Hi Paul,
I think I got it now, your last post makes perfect sense. But I still have this absolute truth which I want to communicate to you so I'll try again.
What I'm trying to convey is the idea that, if knowledge exists, then something else must also necessarily exist. I called that something else "ignorance" but I can see how it might have been a poor choice. Here's another take:
- Problems exist
Now I can see how that wonderful piece of transcendental wisdom can also be turned into mush (there's always a Harv in each one of us), so allow me to elaborate.
First, I won't define what I mean by 'problem'. If you don't know what a problem is, well, that is your problem. You haven't defined 'I' or 'thought' so I'm not doing any worse. But I think my fundamental statement meets one of my criteria for absolute truth, the one which says a statement is absolutely true if the very attempt to prove it false will prove it true. Just as it makes no sense for any individual to try and prove that no individuals exist, or for a thinking person to think that thought doesn't happen, if you doubt my statement you will have proved it. If you say "I'm not sure problems exist", then convincing me I'm wrong is going to be your first problem ever.
Back to your post, maybe we do know everything and just forgot it, but the fact remains that whether we need to learn or remember the information is not available to us, and that is the problem. That is why I found your reasoning ironic, it doesn't matter whether you are ignorant or just forgot whether you are ignorant or just forgot, the very fact that you are ignorant (or just forgot?) makes my assertion true. In any case, "problems exist" is probably a better way to express it.
I can think of a few other statements which I consider absolute truth, but this particular one is extremely important when contrasted with the first one.
" In this way, I think one can come up with a valid reason to doubt virtually all assertions (again with the exception of "thought happens".) "
I happen to think there's a lot that cannot possibly be doubted, but considering how difficult it is to get past the first fact...
" Now, along these same lines, I think that about 463 angels can dance on the head of a pin. "
Yeah, but are they male, female, hermaphrodite, or sexless?
Warm regards,
Aurino |