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| 2003/6/13-14 [Reference/Religion] UID:28725 Activity:very high |
6/12 Enough people have seen the Matrix 2 already right? What do you
think happened near the end? How was Neo able to destroy those
sentinels outside of the matrix? My pet theory is that nobody is
outside the matrix. There is a larger matrix that they're all still
in.
\_ I haven't seen the movie, but that's just the kind of stupid
sophmoric shit i'd expect from it. -phuqm
\_ <Keanu voice> WHOA
\_ wow that's deep.
\_ Deja vu!
\_ your pet theory is everyone else's initial theory. seriously,
\_ if that's everybody's first reaction, then the real reason must
be something else. The writer/directors aren't that lame.
I bet they want a suprise ending for part III.
everyone i've talked to, that's the first idea that popped in
their minds
\_ Read _Flatland_ by Edwin A. Abbott:
http://www.geom.uiuc.edu/~banchoff/Flatland
"My Lord, your own wisdom has taught me to aspire to One even
more great, more beautiful, and more closely approximate to
Perfection than yourself. As you yourself, superior to all
Flatland forms, combine many Circles in One, so doubtless
\_ Platonic Forms? http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/2f.htm
\_ It doesn't even have to be that there's a larger matrix. The
machines could've just start modifying itself to make them think
that they left the matrix but never did.
\_ Deja vu!
\_ It's kinda lame that the machines put the humans in a virtual world
with technology. Why not stick them in cavemen times?
\_ Longer lasting batteries in a "modern" setting.
there is One above you who combines many Spheres in One Supreme
Existence, surpassing even the Solids of Spaceland."
\_ Shut up ilyas.
\_ Uh... what? You motd people really don't know me that
well... The last 3 or 4 times someone guessed something
was from me .. it wasn't. -- ilyas
\_ What's this defamatory, "you motd people" thing? Who
the hell do you think you are to lump us all together
under some ugly label?
\_ smart
\_ Yeah like wow! No one else could possibly have thought of that!
I'm sure there aren't hundreds of fanboi sites out there saying
the same thing! YOU ROCK! LINUX ROCKS! BIKING ROCKS! ED ROCKS!
ROCKS ROCK!
\_ do i detect a hint of sarcasm?
\_ Good old rock. Nothing beats that.
\_ Paper beats rock.
\_ Do you have absolutely zero sense of humor? I thought so.
\_ A lot more than you do, apparently.
\_ more isn't necessarily better. -phuqm
\_ Don't you get it yet? Neo == Jesus + Superman. He can do whatever
he wants whenever he wants where ever he wants.
\_ Jesus loves me, yes I know, for the bible tells me so.
\_ oh yeah? if he's so super powerful in the matrix then why can't
he just turn it off, or zap all the fbi-clone guardians guys
instead of running away, or teleport instead of flying around?
\_ Just like Jesus could have kicked the ass of
romans right? Strange and mysterious are the
ways of the lord.
\_ Just like God was nowhere to be found when Hitler was
exterminating the Jews eh? The Lord works in mysterious
ways indeed.
\_ What do you mean God was nowhere to be found? He
sent the mighty American war machine to crush
Hitler.
\_ He was just testing their faith, right?
\_ God can't intervene in everything. Otherwise
we are but puppets. When God gave us free
will, it includes the free will to commit
\_ speak for your own penis.
\_ But I'm thinking of you.
evil.
\_ This is why you guys should stop touching
yourselves.
\_ But when I do, I'm thinking of you, baby.
\_ I love how most of the replies have nothing to do with the Matrix :)
\_ Matrix == Monsters, Inc.
http://discover.npr.org/rundowns/segment.jhtml?wfId=1297967 |
| 5/24 |
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| www.geom.uiuc.edu/~banchoff/Flatland -> www.geom.uiuc.edu/~banchoff/Flatland/ Flatland A romance of many dimensions With Illustrations by the Author, A SQUARE (Edwin A. Abbott 1838-1926) Flatland: A romance of many dimensions To The Inhabitants of SPACE IN GENERAL And H. IN PARTICULAR This Work is Dedicated By a Humble Native of Flatland In the Hope that Even as he was Initiated into the Mysteries Of THREE Dimensions Having been previously conversant With ONLY TWO So the Citizens of that Celestial Region May aspire yet higher and higher To the Secrets of FOUR FIVE OR EVEN SIX Dimensions Thereby contributing To the Enlargement of THE IMAGINATION And the possible Development Of that most rare and excellent Gift of MODESTY Among the Superior Races Of SOLID HUMANITY PREFACE TO THE SECOND AND REVISED EDITION, 1884. BY THE EDITOR If my poor Flatland friend retained the vigour of mind which he enjoyed when he began to compose these Memoirs, I should not now need to represent him in this preface, in which he desires, firstly, to return his thanks to his readers and critics in Spaceland, whose appreciation has, with unexpected celerity, required a second edition of his work; Years of imprisonment, and the still heavier burden of general incredulity and mockery, have combined with the natural decay of old age to erase from his mind many of the thoughts and notions, and much also of the terminology, which he acquired during his short stay in Spaceland. He has, therefore, requested me to reply in his behalf to two special objections, one of an intellectual, the other of a moral nature. The first objection is, that a Flatlander, seeing a Line, sees something that must be thick to the eye as well as long to the eye (otherwise it would not be visible, if it had not some thickness); His objection is plausible, and, to Spacelanders, almost irresistible, so that, I confess, when I first heard it, I knew not what to reply. But my poor old friend's answer appears to me completely to meet it. It is true that we have really in Flatland a Third unrecognized Dimension called height,' just as it is also true that you have really in Spaceland a Fourth unrecognized Dimension, called by no name at present, but which I will call extra-height'. But we can no more take cognizance of our height' then you can of your extra-height'. Even I - who have been in Spaceland, and have had the privilege of understanding for twenty-four hours the meaning of height' - even I cannot now comprehend it, nor realize it by the sense of sight or by any process of reason; Dimension implies direction, implies measurement, implies the more and the less. Now, all our lines are equally and infinitesimally thick (or high, whichever you like); No delicate micrometer' - as has been suggested by one too hasty Spaceland critic - would in the least avail us; When we see a Line, we see something that is long and bright; Hence, all my Flatland friends - when I talk to them about the unrecognized Dimension which is somehow visible in a Line - say, Ah, you mean brightness': and when I reply, No, I mean a real Dimension,' they at once retort Then measure it, or tell us in what direction it extends'; Suppose a person of the Fourth Dimension, condescending to visit you, were to say, Whenever you open your eyes, you see a Plane (which is of Two Dimensions) and you infer a Solid (which is of Three); Well, that is my fate: and it is as natural for us Flatlanders to lock up a Square for preaching the Third Dimension, as it is for you Spacelanders to lock up a Cube for preaching the Fourth. Alas, how strong a family likeness runs through blind and persecuting humanity in all Dimensions! I wish I could say that his answer to the second (or moral) objection was equally clear and cogent. But the Square is so unaccustomed to the use of the moral terminology of Spaceland that I should be doing him an injustice if I were literally to transcribe his defence against this charge. Acting, therefore, as his interpreter and summarizer, I gather that in the course of an imprisonment of seven years he has himself modified his own personal views, both as regards Women and as regards the Isosceles or Lower Classes. Personally, he now inclines to the opinion of the Sphere that the Straight Lines are in many important respects superior to the Circles. But, writing as a Historian, he has identified himself (perhaps too closely) with the views generally adopted by Flatland, and (as he has been informed) even Spaceland, Historians; In a still more obscure passage he now desires to disavow the Circular or aristocratic tendencies with which some critics have naturally credited him. While doing justice to the intellectual power with which a few Circles for many generations maintained their supremacy over immense multitudes of their countrymen, he believes that the facts of Flatland, speaking for themselves without comment On his part, declare that Revolutions cannot always be suppressed by slaughter; Of the Doctrine of our Priests PART II: OTHER WORLDS 13. How I vainly tried to explain the nature of Flatland 15. How the Stranger vainly endeavoured to reveal to me in words the mysteries ofSpaceland 17. How the Sphere, having in vain tried words, resorted to deeds 18. How, though the Sphere shewed me other mysteries of Spaceland, I still desired more; How I tried to teach the Theory of Three Dimensions to to my Grandson, and with what success 22. Of the Nature of Flatland I CALL our world Flatland, not because we call it so, but to make its nature clearer to you, my happy readers, who are privileged to live in Space. Imagine a vast sheet of paper on which straight Lines, Triangles, Squares, Pentagons, Hexagons, and other figures, instead of remaining fixed in their places, move freely about, on or in the surface, but without the power of rising above or sinking below it, very much like shadows - only hard and with luminous edges - and you will then have a pretty correct notion of my country and countrymen. Alas, a few years ago, I should have said "my universe": but now my mind has been opened to higher views of things. In such a country, you will perceive at once that it is impossible that there should be anything of what you call a "solid" kind; On the contrary, we could see nothing of the kind, not at least so as to distinguish one figure from another. Nothing was visible, nor could be visible, to us, except Straight Lines; Place a penny on the middle of one of your tables in Space; But now, drawing back to the edge of the table, gradually lower your eye (thus bringing yourself more and more into the condition of the inhabitants of Flatland), and you will find the penny becoming more and more oval to your view; The same thing would happen if you were to treat in the same way a Triangle, or Square, or any other figure cut out of pasteboard. As soon as you look at it with your eye on the edge on the table, you will find that it ceases to appear to you a figure, and that it becomes in appearance a straight line. Take for example an equilateral Triangle - who represents with us a Tradesman of the respectable class. The far-off land may have bays, forelands, angles in and out to any number and extent; Well, that is just what we see when one of our triangular or other acquaintances comes toward us in Flatland. As there is neither sun with us, nor any light of such a kind as to make shadows, we have none of the helps to the sight that you have in Spaceland. If our friend comes closer to us we see his line becomes larger; You may perhaps ask how under these disadvantageous circumstances we are able to distinguish our friends from one another: but the answer to this very natural question will be more fitly and easily given when I come to describe the inhabitants of Flatland. For the present let me defer this subject, and say a word or two about the climate and houses in our country. Of the Climate and Houses in Flatland AS WITH you, so also with us, there are four points of the compass North, South, East, and West. There being no sun nor other heavenly bodies, it is impossible for us to determine the North in the usual way; By a Law of Nature with us, there is a constant attraction to the South; Moreover, the rai... |
| www.philosophypages.com/hy/2f.htm Philosophers 10 Search the Site 11 Locke Plato: Immortality and the Forms A Faithful Student Plato Plato 12 Life and Works . In the remainder of our readings from Platonic dialogues, we will assume that the "Socrates" who speaks is merely a fictional character created by the author, attributing the philosophical doctrines to Plato himself. In the middle and late dialogues, Plato employed the conversational structure as a way of presenting 27 dialectic, a pattern of argumentation that examines each issue from several sides, exploring the interplay of alternative ideas while subjecting all of them to evaluation by reason. Plato was a more nearly systematic thinker than Socrates had been. He established his own school of philosophy, the Academy, during 28 the fourth century, and he did not hesitate to offer a generation of young Athenians the positive results of his brilliant reasoning. Although he shared Socrates's interest in ethical and social philosophy, Plato was much more concerned to establish his views on matters of 29 metaphysics and 30 epistemology, trying to discover the ultimate constituents of reality and the grounds for our knowledge of them. Meno 31 Plato's 32 Menwn ( 33 Meno) is a transitional dialogue: although it is Socratic in tone, it introduces some of the epistemological and metaphysical themes that we will see developed more fully in the middle dialogues, which are clearly Plato's own. In a setting uncluttered by concern for 34 Socrates's fate, it centers on the general problem of the origins of our moral knowledge. The Greek notion of 35 areth aret , or 36 virtue, is that of an ability or skill in some particular respect. The virtue of a baker is what enables the baker to produce good bread; In this sense, virtues clearly differ from person to person and from goal to goal. But Socrates is interested in true virtue, which (like genuine health) should be the same for everyone. This broad concept of virtue may include such specific virtues as courage, wisdom, or moderation, but it should nevertheless be possible to offer a perfectly general description of virtue as a whole, the skill or ability to be fully human. When Meno suggests that virtue is simply the desire for good things, Socrates argues that this cannot be the case. Since different human beings are unequal in virtue, virtue must be something that varies among them, he argues, but desire for one believes to be good is perfectly universal Since no human being ever knowingly desires what is bad, differences in their conduct must be a consequence of differences in what they know. Socrates holds that knowing what is right automatically results in the desire to do it, even though this feature of our moral experience could be doubted. The Basis for Virtue For questions of this sort, Socrates raises a serious dilemma: how can we ever learn what we do not know? Either we already know what we are looking for, in which case we don't need to look, or we don't know what we're looking for, in which case we wouldn't recognize it if we found it. The only escape, Socrates proposed, is to acknowledge that we already know what we need to know. This is the doctrine of 42 recollection, 43 Plato's conviction that our most basic knowledge comes when we bring back to mind our acquaintance with eternal realities during a previous existence of the soul. The example offered in this dialogue is discovery of an irrational number, the square root of 2. Socrates leads an uneducated boy through the sophisticated geometrical demonstration with careful questions, showing that the boy somehow already knows the correct answers on his own. All of us have had the experience (usually in mathematical contexts, Plato believed) of suddenly realizing the truth of something of which we had been unaware, and it does often feel as if we are not really discovering something entirely new but rather merely remembering something we already knew. Such experiences lend some plausibility to Plato's claim that recollection may be the source of our true opinions about the most fundamental features of reality. The further question of the dialogue is whether or not virtue can be taught. On the one hand, it seems that virtue must be a kind of wisdom, which we usually assume to be one of the acquirable benefits of education. On the other hand, if virtue could be taught, we should be able to identify both those who teach it and those who learn from them, which we cannot easily do in fact. Plato later came to disagree with his teacher on this point, arguing that genuine knowledge of virtue is attainable through application of 47 appropriate educational methods. Whether or not we agree with this rather gloomy conclusion about the unteachability of virtue, the distinction between genuine knowledge and mere true opinion is of the greatest importance. For philosophical knowledge, it is not enough to accept beliefs that happen to be true; Philosophical Ethics 48 Previous 49 Next Phaedo The 50 Faidwn ( 51 Phaedo) concludes 52 Plato's description of the life of Socrates. Its final pages provide what appears to be an accurate account of the death of one of the most colorful personalities in the history of philosophy. As Plato saw it, hope of survival comes naturally to the philosopher, whose whole life is one of preparation for death. What happens when we die, after all, is that the human soul separates from the human body, and it is concern for the soul rather than the body that characterizes a philosophical life. In fact, Plato argued that since knowledge of the most important matters in life is clearest to the soul alone, its customary attachment to a mortal body often serves only as a distraction from what counts. Here I am, thinking seriously about eternal truth, and then . I get hungry or sleepy, and the needs of the body interfere with my study. So, Plato concluded, the philosopher may properly look forward to death as a release from bodily limitations. Plato supposed that there is, and his arguments on this point occupy the bulk of the Phaedo. The Cycle of Opposites The first argument is based on the cyclical interchange by means of which every quality comes into being from its own opposite. Hot comes from cold and cold from hot: that is, hot things are just cold things that have warmed up, and cold things are just hot things that have cooled off. Similarly, people who are awake are just people who were asleep but then woke up, while people who are asleep are just people who were awake but then dozed off. But then, 57 Plato argues by 58 analogy, death must come from life and life from death. This suggests a perpetual recycling of human souls from the realm of the living to the realm of the dead and back. If this is an accurate image of reality, it would certainly follow that my soul will continue to exist after the death of my body. But it also supposes that my soul existed before the birth of my body as well. This may seem like an extravagant speculation, but Plato held that there is ample evidence of its truth in the course of ordinary human life and learning. The Forms As 60 Socrates had proposed in the Meno, the most important varieties of human knowledge are really cases of 61 recollection. We have no difficulty in deciding whether or not two people are perfectly equal in height. In fact, they are never exactly the same height, since we recognize that it would always be possible to discover some difference--however minute--with a more careful, precise measurement. By this standard, all of the examples we perceive in ordinary life only approach, but never fully attain, perfect equality. But notice that since we realize the truth of this important qualification on our experience, we must somehow know for sure what true equality is, even though we have never seen it. Things of this sort are the 64 Platonic Forms, abstract entities that exist independently of the sensible world. Ordinary objects are imperfect and changeable, but they faintly copy the perfect and immutable Forms. Thus, all of the information we acquire about sensible objects (like knowing what the high and low temperatures were yesterday) is tempora... |
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