From: taspok@mindspring.com (tom arnold,md)
Subject: Re: PHIL: Concept of Reality
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 15:49:11 GMT
Message-ID: <4lgd50$1abm@mule2.mindspring.com>
Organization: MindSpring Enterprises, Inc.



thaliap@compnt.cs.unp.ac.za (thalia) wrote:
(...snip)
>- what is real?
>- is it important to know what is real?
>- how do we know something is real?
>- if we put virtual head gear on a baby as soon as it was born and the 
>  person lived their whole life in a virtual world, would he/she think 
>  that is reality?
>- Is virtual reality leading us closer to what is really real?

1. It's easy to get carried away with such questions..reminds me of an
old Zen koan:	Before I studied Zen, rivers were rivers and mountains
		were mountains.
		Studing Zen, rivers and mountains were no longer those things.
		After studing Zen, rivers were rivers and mountains
                were mountains again.

2. It's important to know what's real so that you can eat.
3. We know something is real by its measurable or observable effects.
4. BF Skinner's children might have something interesting to say about
such conditioning techniques. But how would the child/person eat?
What sort of person would this produce? Humans tend to be rather
social animals...we have enough anti-social tendencies already.
5. Sounds like VR could be leading us somewhat astray of more salient
concerns.
Overall, keep me informed about what is really real...really.

tom arnold
taspok@mont.mindspring.com