Re: [MUD-Dev] You, the game of philosophy.

["Jon A. Lambert" <jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com>]

On 16 Nov 97 at 13:49, Ola Fosheim Gr°stad wrote:
>
> I guess this has a lot to do with Descartes and other philosophers.
> If I sense through the screen and are able to deduce what I might
> sense in the future by reasoning about my actions, how can you then
> say that what I sense in the game is fundamentally different from what
> I sense in other contexts?  After all, I only know that I think,
> right, at least I think I know?  I can only hope that there is
> something subtantial in what I sense.  I have no real evidence that I
> should trust the real world more than a game world. Ok, the game life
> is a shorter life, but it is still a life? Isn't it?  Actually I'm not
> quite sure if the game life is shorter, maybe it is only
> time-compressed.  ;^)
>

There was a young man who said, "God
Must think it exceedingly odd
  If he finds that this tree
  Continues to be
When there's no one about in the Mud."

And the reply:
Dear Sir,
  Your astonishments odd.
I am always about in the Mud.
  And that's why the tree
  Will continue to be,
Since observed by
           Yours faithfully,
                         God.

>
> "you" ? Is that a mental or physical entity?  Does it exists?  Is it
> one thing or many things?  Is it a separate entity?  Can you prove to
> me that you exists outside this game world called mud-dev?  You forget
> that one part of your brain might accept that this is "only a game"
> while another part of your brain ignore that "fact".  Which part of
> your brain is more "you" than the other?  Which part is dominating
> during gameplay?
>

"I wish," said a possible tree
"That someone would come stare at me;
   For to be very factual,
   I'd like to be actual:
I am tired of mere possibility."

"Be patient," replied an old stone
"You trees really ought not to moan;
   Why, for billions of years
   There were no eyes or ears:
We survived on possibility alone."

:-}

--
Jon A. Lambert
"Everything that deceives may be said to enchant" - Plato