DMB said: ...possibilites as some kind of embryonic reality waiting to be born? Yes, new forms emerge in the process of evolution but what reason do we have to think that these forms already existed in some other realm?
David M replied: ..They clearly do exist as possibles, otherwise they could not become actual, but until they become actual they are only possible and may never gain actual status. dmb says: Sorry, but I just don't see how this realm of possibility follows from the existence of the actual. I see no reason at all to suppose any such "eternal objects", let alone a good reason. Without that, its just crypto-theological fantasy. Like I said, "The idea that possibilities are somehow out there waiting to become actual... Well, I think that's very, very goofy. DM replied: But we have a distinction. The impossible is not available. dmb says: Gee, ya think? I was really hoping for the impossible. (Another trivial point.) Does this distinction somehow rest on the existence of eternal objects? Of course not. You're backing absurdities with platitudes instead of reasons. This does not help. DM said: We can view the world from space, but we postulated its wholeness beyond our experience before we could imagine flying away from it. Pirsig draws our attention to experience, but he also suggests we need an intellectual level. Exploring the possible, imagination, the impossible and other postulates is essential. dmb says: Huh? Are you saying that intellectual activity, exploration, imagination and such are something other than experience? Are you talking about "experience" as if excludes anything outside of the range of your senses, and the transcendent is that which with you no longer have actual visual contact? Experience is transcended because there were postulations about the wholeness of the earth prior to photos from space? In this context, where i have been going on about the limits of sensory empiricism and the MOQ's expansion, these are very, very odd things to say. In any case, nobody is saying the future doesn't exist, or that evolution doesn't exist or that the imagination is unimportant. But I just can't get past the assertion that possibilites are some kind of "eternal object" and that they exist in some other realm waiting to become actual. I don't don't see how a contemporary adult could accept such a goofy idea. I find it impossible to take such things seriously. _________________________________________________________________ Get a preview of Live Earth, the hottest event this summer - only on MSN http://liveearth.msn.com?source=msntaglineliveearthhm moq_discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
