Harold O'brien
they/them
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2021
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1. are you jbslayer?Spectacular. You've confused mathematical notation with actual comprehension. The Schrödinger equation is one equation : try explaining what it MEANS in two sentences. I'll wait. Wave-particle duality? Quantum entanglement? The measurement problem? But hey, you can count the symbols, so you must understand it, right?
Hiding behind Wittgenstein's language games while completely missing his point is so fucking mind-boggling to me. He argued against private language and for meaning through use . He didn't argue that popular usage determines metaphysical reality. You're using him as a philosophical security blanket while missing the deeper implications
This is the kind of circular reasoning that passes for profundity in undergraduate philosophy classes. Of course human consciousness has human characteristics . That's a TAUTOLOGY. The question is whether reality itself is limited to human perspectives.
You're essentially arguing:
- Humans can only think in human terms
- Therefore reality can only be what humans conventionally think it is
- Therefore conventional definitions determine truth
This is so philosophically naive it's actually almost precious. You know this is like "Dogs can only perceive in dog terms, therefore reality is limited to what dogs can perceive."...right?
Your whole entire argument has collapsed into radical subjectivism:
If language use determines reality, then truth becomes impossible and your own argument defeats itself. You can't even claim your position is true without contradicting your premise.
I genuinely think our next discussion should be how counting equations on your fingers isn't quite the same as understanding quantum mechanics.
Because if we're playing the Wittgenstein card, we should probably discuss his views on the mystical and transcendent. Or would that require too many sentences?
2. getting as much meaning through in as little 'space' as possible is always ideal. summarizing complex things like quantum mechanics is difficult but a sign of geniine understanding and intelligence
3. language is used because of popuarity and mutual understanding, arguing this is a fallacy makes zero sense.
4. im a nihilist so the rest of what you wrote checks out, tbh. but you can't make and prove a different position without contradicting yourself so it is what it is