solipsism final

7/31/2019 Solipsism FINAL

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solipsism. n. (Lat. solus, alone + Lat. ipse, self + ism) Philos.1.The theory that the self is the only thing that can be known

and verified. 2. The theory or view that the self is the onlyreality.

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Solipsism is easy to explain but very hard to grasp.

Solipsism is a philosophy that shows us the lack of proof for existance.Meaning that in reality you could be living in a world that does notexist outside of your own mind (a dream for example).

Solipsism

From www.shtikl.comSolipsism is often described as the belief that nothing can be proven to existoutside of one's own mind. The word "solipsism" is derived from the Latin phrase"solus ipse", which means "myself alone." In the most extreme views of this

philosophy, this would mean that since an external world cannot be proven totruly exist, it does not exist at all, and the entire universe and all its contents havebeen created by the subconscious of the individual. Of course, on the completeopposite end of the spectrum, there are many arguments that solipsism iscompletely false; not only does the external world exist, but everything existsexactly as it is perceived, and it is perceived in exactly the same way byeveryone. And still between the two there is a very wide range of middle ground;perhaps everything (or at least most things) that are seen do exist, but maybe notquite exactly as they are seen.

Based off of these views, it is easy to tell that solipsism revolves almost entirely

around the validity of sense perception. This can be traced back to ReneDescartes' famous exclamation of, "I think, therefore I am!" This statementexplained some of the most basic thoughts and principles of solipsism: One canbe sure of his/her own existence because he/she is thinking and capable ofdoubting it to begin with, and those thoughts and doubts have to have a source.

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However, how can one be sure that anything else exists? Sense perceptioncannot be proven to be completely reliable; for instance, in a dream, all of thesenses are active to perceive things that are not really there. When consideringthis fact, how can one be entirely sure that everything perceived during thewaking life is real?

Much of the grounds for the solipsist belief are derived from a concept called"skepticism." Skepticism states that since no one can ever fully determinewhether "reality" is real or an illusion, one can never truly know the "fundamentaltruth" about anything. All solipsism really does is take this thought process a stepfarther to say that since no one can really be one hundred percent sure that"reality" (or, rather, what the mind perceives as "reality" ) is not an illusion,perhaps it is safe to say that it doesn't exist at all. But to say the entire universe iscreated entirely within the mind wouldn't even begin to cover the entire definitionof solipsism; this would only define one view of the philosophy, known as"absolute solipsism," There are several other types of solipsism; one of these is

"rational solipsism," which basically states that the only reality that matters is thatwhich exists within the mind. This isn't to say that anything else beyond one'sown personal reality is nonexistent. Rather, it says that even though there maybe more, less, or just different things in the world than what the individual cansee, touch, hear, etc., since it can't be perceived, it cannot affect the individual. Ina sense, everyone can be considered to be a solipsist in this light. Still anotherform of solipsism states simply that one cannot completely attach meaning tothoughts, emotions, and experiences other than his/her own; consciousnesswould then mean only the solipsist's own consciousness, as that is the only validexperiences the solipsist knows. All of these widely varying and vastly differingviews and theories are what make solipsism such an intriguing and debatable

topic.

The most commonly found definition of solipsism (though that doesn't necessarilymean it's the most accurate) is that of "absolute solipsism." To an absolutesolipsist, the self--or, more specifically, the mind--is the only thing that trulyexists. The things around him/her--the trees, the sky, the earth, even otherpeople and his/her own body--would be said to have been created by his/hersubconscious mind. In this particular branch of solipsism, it would be said thatthe solipsist self is the only valid being in existence. This is also known as"ontological solipsism." Some arguments to back up this theory could include thefact that there are some concepts in everyday life that could be explained if it wastrue. For instance, "deja vu" would be completely understandable. If nothing elsein the universe exists, then the person would have previously created theseexperiences in their mind (for if the objects have to be created, wouldn't theevents revolving around those objects have to be created as well?) and it wouldonly be natural to occasionally feel as though he/she had been through theexperiences before. So-called "psychics" could also be explained in a similar matter.

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This theory can also e taken into quite extreme cases; there are those who wouldargue that because the solipsist self created the universe and all its contents, thesolipsist self is God. With beliefs like this thrown into the mix, absolute solipsismmay seem far-fetched or completely outrageous. Nonetheless, in spite of theseeming implausibility of the concept, it is still irrefutable.

There have, however, been many attempts to completely falsify solipsism. Oneargument includes the simple fact that it would be impossible to convince anotherperson that absolute solipsism is true. Think of Descartes' "I think, therefore Iam." If Person A was to convince Person B that absolute solipsism is, in fact,true, Person A would have to convince Person B that Person A exists andPerson B does not; however, Person B is thinking, conscious, and capable ofdoubt,and thus knows that this cannot possibly be true. So instead, Person Amust convince Person B that Person B is the one who exists and Person A doesnot; the fault in this lies in that not only would Person B know that Person Acannot possibly believe this or himself, but even if Person B did believe this,

Person A is still conscious and thinking and will obviously know otherwise.This leads into the most common argument, which is that if solipsism is true, thenthere can only be one solipsist in the world correct in his/her belief. What wouldhappen should two solipsists meet?

The problem with the logic in both of these arguments is that they take a look atsolipsism from a strange angle. If absolute solipsism were true, the personexamining these scenarios would have to start from the assumption that he/sheexists and neither Person A nor Person B does. Even looking at it from the pointof view of Person A, there is no sure proof that Person B exists. Similarly, if twosolipsists meet (assuming that absolute solipsism is true, of course), at least one

of them isn't really there to begin with, so why would this other figment of thesolipsist mind play any important role in disproving the theory?There is, however, one argument against absolute solipsism that, as of yet,cannot be so easily disregarded. Like any theory, belief, or even religion, it raisesmany unanswerable questions. Where did the solipsist self come from? Why didthe solipsist self create the universe? Not to mention the intriguing concept thatthis would mean all knowledge--Shakespeare's plays and sonnets, high-levelmathematics,philosophical studies--would have to have been created by theindividual before it can be learned. Is it really possible for one mind to createsuch complex concepts?It is due to these types of questions, among other factors, that many peoplewould immediately disregard solipsism entirely, choosing instead to believe thatthe entire universe exists exactly as it is perceived. While this end of the theorycan't necessarily be proven with much more certainty than any other aspect ofthe philosophy, it certainly seems more plausible to most people--not to mentionit is much more widely accepted. (There certainly seem to be many morearguments against solipsism than in favor of it.) Scientific research is based off ofthe premises that sense perception is one hundred percent reliable. This

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research is what is used to obtain knowledge, cure diseases, advance intechnology, and attempt to improve the overall quality of life.However, at the same time, how can one be sure the research that has beendone exists, or even the people that are doing said research? If absolutesolipsism were true, the knowledge scientists try to obtain is completely false,

because the observations the knowledge is based off of is false; the diseasesdon't need to be "cured" because they're not really there to be an issue;advances in technology and improvements of the quality of life are pointless,because life and reality are only figments of the mind. But perhaps this is the bestplace for rational solipsism to become a factor. Whether all these things trulyexist or not, they affect the way life is led. If something happens--whether in"Reality" or a fictional universe created by the mind--that causes physical oremotional pain, it is a factor worthy of consideration, whether the pain or itscause do or do not exist. The diseases scientists try to cure, whether they trulyexist or not, will have an effect on the way people live their lives. Likewise, ifsomething happened that, no matter what, will never be perceived, it cannot

affect the individual and thus it doesn't matter whether or not it exists. Because ofthis, one could argue that it doesn't really matter whether the perceived reality istruly reality; it must be accepted for the effects it has on life.Of course, between the extremes of almost any theory, there lies some sort of"middle ground." In this case, that middle ground would be that the universedoes, in fact, exist, but not necessarily as it is perceived. This can be interpretedin many ways--after all, who's to say how much of what is perceived is Realityand how much of it is illusion? This middle ground should exist, at least as atheory, because absolute solipsism is irrefutable but nonetheless highlyimplausible, and at the same time it is difficult and possibly ignorant to just simplysay that what is real is what one sees, nothing more and nothing less.

While this third way of looking at solipsism proves to be yet another theory thatcan't be proven one way or another, it, like absolute solipsism, holds its purposesof explanation. People who see a different world entirely, or who see things thatare completely different from what "normal" people see, are usually deemed"crazy," but could this off-branch of solipsism serve as an explanation as to whythey see things so radically differently?

Another idea that can be considered in this "middle ground" is poly-solipsism.This is the theory that everyone creates a different reality in his/her own mind,but all realities are true. What one person sees and hears could be entirelydifferent from hat the person next to him/her sees and hears; however, becauseevery individual's own separate reality intertwines with all of the others in such away that people can still get along and understand each other, all of theserealities are, in a sense, true. Poly-solipsism basically forms most of the basis forthe middle ground between the extremes of the solipsism belief, and at the sametime ties in well with rational solipsism.Due to the extremes of the belief and the distorting of the views on reality,solipsism can be a very confusing topic, but well worth looking into. In itsextreme, solipsism is probably not true; it seems to raise more questions thananswers, and seems almost completely implausible. Much more realistic is the

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commonly accepted reality, especially since it is the basis for almost everything"known" to mankind. The middle ground and the ideas of rational solipsism andpoly-solipsism may or may not be plausible, but they are definitely the mostintriguing of the many possibilities."We all believe the truth we perceive, but we only perceive the truth we believe."

Solipsism

Solipsism is a metaphysical belief that only oneself

exists, and that "existence" just means being a part of

one's own mental states all objects, people, etc, that

one experiences, are merely parts of one's own mind. One is

like a God, creating the reality in which one exists.

Solipsism is logically coherent, but not falsifiable, so it

cannot be established by current modes of the scientific

method.

Solipsism is a common theme in eastern philosophy. Various

interpretations of Buddhism, especially Zen, teach that the

entire universe exists only in one's mind.

The classic objection to solipsism is that people die.

However, you have not died, and therefore you have not

disproved it.

A further objection is that life causes pain. Why would we

create pain for ourselves? One response to this is that

there may be some reason which we have decided to forget,

such as the law of Karma, or a desire not to be bored.

A deeper objection, raised by David Deutsch, among others,

is that, since you have no control over the "universe" you

are creating for yourself, there must be some unconscious

part of your mind creating it. If you make your

unconscious mind the object of scientific study (e.g. by

conducting experiments) you will find that it behaves with

the same complexity as the universe offered by realism;therefore, the distinction between realism and solipsism

collapses - what realism calls "the universe", solipsism

calls "your unconscious mind", but these are just different

names for the same thing: both are massively complex

processes external to your conscious mind,

and the cause of all your experiences.

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Solipsism is a theory of metaphysics. Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy

that asks the question "what is real?" or "what is reality made of?"

Generally speaking, there are two major schools of thought in metaphysics:

materialism and idealism. Materialism says that everything is made of, well, stuff- matter and energy - stuff that goes on existing whether anyone happens to be

looking at it or not. I suppose this is the "common sense" view that most ordinary

people have, and a large number of prestigious intellectuals hold this view.

Idealism, on the other hand, says that everything is made of ideas. In other

words, there really is no stuffthat just sits there being stuff whether anyone is

looking at it or not. Rather, everything is essentially an idea in someone's mind.

This may sound a bit nutty to "common sense", but there are actually some pretty

good reasons for entertaining the idealistic view.

Solipsism is a kind of idealism. A solipsist, like other idealists, says that

everything is made of ideas, or "mind stuff". But not every idealist is a solipsist,

so further distinctions must be made here.

There are two main divisions of idealism: objective idealismand subjective

idealism. An objective idealist says that the ideas that we all sense as being

"things in the world" originate from outside of ourselves, and this explains why weall see more or less the same world. George Berkeley is an example of an

objective idealsit. He said that all things are thoughts in the mind of God, and that

God shares these thoughts with us. That explains why we can both look and see

the same tree, even if it is only an idea-tree.

A subjective idealist, on the other hand, has a much different (and stranger) view

of things. The subjective idealist is a solipsist. He says that the thoughts that

generate the world we see come from inside the perceiving subject. In other

words, everything you see is something that you personally thought up.

If you are a solipsist, you are almost forced to say that I am a figment of your

creative imagination, and that it is really you who is the author of these words you

are reading (unconsciously making them us as you go along, perhaps).

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There are two interesting things about solipsism. First, there are no professional

philosophers who seriously teach that solipsism is true. It would be absurd, would

it not, for a philosophy professor to stand up and lecture to a group of students

who are nothing but his own mental projections? The second interesting thing

about solipsism is that it cannot be disproved! If you think you have a way todisprove it, I am all ears, and you will become a celebrity in the philosophical

community.

Solipsism is the idea that a person's mind is the only thing that actuallyexists. It is a philosophical argument that maintains reality is based onthe perceptions of one's mind, and therefore nothing really exists exceptfor that perceptual reality of one's mind. Solipsism was first introduced

by the Greek philosopher Gorgias and perpetuated to a great degree byDescartes, who emphasized the importance of finding the origins ofknowledge and understanding through epistemology. This led toepistemological solipsism, in which only the knowledge andunderstanding of the individual philosopher can be known.

The general thought behind solipsism is that everything one sees, does,or feels is simply an extension of one's subconscious. It is a belief thateverything in reality takes place within one's own mind, and thereforethere are no actual outside forces acting upon the self. This philosophy

calls into question the very essence of existence, and it also contendsthat existence and experience reside only in the mind and thereforeexistence may not be real at all. This relates most closely tometaphysical solipsism, a philosophical argument in which a person isthe only thing existence and everything else is just a projection of thatperson's mental state.

Methodological solipsism is the idea that all philosophical argumentsmust be built from the individual's knowledge and understanding ofreality. It contends that the self is the only proper starting point forbuilding such arguments. However, there are several counter-arguments

to such a philosophy, which include the certainty of death, the fact thatlife can be unpleasant and it would seem antithetical for one to create areality that is painful and imperfect, and a person's inability to imitateanother person's skills.

Related only tenuously to the philosophy of solipsism is solipsismsyndrome, which is a dissociative psychiatric condition that causes thesubject to believe all reality is internal and everything outside of them

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does not exist or exists simply as an ethereal or dreamlike state. Peopleexperiencing this syndrome often feel a detachment from reality,apathy, indifference, and intense loneliness, which can be dangerousand lead to other serious or life-threatening mental conditions.Astronauts living in space for long periods of time have experienced this

syndrome, and it is believed that infants experience this type of world-view until they are old enough to grow out of it.

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"My mind is the only thing that I know exists."

Initially presented as the philosophical explanation of human knowledge of the external

world, solipsism revolves around the ontological belief and skeptical hypothesis that states

existence consists of the mental capacity and experience of one's own mind.

According to the philosophy of solipsism, the existence of things outside of an individual's

own mental state cannot be proven.

The Greek presocratic philosopher, Gorgias was the first to record solipsistic theory, stating

that 1) nothing exists; 2) even if something exists, nothing can be known about it; and 3)

even if something could be known about it, knowledge can't be communicated with others.

The foundations that Gorgias set in 400 BC has evolved, mostly in part of Descartes.

In the 17th century, French philosopher Rene Descartes who extensively studied

epistemology or the theory of knowledge and the limitations of human knowledge began to

delve into the theories of solipsism in order to find a credible solution of the "problem of

other minds". The problem of other minds is traditionally accepted to be an epistemological

challenge raised by skeptics that the mentality of another person cannot be proven by

simply observing their behavior. Though the solipsism beliefs deny the existence of other

minds and Descartes does not, his philosophical breakthrough in the 1600s helped the

further development of solipsism.--

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Descartes resolved that an individual's

understanding of the world depends on their own mind state and inner

experience. In this development, Descartes brought the idea, "Ithink therefore I am" to become a popular inference of solipsist philosophy. Thecontemporary theory of solipsism revolves around three broad philosophicalpresumptions, which according to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, is 1)my most certain knowledge is that of my own mind, thoughts, and experience; 2)there is no concept or logical link between mental states and physical behavioral

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and materialistic dispositions 3) the experience, thoughts, and mind state of agiven person is private to that person.

These three principals where observed by John Locke, who according to IEPconcluded that if an individual does possess the knowledge of the minds of

others that knowledge is an indirect inference or analogy to one's ownperception.

An example of an analogy comparing oneself with the outer world:

"I am a living human being, as are these others. I see about me living humanbeings and the argument from analogy is supposed to allow me to infer thatthese are persons like myself."(IEP)

The analogy clearly contradicts the beliefs of solipsism and it is because of thisand the fact that perception is the driving factor of solipsistic ideals that this

theory's credibility is constantly questioned. Many philosophers argue thatsolipsism defies logic and common sense. Even if everything outside of anindividual is a dream, dreams are still entities that require explanation. ConsciousEntities claims that is virtually impossible to disprove solipsism because it isbased on individual perception, which makes it internally consistent.

There are few to none, well-known person that truly adheres to the beliefs ofsolipsism. However, developmental psychologists widely agree that infants andchildren are solipsism or suffer from solipsism syndrome, which is the conducivestate of mind that nothing exist except oneself, because young children care onlyabout themselves and perceive the world in relation to themselves until they

learn to empathize.

The philosophical theory of solipsism relies on egocentric views and the lack ofexperiencing empathy. Not only is it egocentric and antisocial philosophy, but italso defies reality and common sense, by viewing the world in relativity to one'sown thoughts and experience. However, it is hypothesized that in the event ofnuclear holocaust or some other devastation, a human being would naturallybegin thinking in a solipsistic manner, that nothing and no one exist besides theirmind.

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