“In all affairs it’s a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.”
For the longest time, it was common knowledge that the Earth was flat. Then, we learned that it was spherical. Then, we learned that it was more like a squished sphere. For the longest time, it was thought that dinosaurs were strictly reptiles. Then, we learned that they were the ancestors of modern birds.
All too often, we take “common knowledge” for granted and just assume it to be true. While this may hold up for many things, there are countless other “facts” that have subsequently been debunked. And that is why famed philosopher Bertrand Russell
Conversely, it would be impractical to assume that everything we know is wrong. We’d become frozen in place. But at the same time, we have to recognize that, as a general matter of fact, we really “know” nothing at all. If you consider David Hume‘s example on black and white swans, this point is well illustrated. Even if every swan that you’ve ever seen is white, you cannot know that all swans are white. Seeing a single black swan would refute that conclusion. And that’s why it’s so important to learn how to figure things out, as Neil deGrasse Tyson puts it. That’s why we need logic and science and philosophy.
If you are interested in other writings from Bertrand Russell, there is certainly no shortage. You can read about the History of Western Philosophy
I’m going to add the obvious thought that goes along with this Michael:
“If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?”
While science says it does, do we really know? We can’t be there and if we leave a microphone to record it, then we really are there. Questions, Chinese koans are all things that spark the mind. They are the things that make people come up with great idea’s because they are thinking, using their minds.
I also believe that crossword puzzles and other mind-thought games can inspire people by opening their minds to alternative ideas.
This is where science can sometimes rely on inference, rather than direct observation. We may not be there to see or hear the tree falling, but we can see the resulting aftermath. By comparing it to previously observed data (before the tree fell), scientists can then arrive at the conclusion that the tree must have fallen. It’s not perfect, but much of the time, it’s all we have.
Somehow this article has prompted me to share this story written by some genius, I don’t think it’s Albert Einstein though.
The professor of a university challenged his students with this question. “Did God create everything that exists?” A student answered bravely, “Yes, he did”.
The professor then asked, “If God created everything, then he created evil. Since evil exists (as noticed by our own actions), so God is evil. The student couldn’t respond to that statement causing the professor to conclude that he had “proved” that “belief in God” was a fairy tale, and therefore worthless.
Another student raised his hand and asked the professor, “May I pose a question? ” “Of course” answered the professor.
The young student stood up and asked : “Professor does Cold exists?”
The professor answered, “What kind of question is that? …Of course the cold exists… haven’t you ever been cold?”
The young student answered, “In fact sir, Cold does not exist. According to the laws of Physics, what we consider cold, in fact is the absence of heat. Anything is able to be studied as long as it transmits energy (heat). Absolute Zero is the total absence of heat, but cold does not exist. What we have done is create a term to describe how we feel if we don’t have body heat or we are not hot.”
“And, does Dark exist?”, he continued. The professor answered “Of course”. This time the student responded, “Again you’re wrong, Sir. Darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in fact simply the absence of light. Light can be studied, darkness can not. Darkness cannot be broken down. A simple ray of light tears the darkness and illuminates the surface where the light beam finishes. Dark is a term that we humans have created to describe what happens when there’s lack of light.”
Finally, the student asked the professor, “Sir, does evil exist?” The professor replied, “Of course it exists, as I mentioned at the beginning, we see violations, crimes and violence anywhere in the world, and those things are evil.”
The student responded, “Sir, Evil does not exist. Just as in the previous cases, Evil is a term which man has created to describe the result of the absence of God’s presence in the hearts of man.”
After this, the professor bowed down his head, and didn’t answer back.
The young man’s name was ALBERT EINSTEIN.