Avatar Alice & Wittgenstein's Humor Challenge

Plato regarded philosophy as the greatest good ever imparted by Divinity to man. And how could he not? The evolution of philosophy is the evolution of the history of human thought, in all its glory. 

In our last post, we compared the six (6) disciplines of philosophy (metaphysics, logic, ethics, psychology, epistemology, and aesthetics) to Transformers. Why, you ask? 

Just to see if we could, I say. 

Random Explanation:

If we imagine the process of coming into conscious awareness, and start with basic human curiosity, our questioning might land us in the realm of metaphysics, a place where early ruminations on what's actually going on start bubbling forth in our brains. 

We trace these thoughts through their many cycles, all the way from early childhood until middle life, a place where our experiences and relational viewpoints are typically heightened (or dulled), and then we arrive to a few final summations, sometimes remarking: "I better write this down before I die" - a meta-concept if ever there were one, that basically takes into account our most profound or relevant life epiphanies, transcribed with the flavor our lifetimes have afforded them. 

In this sense metaphysics are those first "why" questions we ask; then later on, those devastating "I'm actually going to die" recognitions and, if we're lucky, those "I might not know what's going on, but it doesn't mean I can't have fun" declarations.

 

It is here where we make a choice: "Steal the Declaration of Independence, or live our our lives wondering." 

This type of cognitive evaluation leads us to the domain of logic. With our THINKING CAPS fully fastened, we ponder about like a Classic Pong, wondering: "What is the right thing to do?" 

This is where our learned values, morals and judgments (ethics) chime in. Our opinions of right and wrong form the basis of our psychological judgments (psychology) of our self in relation to others. The systems and methods we adopt (epistemology) become the ways by which we engage with knowledge and the world. 

The longer we live, the more refined or stagnant our methods and responses become, the more our tastes, judgments, and modes of expression define our unicity. Our creative expression is what the world ultimately sees (aesthetics). 

That which we express can be a thing of beauty, a thing of truth, or a unique blend of authentic expressions packaged up into modernisms that convey a universe of sentiment onto a single apple. 

I imagine both Socrates and Plato would have laughed had they the opportunity to see a painting of this nature. Instead, they laughed at Sophists. Even though philosophy eventually became a ponderous and complicated structure of arbitrary and irreconcilable notions, each was indeed substantiated by almost incontestable logic. The lofty theorems of the old Academy which Iamblichus liked to the nectar and ambrosia of the gods, have been re-molded by Play-Toh resembling opinion - 

which, of course, Heraclitus declared to be a failing sickness of the mind. Convincing evidence of the increasing superficiality of modern scientific and philosophic thought is persistent throughout this blog, as well as in philosophy's formal drift towards materialism. 

When Napoleon called out that great astronomer Laplace for not mentioning God in his Traité de la Méchanique Céleste, the mathematician brilliantly replied: 

"Sire, I had no need for that hypothesis!" 

Brilliant or naïve, 

we may never know.

In his treatise on Atheism, Sir Francis Bacon tersely summarizes the situation thus: "A little philosophy inclineth a man's mind to atheism; but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion." 

In 2011, when I conceived: 'The Punchline Theory of Humor', I had no idea that six years later I would return to it, to take up Wittgenstein's humor challenge. Before, I demolished it in sprinkles, unicorns, and rainbows - just because I could. 

Armed with the map of where my own thoughts and experiences on the philosophy of humor have traveled, follow me if you want to take a deeper dive. 

Just for giggles

Alice from the Looking Glass is a charming and fearless girl explorer. The Avatar is an enlightened being that aims to bring unity to opposing thought systems, if only to make clear what seems irreconcilable. Together, Avatar Alice sees Wittgenstein's Humor Challenge and raises him her entire court. 

Avatar Alice

The Six Transformers of Philosophy

There are six headings under which the disciplines of philosophy are commonly classified. This post associates those disciplines with the personality types of known Transformers.

Metaphysics, which deals with such abstract subjects as cosmology, theology, and the nature of being; 

MEGATRON

is the founder of the Decepticon uprising, and their most well-known and feared leader. As a young charismatic leader forged in battle and the heritage of war, he began to believe in a grand purpose for his race - it is the Transformers' glorious destiny to rule an empire which will span the universe. The opposite of his mortal enemy Optimus Prime, he feels great contempt for other Transformers who, he feels, betray their proud heritage by demanding peace and cooperation with weaker life forms. It is the destiny of the Decepticons to bring order to the universe through conquest, though in the millions of years since coining this purpose it remains to be seen how much of his mission statement is altruistic ... and how much of it is mere words built to fuel warriors to further his desire for personal power. 

Logic, which deals with the laws governing rational thinking, or, as it has been called, "the doctrine of fallacies";

RATCHET

is an Autobot and the resident medical officer of Team Prime. Ratchet is known as the doctor and scientist of the Autobots. Ratchet usually stays behind at the base to work on his projects, or on a case when one of the team members gets injured. On Earth, Ratchet wasn't fond of humans at first. However he was able to work and learn with them, and began accepting them as a noble species and as friends. Ratchet us usually the cranky old bot but Ratchet is the best medic and friend to have. Ratchet is clear-minded and would do whatever it takes to aid his team/family, and defend them against any threat that came their way.

Ethics, which is the science of morality, individual responsibility, and character - concerned chiefly with an effort to determine the nature of good; 

OPTIMUS PRIME

is consistently depicted as having a strong moral character, excellent leadership, and sound decision-making skills, and possesses brilliant military tactics, powerful martial arts, and advanced alien weaponry. 

Psychology, which is devoted to investigation and classification of those forms of phenomena referable to a mental origin; 

BUMBLEBEE

is one of Optimum Prime's most trusted lieutenants. Although he is not the strongest or most powerful of the Autobots, Bumblebee more than makes up for this with a bottomless well of luck, determination and bravery. He would gladly give his life to protect others and stop the Decepticons. He is also the ally of humans.

Epistemology, which is the science concerned primarily with the nature of knowledge itself and the question of whether it may exist in an absolute form; 

IRONHIDE

is one of the oldest and toughest Autobots, and has been on Optimus Prime's team for a long time. "They don't make them like they used to" is an apt description of Ironhide - he's yesterday's model, but he's built to last.

and, finally, Aesthetics, which is the science of the nature of and the reactions awakened by the beautiful, the harmonious, the elegant, and the noble. 

JAZZ

(Tigre in Italy) is the "very cool, very stylish, very competent" member of the Autobots. His original vehicle mode is a Martini Porsche 935 turbo racing car. Self-possessed, calm, and utterly collected, Jazz is Prime's subordinate and first lieutenant of the Autobots, as well as head of Special Operations, with his own dedicated roster of agents. He often gives the most dangerous assignments to himself; not as a matter of ego, but because he has the coolest head for the toughest missions. Jazz's ease extends to his environment, no matter how weird or wonderful. He effortlessly tunes into the local culture, assimilating and improvising, and making creative command decisions, making him an indispensable right-hand bot to Optimus Prime.

Helpful Infographic

Cognitive Miser Lens

A "Cognitive Miser" convinces himself that he (or she) is protecting "truth" ... but what if one is wrong about the "truth" one surmises?

Historically, and yet still today, millions of people put their theories of "truth" ahead of their humanity. Turning on the news will enlighten us as to what many people do in the name of truth.

The Cognitive Miser Lens is a costly viewpoint for the world's citizens to hoard.

The Cognitive Miser has existed throughout the course of the history of humanity. Not just in waring times, though war sadly continues, but also in people's personal lives and interactions with others.

Cognitive misery appears in the every day judgmental thoughts that people hold and is present when individuals stop themselves from being more understanding in the name of some preconceived truth.

Can truth be "truth" if it is preconceived? How could we claim to know "truth" before having discovered it? How could we legitimately hold one "truth" over another? Would that not then turn the "other truth" into a "lesser truth" by comparison?

How could "truth" ever be lesser? By nature of its definition, is it must be equal in its truthfulness. 

Take for example a highly memorable quarrel between the character Sheldon and his girlfriend, Amy Farrah Fowler in "The Zazzy Substitution" (3rd episode of the 4th season) of The Big Bang Theory television show. Sheldon claims that because the world is made of matter that physics is the most fundamental of the special sciences, and whatever is the most fundamental to physics would explain everything else. Amy staunchly disagrees with Sheldon, and the following dialogue ensues: 

Amy: Absolutely not. My colleagues and I are mapping the neurological substrates that subserve global information processing, which is required for all cognitive reasoning, including scientific inquiry, making my research ipso facto prior in the ordo cognoscendi. That means it's better than his research, and [to everyone else at the table] by extension, of course, yours.

Sheldon: Excuse me, but a grand unified theory, insofar as it explains everything, will ipso facto explain neurobiology. 

Amy: Yes, but if I'm successful, I will be able to map and reproduce your thought processes in deriving a grand unified theory, and therefore, subsume your conclusions under my paradigm. 

Could anyone claim superiority for the possession of "knowledge" when "knowledge" is an ever-evolving worldview dependent on geography, culture, gender, viewpoint, the way a study is conducted, human error, and so forth?

Did not Voltaire warn:

At this point in time, I can only personally claim to "know" three things about the world:


(1) that I cannot, in my present state and form, claim to "know" anything with certainty; 

(2) that I exist; and

(3) that whatever the inner workings of the universe may or may not be, that I am, at present, happy to be part of it. 

For me, truth is not as important as existing. Our existence is perhaps the only "truth" we can claim beyond the veil of ignorance that envelops our species. Whether there is one or many who know other truths than those which our species has uncovered or has yet to discover is unknown, and perhaps not as important as simply knowing that we are part of this thing we call "existence".

It is this not knowing that our minds must allow for, that our minds must accept as a fundamental truth and from that recognize that what we know is subject to change and largely dependent on one's own perspective or viewpoint.

The Cognitive Miser has closed his mind off to the possibility What if...? he mistakingly and authoritatively claims that he has discovered "truth" when in reality the ONLY thing he has discovered the LIMIT of his imagination and the THRESHOLD of his ability to suspend judgment.

Cognitive Misery claims one law as a governing agent over the entirety of nature, claims one person's perspective is more valid than that of another, and claims that it is possible for one person to know while the rest of the world's population exists in a state of utter ignorance.

In simple terms: 

Cognitive Misery is the belief that one is "right" 

while others are "wrong".

What value can one derive from accepting a state of being whose foundation is built upon not knowing? 

Individuals react to the sentiment of not knowing in two distinct ways:

(1) by feeling "poor" before an entire universe, thereby grasping at and hoarding "truths"  

(2) by feeling "rich" in their knowing that they do not know and are thusly open to learning and discovery.

In accepting this state of not knowing, would one not then be naturally inclined toward a sense of responsibility or duty for every thought and action?

When one is stripped bare of one's pretenses, does not earnestness for self-understanding naturally arise?

In reality, what we know comes to far too little... what we presume, far too much. Other than being of the mindset and perception that we exist, that we might always exist irrespective of the form (or even that we might not always exist)... either way, we exist "now".

Whether existence is a matter of choice or not, I cannot know. What I surmise from this existence, however, is that everything we think and do is a matter of choice. Everything we feel is a matter of how comfortable we are with existing in a state of not knowing. Everything we think and/or create is a representation of that existence, and everything we "feel" is simply a matter for ourselves, for our own delight or pleasure (or torment). 

Finding harmony between existence and being "okay" with existing and not knowing why we exist is perhaps all we might be capable of doing... in doing, we become part of what which we seek.