Philosophy Now Forum

The answer depends in part on what is meant by "perfection" in the first place. Therefore I let the user make that definition and discuss his/her thoughts.

PhilX

Perfection is achieved if any change will cause a worsening.

So one can only freeze and avoid moving.

duszek wrote: ↑Wed Jan 17, 2018 4:22 pm Perfection is achieved if any change will cause a worsening.

So one can only freeze and avoid moving.

Does this mean when someone is at the North Pole that moving in any direction will make you less north and less perfection is achieved?

PhilX

Yes, if your aim was to achieve North Pole then this would be the perfect achievement of this aim.

It´s more difficult with other aims.
If you wanted to achieve the perfect weight there is a question of the criteria to be applied (BMI being just one of them) and also you need to eat every day a little in order to keep this weight, otherwise you will become too slim soon.

What would be one perfect meal ?
One bit more or less would not change one´s personal feeling of well-being.

Would a perfect muffin become less perfect or even more perfect if you placed a cherry on it ?

Philosophy Explorer wrote: ↑Mon Jan 15, 2018 9:13 pm The answer depends in part on what is meant by "perfection" in the first place. Therefore I let the user make that definition and discuss his/her thoughts.

PhilX

Some say five milliomicrons, or five times 10 to the power of minus twelve metres.

I say that's crap. 6.24 times ten to the twenty-third is more like it, when talking Avogadro's number.

But distance measurements are not all. Some woman can have a figure 36-23-32, and yet not have achieved perfection, because she lacks in firmness, or has too much. Much depends on the colour and consistency, and the ultimate tear-force can be the was has been to be seen.

The perfection of mold on damp basement walls, or the perfection of stink bugs penetrating the attic, or the perfection of shark attacks on unsuspecting ocean-bathers, or the perfection of nose-goober-picking is never discussed.

An interesting but often overlooked theme of Descartes philosophy was the infinite perfectibility of man. A brief summary: soul/mind/thinking thing is immortal, if you will only what you know you will not err/sin, algebra is a method for solving for any unknown. Since a thinking thing is immortal it has eternity to solve for all unknowns, thus becoming omniscient and able to act without earring, that is to say, perfectly. His provisional stoic morality which is based on acceptance of what cannot be changed is replaced by the ability to change what is not acceptable.

fooloso4 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2018 7:45 pm An interesting but often overlooked theme of Descartes philosophy was the infinite perfectibility of man. A brief summary: soul/mind/thinking thing is immortal, if you will only what you know you will not err/sin, algebra is a method for solving for any unknown. Since a thinking thing is immortal it has eternity to solve for all unknowns, thus becoming omniscient and able to act without earring, that is to say, perfectly. His provisional stoic morality which is based on acceptance of what cannot be changed is replaced by the ability to change what is not acceptable.

Descartes continual perfecting involves a mind that is potentially unlimited not only in complexity-digesting, but also in memory capacity.

I am already perfect, according to the treatise in the quote. I never wore earrings. Always acted without them.

But wait! Descartes' definition defines acting without ONE earring. And I have acted without 2 earrings. Therefore I may not be perfect after all.

A human can never achieve perfection. Because as soon as he is perfect, and acts perfectly, he errs no more, so he is no longer human. (V.o., "to err is human".)

Then there is the real (non-joke) argument that destroys this idyllic picture of the perfect man, much like there is the argument that destroys the picture of the omnipotent god.

This is how it goes. Suppose a mind has achieved perfection. It no longer errs. Then it is put to a task where the task can only be performed perfectly (i.e. according to expectations) if the task's doer errs. Bang, the mind fails either way, bang, perfection does not guarantee perfection in every conceivable situation.