Philosophy Now Forum

If you strip a man of all senses since birth; sight, touch, smell, hearing, taste, is he still living? He may grow to be twenty, fifty, old enough to meet the end. Has he lived? All he has left is thought, but what can he think?
"I think; therefore I am." -Descartes
Life is comprised of experiences and the lack of. Our thoughts, loves, fears, they are all born from experience, but that can only exist with senses. Even our irrational thoughts, sick creations of the mind, they are all pieced together by what our senses perceive.
His heart is still beating, by all means he is alive! However, nothing within the man is living. Without experience, he is nothing but flesh on rock.

era wrote: ↑Sun May 02, 2021 12:44 pm If you strip a man of all senses since birth; sight, touch, smell, hearing, taste, is he still living?

How is 'one' "a man" at birth?

era wrote: ↑Sun May 02, 2021 12:44 pm He may grow to be twenty, fifty, old enough to meet the end. Has he lived?

If 'one' is 'growing', then does that, in itself, imply or infer 'living'?

era wrote: ↑Sun May 02, 2021 12:44 pm All he has left is thought, but what can he think?

Who claims that all that one has left is thought?

Where is the evidence or proof for this?

Also, how is thought even obtained, or gathered, if there are none of the five senses? What could there even be a thought about without ANY ability to sense prior?

era wrote: ↑Sun May 02, 2021 12:44 pm "I think; therefore I am." -Descartes

Are you able to elaborate on or explain fully what this definitely and actually means?

If yes, then will you?

era wrote: ↑Sun May 02, 2021 12:44 pm Life is comprised of experiences and the lack of. Our thoughts, loves, fears, they are all born from experience, but that can only exist with senses. Even our irrational thoughts, sick creations of the mind, they are all pieced together by what our senses perceive.

I agree, in a sense.

era wrote: ↑Sun May 02, 2021 12:44 pm His heart is still beating, by all means he is alive!

Does "he" actually 'have' a heart, or, does the word "he" actually refer to something else?

era wrote: ↑Sun May 02, 2021 12:44 pm However, nothing within the man is living. Without experience, he is nothing but flesh on rock.

All of this can be explained in a way that would and could be FULLY understood.

era wrote: ↑Sun May 02, 2021 12:44 pm If you strip a man of all senses since birth; sight, touch, smell, hearing, taste, is he still living? He may grow to be twenty, fifty, old enough to meet the end. Has he lived? All he has left is thought, but what can he think?
"I think; therefore I am." -Descartes
Life is comprised of experiences and the lack of. Our thoughts, loves, fears, they are all born from experience, but that can only exist with senses. Even our irrational thoughts, sick creations of the mind, they are all pieced together by what our senses perceive.
His heart is still beating, by all means he is alive! However, nothing within the man is living. Without experience, he is nothing but flesh on rock.

I agree, everything a Human Mind is and ever knew, is some sort of Conscious Experience. If there are no Conscious Experiences, as in a P-Zombie, then there is no Conscious Mind and there really is nobody home.

without communication of said experience, does the experience even exist (to the audience, let alone the experiencer)?

does human communication make a difference?

does the anthropomorphic error begin where the definition of human ends?

in practice it might, as some humans are more human than others

-Imp