Alien Phrases And Their Meanings...
- Thread starter Farscape One
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Only Garak can make that the lesson you learn from THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF... and make you believe it.
Overthinking in philosophy?I didn't know that was possible.
The point is, it doesn't say everything exists like you were suggesting, but the exact opposite: That only real things exist. It's the First Law of Metaphysics, not Kiri-kin-tha's entire developed philosophy of metaphysics. It's just the starting point, the simplest possible axiom: real things exist, unreal things don't. As with Descartes, the first, most basic step is to posit the most elementary definition of existence, before you start thinking about anything more complicated.
Although it's not the same as Descartes, because it's merely an assertion without proof. Descartes's goal was to assume nothing as an axiom, but demand evidence for even the most elementary premise. He didn't just say "I exist," he said "The fact that I am able to think proves that I must exist."
If I were Vulcan, I'd start a competing philosophical school under the slogan: Nothing non-existent is real.
What's the difference?
What does 'Nothing unreal exists' mean in the first place, else than being a tautology? If I know that, I can try to find out the difference.
(Yes I understand that it could be seen as an encouragement to only focus on the 'real', whatever that might be, but that's already a quite subjective interpretation of said statement).
As I said, it's not meant to be Kiri-kin-tha's entire philosophy, just the "First Law," out of who knows how many. It's the starting axiom of KKT's metaphysical theories, so it's intentionally as basic as possible. It's the equivalent of starting to teach mathematics with 1+1=2. (Although Russell & Whitehead spent 360 pages of Principia Mathematica proving 1+1=2 through set theory without reference to actual numbers.)
But yes, I've always taken it to be an assertion of rationalism, of basing philosophy on provable realities rather than imaginary abstractions. Which suggests that Vulcan metaphysics differs a lot from human metaphysics.
"To become a thing is to know a thing. To assume its form is to begin to understand its existence" is the Changeling version of walking a mile in someone's shoes.
And nobody said a thing has to be a solid person. Inanimate objects have "shoes" too, metaphorically speaking (if there's a Changeling intelligence mimicking it, they can feel what's it's like to be used as a screwdriver, or a chair, for instance - something the object itself cannot perceive)
Five Changelings go to a mountain region and decide to try understanding the rocks, so they changed into boulders.
Unfortunately, the ground shook, and they all started rolling down a hill.
They then became known as the Rolling Stones.
Unfortunately, the ground shook, and they all started rolling down a hill.
They then became known as the Rolling Stones.
