I have seen this sort of riddle in several places and I never saw a satisfying solution to it. Here it is:

Our notion of three-dimensional space is based on our sense of vision. We see things as being away from us because their images appear in specific positions in space which we are convinced have nothing to do with us. The interesting thing is that we know exactly where those images are: our retinae, and nowhere else.

Now I'd like to ask a question to those who believe space is "out there" and not "in here". Who or what takes the image from our retinae and puts it where we believe it "really" is? Before you answer "the brain, stupid", think carefully about it. If you say that, you are basically saying that your brain fools you into thinking that the images are where they are not. Your brain is making you believe in a lie.

Knowing that the images are in our eyes and not out there where they appear to be, doesn't it make sense to reevaluate our idea of what space really is? Or better just to forget the issue?

(in case you haven't noticed, this is just an attempt to expose how an illogical argument crumbles down by itself, no esoterism required)

• I take a shot at it - stormcrow - July 27, 2001 - 17:06 UTC
  • Neither real nor illusion - aurino - July 27, 2001 - 18:24 UTC
    • I see what you're saying, but fail to see the point - stormcrow - July 27, 2001 - 19:44 UTC
      • Hint - aurino - July 27, 2001 - 21:02 UTC
        • I love that argument - harvey1 - July 27, 2001 - 21:25 UTC
        • We have to work with what we have - stormcrow - July 28, 2001 - 01:18 UTC
          • To Aurino, Harvey, etc about 3-D space. - alexander - July 28, 2001 - 16:57 UTC
            • You need to read better - harvey1 - July 28, 2001 - 22:41 UTC
            • Since when a philosophy became a science? - alexander - July 30, 2001 - 17:06 UTC
              • You leave me puzzled - harvey1 - July 30, 2001 - 18:43 UTC
    • Illusions! - doctordick - July 27, 2001 - 19:49 UTC
      • Cool! - aurino - July 27, 2001 - 21:03 UTC