if you really can't take anything as "real" what's the point?

Question

Socrates basically stated that the body and the entire physical world is flawed and any actual knowledge you try to get from it would (as a consequence) also be flawed. and that the only way to reach true knowledge is to use only your thought to get to the "archetypal" world. the concept or idea of things, wich, as oposed to the physical world, is perfect.

now, in my point of view: Every bit of knowledge by means of thought we get, is derived from an idea we already had in our minds. and those ideas we already had are pretty much irrational, or based in the physical plane. like some dualist philosophies in anthropology that derive from religious concepts (like most works in middle age).

being that the case, unless you get to the root; The basic idea of the universe (wich is what philosophy is all about), without any kind of relation to any pre-given concept you had. ANY and ALL knowledge is fundamentally flawed

if you have other ideas you could share them aside from answering

Answer 1

Not exactly. Socrates didn't mean that all knowledge is worthless because it's flawed, just that it's all potentially fallible. In shorter words, "Don't take anything for granted." Are you reading these words right now, or are you dreaming about reading? Probability strongly suggests the former, and it's okay to act on that. Just be careful not to reject contradictory information, in case it should prove your assumptions wrong. Only objective logic can prove or disprove, so be willing to set aside everything you know. But willingness doesn't imply action- amnesia will not make you smarter.

Personally I don't think that every thought comes from the inside, I suspect that most are built of our earliest impressions. I subscribe heavily to the "Tabula Rasa" theory- watch a baby investigate an unfamiliar shape, and I think you'll see what I mean.

You might also enjoy the work of DesCarte, the french philosopher who's famous for the line "I think, therefore I am." He took your line of thinking to the extreme, and abandoned all knowledge of the universe, down to that single inescapable truth. Then he built it back up logically from there.

Answer 2

"those ideas we already had are pretty much irrational or based in the physical plane"

without the physical plane to prove/disprove that an idea or concept is right, wrong, flawed or otherwise that idea is just an idea and is, i feel, perfect.

If i take an idea or conecept into the physical plane then that idea may be proven either way but as far as an idea goes i believe it is perfect.

I think dreams are a great example of this. dreams take place away from the physical plane and regardless of where or what we get these ideas from, they can specifically become an actuality. no matter how irrational.

Answer 3

Great question!!! You are right. Since the basic idea, which most of the time has been installed in our heads since birth, is the basic thought of some other human many years before. Which we are now seeing that many of these ideas and thoughts are being proven wrong by science.
Things are what they are. If, by some chance, i feel a theory or thought is wrong, i then study it myself. Only so far in one case have i found that the basic so called "truth" on something has been completely wrong. And that for some reason the sources of this "real" info has been pushed to the side for the false theory. Since then i have found myself to question any and everything that has been thrown my way.
So yeah, i also try not to think about it so hard, the lack of sleep is not good for anyone, and i do have a life and a family to raise. But good point. Love your thinking.

Answer 4

One of the things about philosophy is...
He could be wrong...or right...or somewhere in between...
Things are "real" whether or not we are getting all the information about them...bodies, rocks, water, etc...
On the extremely small level..."solidity" doesn't exist...come up a few levels, however, and "solidity" becomes "real..."...
We're trying to come up with T.O.E..(Theory of Everything) but we don't even really know if there is an "everything..." It may be a mistake to lump "everything" together and try to call it "something..."
Our Universe may be smaller or larger than we think...and maybe the "Uni" part of the word is incorrect...
But we DO know at least one thing...

"Things" are "real..." So no worries, mate...It's all apples...

Answer 5

That is the basic error in trying to figure things out by thought. Rather than think about things one can develop his ability of being aware. Through awareness without thought one can become aware of what "is". That is the basis for meditation(non-thinking).
Man's greatest challenge, if he is to make major progress will be to learn to control his thinking. We can only think, as you say, based on ideas and concepts we already have. And that will never reveal what is real.

Answer 6

You may want to expand your definition of philosophy. Religion created a system of "morals" to live one's life. Philosophy created "ethics" to live one's life. These are but different different systems that people devise to cope with the world that they find.

Philosophy is one of those odd areas of study where text from 2000 years ago is held as true. We wouldn't hold a medical text from the same time period as being the authority on medical issues.

Like religion, philosophy is one of those areas where people can turn to "fix" the problems of life.

Philosophy, like many things, is just another excuse for people who enjoy thinking to continue to think. Content is actually irrelevant. Int he question that you have posed, your now have hours or years of things to ponder.

Answer 7

"Flawed" vs. "perfect," then, is the issue.

And, as it applies to your question: not-knowing truth (ignorance) as opposed to knowing it (wisdom).

While negative implications seem to divide the two, I would suggest they are simply opposite sides of the same "coin" (so to speak) and that their interactive value lies in the wealth of that space created between them--our world. Or any world.

An exceptional actor "brings down the house," by convincing HIMSELF and his audience that he is the character he portrays--and not an actor on a stage.

And so it goes with science. Parsing unity and reassembling the "pieces" in unique and interesting ways yields, for example, the technological world we know.

Wisdom gives rise to ignorance (flawed perception) for a reason: it's more interesting than playing solitaire.

What we personally make of our "flawed" and ever-changing view of reality is, of course, up to us.

Answer 8

yes