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The Big Question (Philosophy)
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Ishmael


In: Toronto
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What is the Meaning of Life?

"To know the good is to do the good."

This is the oldest adage in Philosophy, the purpose of which is the investigation and discovery of the good. Unfortunately, 2000 years of philosophical inquiry, give-or-take a millennium (pace Fomenko) have demonstrated nothing so well as the unknowable quality of the good. The one thing we have learned from all our ponderings is that the universe we inhabit is one in which the good can never be known.

But that at least is knowable, and I think it safe to assume, significant. It leaves us also with sufficient premises for a syllogism.
  1. To know the good is to do the good.
  2. We live in a universe in which we cannot know the good.
  3. Therefore....
Well. What conclusion must follow?
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Wile E. Coyote


In: Arizona
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Good is a handy approximation?
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Mick Harper
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In: London
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No, he's saying that's not available. But if it is, it is easier judging what is good for ourselves (since we do have 'happiness' as a criteria') than judging what is good for others. And especially all others.
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Wile E. Coyote


In: Arizona
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I am sticking. The whole point of good is that it is better than bad, everything else being equal... which it never is.
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Mick Harper
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In: London
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I still think you're missing the point. "The good" implies not your personal happiness (relatively easy to judge) but the general good. Which Ishmael is saying is unknowable. But he may be able to speak for himself.
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Mick Harper
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In: London
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Thinking about it more, it is the 'general' that is the problem. We might be able to judge what's best for our family too. Maybe 'people just like us'. Maybe our entire nation. Maybe the world. But the universe is an awfully big place.
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Mick Harper
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In: London
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But I have a feeling Ishmael will say we can't even judge our own personal interest with any confidence.
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Wile E. Coyote


In: Arizona
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Mick Harper wrote:
I still think you're missing the point.


To be fair if Ish has something new (which invariably he tries for) as opposed, that is, to something novel that someone just arrived at AE might post... then I should be missing the point.
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Boreades


In: finity and beyond
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My Big Question (five minutes ago) was how very dare the Wikipedia page on Epistemology not mention AEL?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistemology

Fixed that for you.
See at the end of Other links.
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Mick Harper
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In: London
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It probably won't last. I myself wander in and out of Wiki. But always eventually out. In the good old days I was worth mentioning in order to dismiss me, but now I am dismissed in order not to have to mention me. Rather ironic really since our current book is a How To Use Wiki guide.
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Ishmael


In: Toronto
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Wile E. Coyote wrote:
To be fair if Ish has something new (which invariably he tries for) as opposed, that is, to something novel that someone just arrived at AE might post... then I should be missing the point.


  1. To know the good is to do the good.
  2. We live in a universe in which we cannot know the good.
  3. Therefore....
...this universe was made as a place for us to do bad.
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Boreades


In: finity and beyond
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Ishmael wrote:

  1. To know the good is to do the good.
  2. We live in a universe in which we cannot know the good.
  3. Therefore....
...this universe was made as a place for us to do bad.


Do we get points for the number of logical fallacies in that statement?
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Mick Harper
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In: London
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Yeah, all right. Go!
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Boreades


In: finity and beyond
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Mick Harper wrote:
It probably won't last..


How right you are, AEL has already been censored.

09:08, 30 April 2019‎ Richard-of-Earth talk contribs‎ 75,235 bytes -126‎ Undid revision 894763201 by Boreades2 (talk) This is just a non-notable discussion board. You can bring this up on the talk page to try to get consensus to include. undo Tag: Undo


You might be wondering: who is Richard-of-Earth?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Richard-of-Earth

A Wiki contributor who is concerned about the sources of truth and consensus..

Things .. do not get put in Wikipedia articles unless they are backed up from multiple news sources that are very reliable like the Washington post, CNN, Fox news, etc(or perhaps Russian equivalents).


That was in response to someone (Ksenia Sobchak) daring to suggest that "populist" media can be sources of truth.

The Daily Star, The Mirror and more had picture and video evidence of her naked with the hitler book and calling a black waiter a slave both on her own instagram. This is Irrefutable evidence. Everything else i put in that section was also fact. I request that the entire section be reinstated.


Thank goodness Ksenia Sobchak didn't mention the Daily Mail.

{edit} I'm not sure what "non-notable discussion board" means. Any ideas?
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Mick Harper
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In: London
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If we were notable we wouldn't be needed?
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