not santa of cos
2006-06-29 20:42:21 · 17 answers · asked by and we all have loved before 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Well...humans have got the gift of imagination.Never stop imagining...never waver your beleif in anything good...everything is possible in the world.
2006-06-29 22:02:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's an interesting epistemological question. Rather than dumb, let's use the term irrational. I think that some of the work by Chisholm relates to the topic. He states the idea like this: We "believe" in things that are not "real" all the time. I believe in the fact that I feel angry, or that I remember what I had for breakfast this morning. In fact, I may even believe that I felt angy this morning. None of these things are any more than states of my own mind that are impossible to verify in any way. None of these thing have any reality outside of my own experience. Yet I don't think anyone would consider my belief or reliance on their truth to be irrational. Anyway, modern epistemology deals with these types of topics a lot. I find it interesting
Another way to read your question though is, Is it dumb to believe in something that we ourselves believe not to be real? I can't think of any application to this except perhaps some state of psychological denial. But I don't think that would have any philosophical relevance.
2006-06-30 03:53:40 · answer #2 · answered by Josh 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
from the phrasing of your question it's difficult to give a simple answer. most people these days will naturally assume that by "real" you mean "something material", "something physical". but these are not the only things which are real. even though this is the case & you may have realized it when you posed the question...i'll answer as though you meant "is it dumb to believe in something 'not physical'". to which i must certainly answer no, it is not. this is exactly what mathematicians do all the time. for example; although you may have 1 apple v 1 peach v 1 grape (and they are all physical) you cannot find 1 itself in the physical world. 1 is a concept not a physical thing. likewise; we believe that there exist in the material world no such things as perfect circles or perfect triangles, yet we believe in them in the sense that we can clearly conceive of them & find utility in considering what properties they possess. finally, you might also consider that every idea that you are conscious of is immaterial. many may argue that your ideas are somehow "caused" by material conditions...but love experienced is something which no one who had never experienced it personally & had only studied the associated electrochemical conditions, could ever grasp. it is different from the material conditions with which it is usually associated & is not itself a physical thing. lastly; you might note that sometimes believing in something not real is the only way to learn...to advance our knowledge. because based on this belief we often devise experiments to test it & not infrequently find that what we believed in was not real @ all. but in the process we have learned. many in science would take 'the aether' as such a concept.
2006-06-30 04:14:34 · answer #3 · answered by Bakei 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, not if that thing gives you faith or strength. If you believe that someday you could be the best at something (wrestling, singing, acting, whatever) you might not be able to, but if you make the decision to go for your dream, then at least you are making progress. It is however bad to delude yourself into thinking something is real if it hurts you in some way.
2006-06-30 04:08:23 · answer #4 · answered by Tsuki 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I wouldn't use the term dumb as that would be insulting. But I would advise you to believe in what you can see, feel, hear, taste and smell, basically the real world, as believing in things not of the real world often leads to delusional thinking and/or disappointment.
2006-06-30 03:48:49 · answer #5 · answered by Crowfeather 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Define real, real isn't something the can be explain or understand easily. The openess of the mind reveal how ignorant one can be.
2006-06-30 05:37:16 · answer #6 · answered by Stubertsg 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, but you have to be careful where it leads you. Um, let's see; heck I've read too many books, and too many of them are relevant.. I can't think of *an* author. Let's see, just imagine things going well- Einstein.
2006-06-30 03:51:47 · answer #7 · answered by smile4763 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. But it certainly is dumb to take many things for granted--even things you don't see. Peace.
2006-06-30 03:56:19 · answer #8 · answered by professor x 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's natural, humans have a need for mithology and they look to fulfill it in religion, love, the movies...
2006-06-30 03:46:45 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it takes a prescient being to believe it what is not
2006-06-30 03:48:25 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋