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<blockquote data-quote="Thomas Hobbes" data-source="post: 1403040" data-attributes="member: 8623">&quot;Ow!&quot;&nbsp; Thomas jumps back and rubs his arm, then frowns at Jim.&nbsp; &quot;That was uncalled for.&nbsp; Besides, the pinch test has already failed, unless I'm mistaken.&quot;&nbsp; He shrugs, and turns to the others, still rubbing his arm, his previous deamenor returning as he continues the debate.Thomas nods.&nbsp; &quot;Technically true, but not, unfortunately, terribly useful.&nbsp; Any given person can know they exist, but that's all they can truly 'know.'&nbsp; Everything else is based on information from the senses, which can be decieved.&nbsp; We could, to use a hackneyed example, all be brains in jars- or any one of us could be a brain in a jar, and the rest of us simulations.&nbsp; And so on.&quot;&quot;Yes and no.&nbsp; Any philosophy has to have a certain number of basic assumptions- can't remember the latin term.&quot; Tom pauses in thought for a moment.&nbsp; &quot;A priori.&nbsp; Anyway, there are certain facts that are a priori with any given argument, like that the senses can be trusted, or should be trusted.&nbsp; We know they can't really, but we just went through this- either it's not real and you lose nothing or it is real and you lose nothing.&quot;But not all a priori arguments are equal.&nbsp; You have to make a leap of faith somewhere, but there are reasonable assumptions an unreasonable assumptions.&nbsp; But those choices should be based as much as possible on logic, rather than what 'feels right' or is convenient.&quot;Thomas grins.&nbsp; &quot;'Normal' and 'friendly,' of course, being relative terms.&nbsp; I think if a succubus, who is generally niether, walked up to me an introduced herself as Nahael, I'd trust her with my life.&nbsp; Or, uh, does no one else read the same story hours I do...?&quot;</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Thomas Hobbes, post: 1403040, member: 8623"] [i]"Ow!"[/i] Thomas jumps back and rubs his arm, then frowns at Jim. "That was uncalled for. Besides, the pinch test has already failed, unless I'm mistaken." He shrugs, and turns to the others, still rubbing his arm, his previous deamenor returning as he continues the debate. Thomas nods. "Technically true, but not, unfortunately, terribly useful. Any given person can know they exist, but that's [i]all[/i] they can truly 'know.' Everything else is based on information from the senses, which can be decieved. We could, to use a hackneyed example, all be brains in jars- or any one of us could be a brain in a jar, and the rest of us simulations. And so on." "Yes and no. Any philosophy has to have a certain number of basic assumptions- can't remember the latin term." Tom pauses in thought for a moment. [i]"A priori.[/i] Anyway, there are certain facts that are [i]a priori[/i] with any given argument, like that the senses can be trusted, or should be trusted. We know they can't really, but we just went through this- either it's not real and you lose nothing or it is real and you lose nothing. "But not all [i]a priori[/i] arguments are equal. You have to make a leap of faith somewhere, but there are reasonable assumptions an unreasonable assumptions. But those choices should be based as much as possible on logic, rather than what 'feels right' or is convenient." Thomas grins. "'Normal' and 'friendly,' of course, being relative terms. I think if a succubus, who is generally niether, walked up to me an introduced herself as Nahael, I'd trust her with my life. Or, uh, does no one else read the same story hours I do...?" [/QUOTE]

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