I hate to make two downer posts in the same topic, but what I'd be interested to see is people not trying to invent a bridge between sub-atomic physics and human philosophy. Quantum Physics sound great to me, I don't understand anything about but at it's most basic it's describing the physical function of the universe at the next level down from protons and so forth. Fantastic. But I'm not even going to ask anyone to explain what that has to do with macro-level human behavior, or even macro level physical behavior. Better yet, if you can answer that question (and don't give it to me), explain to me why you think that connection should be considered to exist.
The idea of relating quantum interactions to human choices and reactions especially strikes me as the modern phrasology for asking how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Only in the most absolutely universal, macroscopic interpretation can you even philosophically link sub-atomic movement to observable thoughts and actions. At what point can we agree that the calculus is so massive, so vague, and so theoretical that the concept itself becomes completely meaningless?
Needless to say, I do not subscribe to Determinism, Quantum related or otherwise. Not because I personally have no faith in our ability to trace an upwards connection, or a connection from any other source. More because I consider it an attempt to shrug off responsibility to justify or explain human activity unto itself. I insist that human behavior and all that derives from that behavior be explained as organic happenstance, not as a negation of any deeper explanation which would be fascinating to study in itself, but because going into the question of action and reaction assuming it has some other impetus removes the need to analyze the actions themselves.
Not that I want to dive into the Definitional Objectivity vs Subjectivity debate either, but I'm an Objectivist for the much the same reasons. It's not because I inherently believe that things have concrete definitions in themselves - as a former drug-taker, I know full well the power of human observation to affect a reality all it's own. No, I believe that we must accept that things can be given concrete definitions in themselves, to save our ability to research and analyze the world around us from going into a navel-gazing rot of solipsist deconstruction. Understanding the real world is hard enough without hobbling ourselves by doubting our own reason and perception, however obvious the limitations.
And now you know why I both love and hate posting in Philosophy Discussion Thread #9184. I start repeating myself with lots of huge words, usually halfway missing the point in my haste to blurt out my theories with a little triggering from someone else's unrelated statements.
Author
Topic: The Philosophy Thread (Read 5640 times)