I've read through the other answers to this same question, but what I have not seen people think about is the fact that there is no absolute darkness within the known universe, and no absolute silence on the earth. If these things do not exist on earth, why are there names for them? And if we ever experienced absolute darkness or silence, would our senses that interpret these things just shut off because they have always been stimulated by sound and light? It just makes me wonder. Or maybe we would just implode? And by the way in space astronauts still hear sounds in their helmets so dont say that sort of thing. And in a completely silent room, you hear your heart beat... Does this mean if you leave it will be silent? you could never experience true darkness or silence I dont think. I envy blind and deaf people for this, as much as they envy us for or senses. And by no means do I take my senses for granted, I just wonder what it's like.
2007-12-17 04:16:28 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Welll, - - - If they do, I can't see them or hear them!
The only way to experience this for yourself would be to volunteer to spend some time in a sensory deprivation chamber. I don't know how well they isolate you from the rest of reality, but I do know that most people can only take a few hours before they break down completely. Just because we can't experience a thing, doesn't mean that it can't exist. Dogs can hear what we can't hear, and there is a light spectrum below and above what we can distinguish. What we perceive as silence might be very noisy to a humming bird, and what we perceive as noise or light might be meaningless to a bat! Silence is the complete absence of sound waves and darkness is the complete absense of light waves. If you can create that pure environment, you can experience darkness and silence. I just don't think you would want to experience it for any length of time! By the way, death overcomes all of your objections, but you can only try that once!
2007-12-17 04:24:34 · answer #1 · answered by MUDD 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
You answer your own question at the end with the "Hellen Keller" comment. I have tinnitus and know that I will never experience silence, I have experienced a total lack of light by visiting a cave. They turn off the lights and there is not any light at all. You are struggling with the old question of ideas verses matter. Your questions are equally applicable to the things we do see and hear. Do you ever see an object the way it "truly" is in "reality?" Remember that light must travel from the object to your eyes and be processed by your brain before the image of the table is presented to you. That process takes time, so even if you are seeing the "real" table, you are seeing it in the past. Just more to chew on.
2007-12-17 12:33:07 · answer #2 · answered by Sowcratees 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Scientifically, darkness and silence do not exist, in the same way that cold does not exist.
They are all an absence of something else, be it light, sound or heat.
Philosophically speaking, darkness and silence become more than a description, they become metaphorical devices, and a way to compare absolutes.
The thing with the deaf/blind perception is a good point though, those are perceptual absolutes that no other person can experience.
Good question, a star for you!
2007-12-17 12:20:55 · answer #3 · answered by jonnyAtheatus 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You see, as soon as we start measuring anything, the reality is impacted by our act of measurement. After all, just by saying that we are going to measure something, we are already bifurcating the reality. Were saying, there's us, and there's the thing we are measuring--and then, of course, there's our act of measurement, which is a third thing.
So therefore?
So nothing can really be known in an absolute sense. That leaves a lot of room for what they call miracles--when you are dealing with unknowable states, well just anything could happen. There's no absolute rule of cause and effect, as you Ancient Greeks like to believe.
2007-12-17 12:32:47 · answer #4 · answered by Easy B Me II 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Surely darkness and silence exists for those who are profoundly blind or deaf ?
What rubbish you write, saying you "envy blind and deaf people for this".
If you envy it so much, take a walk down your street blindfolded next time you go out. Think what it's like never hearing the birds sing, or music, or your wife telling you that she loves you.
What utter crap.
2007-12-17 12:26:20 · answer #5 · answered by the_lipsiot 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Absolute darkness and silence can only exist with the absence of light and sound. And, since we know light and sound exist; I would say no, darkness and silence do not exist.
2007-12-17 12:51:13 · answer #6 · answered by Sweet as 3.141 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
honestly you have a point. But be glad for what you have, NEVER say that you envy deaf / blind people because thats kinda messed up. No offense.
2007-12-17 12:20:50 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Key word here is ABSOLUTE - words like ALWAYS, NEVER, NONE, and ALL are typically used to EXAGGERATE how much (or little) of something there is...
It's all a matter of relativity - it is a LOT quieter when you're home alone than it is when there are three kids running around screaming ;);););)
2007-12-17 12:28:08 · answer #8 · answered by kr_toronto 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
in the current theory absolute darkness is just beyond the spread of the known universe as well as sound for there is nothing there.
2007-12-17 12:19:50 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are right even if you were to be sealed in a concrete room with no door and no light you would be still emitting light in the infra-red band due to body heat.
2007-12-17 12:19:55 · answer #10 · answered by |||ALL TRUE||| 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋