"Nothing matters but knowing nothing matters"

[ready_fire_aim]

I've mentioned this a bit before, but over the past year I have thought a lot about my life.  Since leaving the church, I have noticed that I still hold to many of the values I adopted there from an early age, but now, without any understanding of why.  Slowly but surely, I am coming around to forming a life of my own designing (as much as that is

Comments

[jdhenchman]

David Hume, one of the world's worst philosophers (came up with the bright idea that cause and effect does not exist) recanted on his deathbed, woeful of all the time wasted on nonsensical ideas instead of enjoying the life he claimed didn't exist:

"I dine, play a game of backgammon, I converse, and am merry with my friends; and when, after three or four hours amusement, I would return to these speculations, they appear so cold, and strained, and ridiculous, that I cannot find in my heart to enter into them any farther..."

[seafoam_george]

Brilliant analysis of Hume. Interestingly, his entire Inquiry contained just those words: "Cause and effect does not exist. -Dave"; his Treatise just "You're all still idiots. Cause and effect doesn't exist. Love, Davey."

It's also fun to quote philosophers out of context on their emotional responses to their own arguments--which are, of course, completely irrelevant to the strength of their arguments, and especially so in the case of Hume since he attributed so much to our imagination and sentiment. That almost serves to support his arguments.

Did you actually study and critically evaluate Hume's works or did you just hear about them secondhand in a political science class?

[wewearthemask]

Well, I certainly agree with balance. Although I wouldn't worry about becoming a shut-in just because you like to think and discuss complex ideas. Such a scenario doesn't seem too likely (and besides, some of those French existentialist philosophers...boy howdy they had some crazy times in life)

"Frolicing in the park..."
Hot damn you're queer.

Oh, and by the way, by "I don't enjoy balance" did you mean simply that you do not have it or did you mean that when you DO have it you do not enjoy it?