Why the sudden appearance of Solipsism?

[Bahman]

Anybody who is struggling with solipsism can just Goggle “solipsism refuted.”

I Google it and it return me to post #159.

 

[ChainBreaker]

Anybody who is struggling with solipsism can just Goggle “solipsism refuted.”

Nice way to pass the buck. Tell me, do you understand the argument in the link and why it refutes solipsism? Because if you don’t, presenting this link as a refutation has no more value then an atheist putting up a link that supposedly refutes the existence God.

 

[ChainBreaker]

Then “objective” is simply rendered meaningless. Which means you have simply declared “subjective” to mean the same as “objective,” by fiat.

“Objective” simply IS “subjective,” and nothing more, if that is the case.

At that point you may as well just spend all of your time talking to yourself.

Can you please answer my question.

 

[ChainBreaker]

You may have just qualified for the Darwin Award for Least Likely to Contribute to the Gene Pool.

Assuming that a gene pool objectively exists.

 

[Aloysium]

Assuming that a gene pool objectively exists.

LoL.

I don’t believe it would be a substance. . . Hmm . . . YukK

 

[Ben_Sinner]

In the time I have been posting on C.A. there has never been any mention of Solipsism. Yet in the past month or so there have suddenly appeared half a dozen of adament defenders of Solipsism. Can anyone explain the sudden appearance of this heresy? Why is in now suddenly appearing? Is this something new that has appeared in university courses? Has some Guru of Solipsism suddenly appeared on the lecture circuit on Youtube, etc.

Pax
Linus2nd

Well I’m not defending it, I’m just concerned about it being true.

I’ve had these experiences on and off ever since I was a teenager. I just didn’t know there was an actual philosophical term for it.

The first exposure I had to the topic was the movie, The Matrix which kind of has a “brain in a vat” philosophy.

While I had these types of thoughts, they didn’t really bother me. If they did, it would maybe last a day at best. I was able to take reality at face value back then so it was easier to dismiss those thoughts.

The first time I ever heard of the word ‘solipsism’ was from an unusual source: a list of commandments of Satanism (I went through a phase where I wanted to hear what all sides of the story had to say about religion). Satanism forbids one to believe in solipsism.

Then I started to research into all kinds of different New Age beliefs and stuff, so this also caused these things to come up. Although they still didn’t bother me that much.

I think the reason it has started to bother me more now is because I’ve been through too many college classes that always causes us to question the norms and hegemony of everything. Pretty much I been through too many classes trying to indoctrinate me to believe that all truth is relative and we have biased perceptions about everything.

So I eventually tried to use that logic on why an external world exists because it seems like “the norm” to believe in it. “But why?”

Thats when the problems started…

 

[ChainBreaker]

Well I’m not defending it, I’m just concerned about it being true.

I’ve had these experiences on and off ever since I was a teenager. I just didn’t know there was an actual philosophical term for it.

The first exposure I had to the topic was the movie, The Matrix which kind of has a “brain in a vat” philosophy.

While I had these types of thoughts, they didn’t really bother me. If they did, it would maybe last a day at best. I was able to take reality at face value back then so it was easier to dismiss those thoughts.

The first time I ever heard of the word ‘solipsism’ was from an unusual source: a list of commandments of Satanism (I went through a phase where I wanted to hear what all sides of the story had to say about religion). Satanism forbids one to believe in solipsism.

Then I started to research into all kinds of different New Age beliefs and stuff, so this also caused these things to come up. Although they still didn’t bother me that much.

I think the reason it has started to bother me more now is because I’ve been through too many college classes that always causes us to question the norms and hegemony of everything. Pretty much I been through too many classes trying to indoctrinate me to believe that all truth is relative and we have biased perceptions about everything.

So I eventually tried to use that logic on why an external world exists because it seems like “the norm” to believe in it. “But why?”

Thats when the problems started…

You do realise that Linusthe2nd is going to attribute your problem to the fact that you have be reading new-age/occult and satanic materials?

 

[Ben_Sinner]

You do realise that Linusthe2nd is going to attribute your problem to the fact that you have be reading new-age/occult and satanic materials?

That was years ago. I confessed all of that and moved on back to the faith.

This didn’t start to become a legit and on-going concern until about the last month or so.

 

[liturgy96]

I think the reason it has started to bother me more now is because I’ve been through too many college classes that always causes us to question the norms and hegemony of everything. Pretty much I been through too many classes trying to indoctrinate me to believe that all truth is relative and we have biased perceptions about everything.

Short answer: catholic.com/quickquestions/how-can-i-refute-my-colleagues-claim-that-truth-is-relative

Longer answer: catholic.com/blog/trent-horn/truth-and-ice-cream

Anyway, I have just begun formal philosophy classes this semester and would be interested in others’ positions on solipsism and why it has suddenly appeared. From reading some of the posts, I find myself agreeing with those who say solipsism has appeared because of the feeling of lostness during Descartes’ time and the need to be in control.