Can we ever really know reality?

Frank, you refer to the "reality of existence." I cannot help but read that as "the existence of reality" (dyslexic?) which points to the fact that we must unavoidably respond to each other's statements interpretively. For example, I could interpret your use of "whatever" as a transcendence of dualism. Instead of chooseing between metaphysical opposites you could assert "whatever"--or even "whichever" and "whereever." But I suspect you would disagree.

I didn't count who else did but I haven't been doing nothing else along these years in the forum one way or another. So long I believe it is the truth, that is my "job" ! You know what's funny Frank ?...one way or another we all are preachers...the world is full of irony.

BTW...was it you who advocated for the reversal of the cogito ergo sum thingy?

I am, therefore I think?

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BTW...was it you who advocated for the reversal of the cogito ergo sum thingy?

I am, therefore I think?

No, I'm the one who rectified such illogical and obsolete phrase from the past.

We exist first, later we think. And "we" includes you.

"We" includes you, because without you being as existing first, you shouldn't be replying here with your nonsenses about reality.

Fil, I agree. Many times I have advocated the dismissal of Descartes, one of Western culture's great miscreants. He might have proclaimed his "great truth" in the passive voice without invoking a spurious agent, "There is thinking" does not necessarily demonstrate a thinker. The "agent-of- thought" behind thought remains to be established experentially not simply presumed logically .

That certainly appears to be the case, but at one point in time, it appeared the Earth was a pancake flat object around which the rest of the universe revolves.

We were wrong then...and amazing as it may seem to you, you may be wrong now.

You have no idea if I exist or not...just as I have no idea if you actually exist or not. All of that "other people" stuff may be nothing more than a delusion or illusion.

But it is amusing to hear your thoughts about what is nonsense and what is not. Thank you for that.

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That certainly appears to be the case, but at one point in time, it appeared the Earth was a pancake flat object around which the rest of the universe revolves.

We were wrong then...and amazing as it may seem to you, you may be wrong now.

Your ignorance about reality also covers your ignorance about history.

Pythagoras and his school, according to Aristotle in De Caelo, described planet earth as a sphere. Even more, Pythagoreans taught that the earth was not the center of the universe.

On the other hand, other philosophers like Anaximenes, Anaximander, and Democritus, thought of a flat earth, but even Aristotle disagreed with them.
Aristotle also thought of earth as a sphere, and inclusive he thought as the whole universe as having spherical figure. His mistake was to think that the earth was static and the rest orbiting around it.

So, in this discussion, your thoughts are playing Anaximenes, Anaximander and Democritus, when you believe in something that is not.

In this case, you don't even believe that you do exist. You are your own flat earth.

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You have no idea if I exist or not...just as I have no idea if you actually exist or not. All of that "other people" stuff may be nothing more than a delusion or illusion.

But it is amusing to hear your thoughts about what is nonsense and what is not. Thank you for that.

I know that you do exist, because only a real person with weird thoughts can write so many nonsenses about reality as you do.

You can run but you can't hide, anyone can recognizes you because your thoughts, you do exist. Frank Apisa is a real human being,

You do not know that for certain, but the notion is probably beyond your capabilities. See if you can get someone to help you with that.

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You do not know that for certain, but the notion is probably beyond your capabilities. See if you can get someone to help you with that.

If not with Frank Apisa, a weird person thinking that he is not real, whom I am discussing with?

Explain.

At no point have I ever said that I think I am not real.

I said I cannot be certain that I actually exist or not.