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Ronald Green

Yesterday's well-attended discussion "Is Reality Important?" was extremely interesting. It was perhaps the most metaphysical discussion so far in the First Sunday of the Month series. After almost 3 hours (!), there were still 18 people, which I find amazing.

We discussed a wide range of topics within a subject that is itself enormous. After all, who doesn't think that they are living in (a) reality? One of of the questions I asked, (possibly THE question), is whether there exists a mind-independent world, i.e. a world with an intrinsic, determinate nature that exists independently of our theories about it.

Possibly the most controversial point I made in response to that question was that reality is all about epistemology (knowledge of the world), into which ontology (existence) is swallowed up., i.e. it's a matter of knowledge, not of existence.

In other words, that which you don't know doesn't exist.

Of course, that was met with a lot of resistance, and led to a lively conversation.

All in all, it was gratifying to see such a large intelligent crowd, who were tolerant and willing to discuss patiently and respectfully issues that affected them intensely.

If everything (what "matters") is knowledge about knowledge, which is what existence is, it (everything) is not knowledge or "what matters to what exists" i.e., "about" anything, as minds would have and do, but is word.

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Ronald Green

Face is truth, according to Levinas.

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