Is counterfeit money really genuine money if no one cares? Would that be like two different girl-friends be the same person if no one cares who is who?

Actually I have been asking you about the term, "possible" and not about the term, "not real". I had hoped you would notice.

I was thinking of a case when someone begins wondering whether it was possible that all the money in the United States, even that issued by the Treasury, was counterfeit. What would you think of that wondering? What is such a person wondering about?

You have the wrong concept of the matrix example because in the Matrix (in the movie itself) there are two distinguishable realities, but your example is one involving no distinguishable realities.

Good point. Reality and non-reality are relative. There must be some kind of duality for the contrast to have any meaning. I like to imagine a different version of the Matrix where Neo is forced to wake up yet again, and this time he is a 6-dimensional alien who has been playing a video game while his 3 mothers cook dinner.

Another strawman? Really?

If counterfeit money looks exactly the same as real money there is no conflict.





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But that is just false. No matter how good a counterfeit the counterfeit is, it is still a counterfeit. It is illegal to pass it. And it will be taken from you if you are caught with it. The fact that the counterfeit is undetectable does not make it genuine money. It is still counterfeit money. It was not issued by the Treasury. Whether that is detectable or not is irrelevant.

Have you ever seen "Waking Life"? GREAT movie.

Also, ever done Salvia? It's a legal hallucinogen in Arkansas. When you smoke it you feel as if the world in your trip is the real reality. When I felt it for the first time I thought I was being revealed my true purpose, lol, it is a physical means of bringing up questions about our basic understanding of the world.

Yes. Pretty great. But all of his movies are great. Seen Suburbia? Also good.

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I've heard stories, but haven't tried it. I think it's available here, but I heard about some negative effects. As far as acid and shrooms go, let's just say that this is a public forum and therefore "no comment." (or the 5th.)

Are either of the bills counterfeit, or are they both half-counterfeit? Or are they both counterfeit? Or something else?

An expert is given two bills, one of which is counterfeit.

If you drop the genuine and your counterfeit, and your counterfeit is a perfect replica, then how could you tell the difference? How is pointing out that the difference only matters if it is distinguishable not relevant!

Because something can be something, no matter if you realize it or not. I may mistake my fake leather coat as being a real leather coat, but it is not a real leather coat no matter how often I mistake that it is. You think that because I mistake my fake leather coat as being made of real leather, it becomes a real leather coat? There is no difference? That seems shocking if you really believe that.

Sometimes using practical examples makes us realize how silly some things we say while philosophizing are.

I think he was often wrong, or needlessly bitter. On some issues he was shallow. But I prefer a writer who sometimes gets there, at the cost of sometimes being ridiculous, to a writer who never gets there. I read Nietzsche as I read anything and everything, with scissors. Sure, there will always be those who like Nietzsche for what I consider the wrong reasons. And there will always be folks who are religious for what I think are the wrong reasons. It's a crowded planet, and everyone wants a piece. What percentage of the planet would agree with all of your most important views? Highly pluralistic, this America of ours.

Do you reject the idea of reading philosophy for entertainment? for self-enlargement? Or do you feel that philosophy has a social duty?

Philosophy may be big medicine, and we may be doctors...We owe everyone the same behavior doctors should show: First, do no harm...No one can look at Nietzsche as one who did no harm...

We should not harm humanity, and Nietzsche did damage to the truth, and to humanity... And I am not referring here to his anti christianity, but to his characature of humanity as falling into two groups: the over man and the resentful...It is not true, but the vision did a lot of damage...And I know he was not a nazi, but the Nazis used very much of the same heartless language in regard to Poland and Russia.

I agree for the most part but I have two questions.

Doesn't that fall under one's philosophy of humaneness, not philosophy itself?

Couldn't he help philosophy while harming humanity at the same time?

In theory they are different, in practical terms they are not.

Of course in the end reality is reality, independent of how we view it, but useful ideas come out of questioning our view, so it is not "silly".

So, if I have a fake leather jacket and a real leather jacket, they are only different in theory?



Hm. Now you're confusing me.

Indeed, I will reread your posts like you suggested.

So in pragmatic terms when one says "what is reality is reality, no matter if it is fake or not" is true, iff there is no important (distinguishable) difference. However, if there is a distinguishable difference between two ideas of "what is reality", then there is a pragmatic reason for questioning each. Asking "which reality is not real" is like asking "which leather jacket is fake?".