like this theory when he argued that "Man is the measure of all things."
Essentially, the theory is that everything exists because of our senses.
He's right so far...
---
(Many philosophers would argue that there is an a priori knowledge: that is, knowledge independent of experience, as phrased by Kant. However, my argument is that experience always precedes a prioi knowledge. You can't understand a priori knowledge without having first experienced.)
Have you ever put 50,000 things beside 10,000 things? No? Then don't try to tell me what 50000+10000 equals! Aside from this wicked difficult math equation, much of our understanding of science and nature is based on unobservable phenomenon that cannot be deduced from experiences.
---
This is already taking the form of a Kritique, so let's just assume for the purposes of this essay, that experience is the source of everything, and thus, the reason people do what they do.
Now, I could stop here: stop at experience as the source of human action, however, there's still a massive philosophical void. How does experience become action?
Why did his ancestor experience breathing and choose to make it a regular action... we could have all been spared.
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Well, first you need a lot of experiences. I pragmatically labeled an individual's complete instantaneous tapestry of experiences an "indoctrination." Although indoctrination generally has negative connotations, it's the only word I could find that remotely captures the meaning of a "collection of experiences," besides education, which I find isn't quite the same thing. An education refers to a certain set of experiences; not your collective exposure.
Another word for a chain of actions you will experience - life. Not used here as the author is arguing everyone is indoctrinated and proving that not everyone has a life.
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So. You experience. These experiences consolidate into an indoctrination.
However, the void still remains. How does your indoctrination become action?
Well, first you need a lot of experiences. I pragmatically labeled an individual's complete instantaneous tapestry of experiences an "indoctrination." Although indoctrination generally has negative connotations, it's the only word I could find that remotely captures the meaning of a "collection of experiences," besides education, which I find isn't quite the same thing. An education refers to a certain set of experiences; not your collective exposure.
Another word for a chain of actions you will experience - life. Not used here as the author is arguing everyone is indoctrinated and proving that not everyone has a life.
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So. You experience. These experiences consolidate into an indoctrination.
However, the void still remains. How does your indoctrination become action?
"The leader is good, the leader is great, we will be friends with Adam Hill as of this date" Happy? Good, stop writing.
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Well, I discovered this last piece of the puzzle this past summer while reading the Socratic dialogue: Euthyphro. It's one of the shorter Socratic-dialogues between Socrates and Euthyphro. Euthyphro has come to express his condolences and offer help to Socrates who had recently been indicted for corrupting the youth and impiety. My 'eureka' moment occurred when I read how he had corrupted the youth, or at least, how the authorities had claimed that he corrupted the youth. According to Socrates, he was corrupting them by "inventing Gods." My jaw dropped when I read this line. The missing link between indoctrination and action. It is the inventing of Gods.
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Well, I discovered this last piece of the puzzle this past summer while reading the Socratic dialogue: Euthyphro. It's one of the shorter Socratic-dialogues between Socrates and Euthyphro. Euthyphro has come to express his condolences and offer help to Socrates who had recently been indicted for corrupting the youth and impiety. My 'eureka' moment occurred when I read how he had corrupted the youth, or at least, how the authorities had claimed that he corrupted the youth. According to Socrates, he was corrupting them by "inventing Gods." My jaw dropped when I read this line. The missing link between indoctrination and action. It is the inventing of Gods.
I am going to start a counter for how many eureka moments he has.
Pompous Eureka Moments: 1
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A more modern colloquial equivalent was that he was inventing values.
Pompous Eureka Moments: 1
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A more modern colloquial equivalent was that he was inventing values.
Via the Socratic Method it would seem he was suggesting values. Totally different from how this blog pretends to have Value.
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Values dictate action because values are inherently right. If they are not right, they are not values. [The same goes for God(s)]
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Values dictate action because values are inherently right. If they are not right, they are not values. [The same goes for God(s)]
He defines every fucking thing, but then leaves his unquestionably perfect 'values' without descriptive detail. Lazy or stupid?
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Think about it for a second. Why have you done anything in your life? And why are you doing what you're doing right now? Values. Always.
You go to school, maybe to get a job, maybe just to get an education, maybe simply because your family wants you to, because your experiences have caused you to value certain things.
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Think about it for a second. Why have you done anything in your life? And why are you doing what you're doing right now? Values. Always.
You go to school, maybe to get a job, maybe just to get an education, maybe simply because your family wants you to, because your experiences have caused you to value certain things.
You murder people? VALUES MAKE YOU DO IT!
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This is experientialism: it is a calculus of human behaviour.
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This is experientialism: it is a calculus of human behaviour.
Pointless extrapolations: I try (and fail) to seem more powerful/insightful/not full of shit
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You begin by sensing; by seeing, hearing, and feeling. (Introspective thought and reflection also occur at this stage --- more on this later --- Reason is also a sense) Then these sensations consolidate into an indoctrination. Think of your indoctrination as the instantaneous structure of your brain at a specific point in time. Within this indoctrination there manifests sets of experiences: values. And you are left to simply enact your values.
You begin by sensing; by seeing, hearing, and feeling. (Introspective thought and reflection also occur at this stage --- more on this later --- Reason is also a sense) Then these sensations consolidate into an indoctrination. Think of your indoctrination as the instantaneous structure of your brain at a specific point in time. Within this indoctrination there manifests sets of experiences: values. And you are left to simply enact your values.
How did seeing, hearing and feeling lead to the using fire to cook food. You don't observe or experience food poisoning constantly and think "that shit that I experienced burning myself with could solve this problem"
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experience->indoctrination->values->action
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experience->indoctrination->values->action
8=you=are=a=dick=>
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This is it folks. This is the Matrix. This is the law that governs everything we do; the formula that has shaped human action throughout history.
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This is it folks. This is the Matrix. This is the law that governs everything we do; the formula that has shaped human action throughout history.
This is it folks. The kind of self flagellating bullshit that I can no longer let slide. What kind of egotistical douche tries to summarize the whole of our existence and the way we live in just over 700 words? The same guy who inspires a blog with no purpose other than criticize him.
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You don't believe me? Think about it.
You don't believe me? Think about it.
You don't believe him? Good, there's hope for us all yet.
Cheers.
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