What is your justification for thinking?

I don't need no stinking justification.

Joe(first, I must learn to think)Nation

I can't HELP it. My brain just DOES it, I have no control.


I was waiting for this topic to appear.

"I think, therefore I am"
(Insert explanation here)

Hell, what's your justification for getting out of bed in the morning?

I am therefore I think. Can't help either.

What's your justification for thinking he's out of bed?

i believe steve forbert said it best

Well, don't ya go thinkin' and thinkin' and thinkin'
And thinkin' so much til you're stranded behind
Don't ya go thinkin' and thinkin' and thinkin'
And thinkin' so much til you're losin' your mind

There's so many depressions all plowed in your brain
Trace 'em too far and they'll drive you insane
You're twisted so tight now, you hardly can talk
Get out in the daylight and go for a walk

And, don't ya go thinkin' and thinkin' and thinkin'
And thinkin' so much til you're stranded behind
Don't ya go thinkin' and thinkin' and thinkin'
And thinkin' so much til you're losin' your mind

All the tension inside has gone through to your face
You're flashin' your madness all over the place
You stand in the hallway an' try to explain
I look in your eyes, I see shackles an' chains, aw

So, don't ya go thinkin' and thinkin' and thinkin'
And thinkin' so much til you're stranded behind
Don't ya go thinkin' and thinkin' and thinkin'
And thinkin' so much til you're losin' your mind

You're chasin' some notion you've misunderstood
You're tryin' so hard, can't you tell it's no good?
You analyze everything into a "No"
You're fallin' apart, you got nothing to show

So, don't ya go thinkin' and thinkin' and thinkin'
And thinkin' so much til you're stranded behind
Don't ya go thinkin' and thinkin' and thinkin'
And thinkin' so much til you're losin' your mind

I tried thinking . . . it's overrated . . . besides, if you start, you can't stop . . . stop, stop it ! ! !

Thank you, dlowan. You seem to understand this better than most.

The current paradigm finds its justification in the writings of Rorty. See his cogent argument in "Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity." Those disassociated from thinking suffer from the fallacy of "otherness."

I would be remiss not to mention the work being done at this moment in the field of cognitive science. As Derrida explained with his usual rich humour: "Truth can never be independent of the mind!"

Please see my sig line.

Nice twist on the Cartesian nonsense, JL.

I blame knowledge.

Knowledge is a gateway to thinking.

I blame Obama.

But, then, as a Republican I blame Obama for everything.

That was more of a general" your", in the spirit of the OP... that was a goodone though

I think just to spite those who don't.

Please discuss at great length.

I think there is more to that "great length" than meets the eye!

Yes, "truth can never be independent of the mind", simply because "truths" are established* propositions about the nature of reality, propositions invented by minds and presented to other minds for their consideration.

*established according to canons of logic, instrumental values, or empirical evidence. But we must remember that their veracity is inherently provisional if we assume that Science and philosophy are "progressive."

"Knowledge is a gateway to thinking."
So is fantasy, consider all the thinking that goes into theology.