(no subject)
The question posed is, "Does reality matter?"
This differs greatly from many great philosophers' works, in that it does not explore whether or not the reality we percieve truly exists or not. I will instead, present a brief summary of how one could gain a measure of uncertainty as to the existence of the world we profess to inhabit, then continue on to whether or not it even matters; what effect it will have on life.
Let me begin, with a scenario. You and a friend are at a diner/resteraunt/bistro/etc... Your friend turns to you and says, "Pass me the ketchup." You look around you and see no ketchup. So you respond, "Where is it?" To which our friend replies, "It is just to the left of your hand. I see it right there." You look around your hands and see nothing.
Now, in this scenario, if your friend persists in believing a ketchup bottle to be where no ketchup bottle is, it would be the inevitable conclusion on your part, that your friend is either making a joke, or suffering from hallucinations (seeing things that don't exist). Let us suppose for a moment, that your friend is serious, and is seeing that ketchup bottle.
Perception defines reality, however, does the amalgamation of perception define universal reality? If 51% of the world sees that ketchup bottle, and 49% doesn't, then is it proper to suppose that it exists? Then to define the other 49% as psychotic or hallucinagenic? Of course not. The very idea is preposterous. What then, if it were 75% and 25%, or 90% and 10%, or 99% and 1%? If even 1% of people don't see that ketchup bottle, then it is entirely possible that the bottle does not exist.
So, let us construct a universe. Inside this universe, exists all things that exist in our universe: abstracts (happiness, good, evil, etc...), dynamic forms (humans, dogs, cats, etc...) and static forms (chairs, cars, balls, etc...). Now, in this universe, as in ours, a static form is given meaning by a dynamic form, and a dynamic form can change its meaning at will. The difference will be then, that an abstract in this universe, is self-defined, whereas in our universe, it is given meaning by the dynamic form encountering it. This universe, is absolutely correct. Our universe, deviates from the absolute truth.
In the absolute universe, a ketchup bottle, at that point exists, as all dynamic forms can encounter and percieve the static object, and is thus given the meaning of, "ketchup bottle" by the amalgamation in an absolute universe. This, then, would be a universal truth. Something by which the universe itself attests to in its very being. The universal truth is, that the "ketchup bottle" exists at that point.
So what?
"Ay, there's the rub" What difference does it make? If, in our universe, that deviates from the absolute universe, in which everything is given an absolute answer and becomes an absolute truth, the "ketchup bottle" doesn't exist, what effect does that have?
For this answer, let us return to the original query. "Does Reality Matter?" If we have a predefined reality, to which all of the universe is supposed to conform, and yet, all of the universe does not conform to this reality, then clearly its impact is limited. As we know not the extent of its limits, being that we do not know the true nature of reality in any form, we can do naught but suppose that reality does not matter, and it is instead the average public opinion, that matters, when you are dealing with an imperfect universe, such as ours.
The same thing that holds true for static forms in an absolute universe vs. an imperfect universe, holds true for abstracts in a similar situation.
This differs greatly from many great philosophers' works, in that it does not explore whether or not the reality we percieve truly exists or not. I will instead, present a brief summary of how one could gain a measure of uncertainty as to the existence of the world we profess to inhabit, then continue on to whether or not it even matters; what effect it will have on life.
Let me begin, with a scenario. You and a friend are at a diner/resteraunt/bistro/etc... Your friend turns to you and says, "Pass me the ketchup." You look around you and see no ketchup. So you respond, "Where is it?" To which our friend replies, "It is just to the left of your hand. I see it right there." You look around your hands and see nothing.
Now, in this scenario, if your friend persists in believing a ketchup bottle to be where no ketchup bottle is, it would be the inevitable conclusion on your part, that your friend is either making a joke, or suffering from hallucinations (seeing things that don't exist). Let us suppose for a moment, that your friend is serious, and is seeing that ketchup bottle.
Perception defines reality, however, does the amalgamation of perception define universal reality? If 51% of the world sees that ketchup bottle, and 49% doesn't, then is it proper to suppose that it exists? Then to define the other 49% as psychotic or hallucinagenic? Of course not. The very idea is preposterous. What then, if it were 75% and 25%, or 90% and 10%, or 99% and 1%? If even 1% of people don't see that ketchup bottle, then it is entirely possible that the bottle does not exist.
So, let us construct a universe. Inside this universe, exists all things that exist in our universe: abstracts (happiness, good, evil, etc...), dynamic forms (humans, dogs, cats, etc...) and static forms (chairs, cars, balls, etc...). Now, in this universe, as in ours, a static form is given meaning by a dynamic form, and a dynamic form can change its meaning at will. The difference will be then, that an abstract in this universe, is self-defined, whereas in our universe, it is given meaning by the dynamic form encountering it. This universe, is absolutely correct. Our universe, deviates from the absolute truth.
In the absolute universe, a ketchup bottle, at that point exists, as all dynamic forms can encounter and percieve the static object, and is thus given the meaning of, "ketchup bottle" by the amalgamation in an absolute universe. This, then, would be a universal truth. Something by which the universe itself attests to in its very being. The universal truth is, that the "ketchup bottle" exists at that point.
So what?
"Ay, there's the rub" What difference does it make? If, in our universe, that deviates from the absolute universe, in which everything is given an absolute answer and becomes an absolute truth, the "ketchup bottle" doesn't exist, what effect does that have?
For this answer, let us return to the original query. "Does Reality Matter?" If we have a predefined reality, to which all of the universe is supposed to conform, and yet, all of the universe does not conform to this reality, then clearly its impact is limited. As we know not the extent of its limits, being that we do not know the true nature of reality in any form, we can do naught but suppose that reality does not matter, and it is instead the average public opinion, that matters, when you are dealing with an imperfect universe, such as ours.
The same thing that holds true for static forms in an absolute universe vs. an imperfect universe, holds true for abstracts in a similar situation.