STREET DOGS: Mysterianism
What we know or may come to know may be trifling compared with the unknowable
From Nicholas Carr at Edge.org: What if our faith in nature’s knowability is just an illusion, a trick of the overconfident human mind? That’s the working assumption behind a school of thought known as mysterianism. The mysterians propose that human intellect has boundaries and that some of nature’s mysteries may forever lie beyond our comprehension. Mysterianism is most closely associated with the so-called hard problem of consciousness: how can the inanimate matter of the brain produce subjective feelings? The mysterians argue that the human mind may be incapable of understanding itself, that we will never understand how consciousness works. But if mysterianism applies to the workings of the mind, there’s no reason it shouldn’t also apply to the workings of nature in general. The simplest and best argument for mysterianism is founded on evolutionary evidence. When we examine other living creatures, we understand immediately that its intellect is limited. The brightest dog is not g...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.