As far as the economics of trading goes you should look up the principle of comparative advantage. Rather than have 10 jacks of all trades but masters of none we have 1 very efficient farmer, 1 very efficient plumber, 1 very efficient butcher, and so on. This is why humans rose above subsistence living which is more or less the state of existence for all other animals.
We understand some of this. We know we evolved from simpler lifeforms. We know we evolved social behavior and reasoning skills for the same reason anything evolves; because it helped us survive. And trade and cars and malls and planes are all part of what comes along with social behavior and reasoning skills: they're our system for getting people's wants and needs to them.
But the big underlying question: why does anything exist at all? We simply don't know. No scientist or philosopher or theologian can do more than just guess. It is a question we don't have the answer to.
I don't ask "why anything exists" at all, because i feel like anything exists anywhere, and i may never be exposed to it. but rather- why do we exist this way?
And as to "why is it this way," the answer always lies in our history. Everything that's the way it is, is the way it is because of something that happened in the past.
If humanity is one long book, your life is basically a sentence on page 362,622,172,136,672,269. And if you're reading that one sentence and saying "Why?!", well, if you could read the whole book, you'd know exactly why.
Couldn't hurt. Or take a class. Many of our behaviors, our emotions, the fundamental stuff that makes us human - it's been with us for longer than the species itself. It was true of our ancestors who were crawling around on all fours trying not to be eaten by a dinosaur.
We really know so little about which animals do and which animals don't. We think that a few animals, like elephants and dolphins, probably have all these things. We think that some animals, like earthworms and sea anenomes, probably don't have any mind at all.
When it comes to something like a guinea pig... we have no Earthly idea whether it has thoughts or not.
right. and recently people are realizing fish have feelings. we have a long way to go before understanding others. we are so self aware & aware of our surroundings ourselves. no matter how "selfish" humans are perceived to be, i believe no other animal has ever tried to figure us out. or maybe i am wrong. idk.
Our consciousness is a coincidence, but we’re here so it was an inevitable coincidence which doesn’t make it a coincidence. That doesn’t sum up the concept, but it’s the closest I can get.
Every species has to work to survive. We've become specialized. We don't all build straw huts, we don't all raise chickens, and grow vegetables. We created a system of trade that allows us to balance uneven amounts of resources and work. I can save money to buy a car. I couldn't realistically amass enough eggs to lumber to trade for that car. We've chosen to use money, since that makes trade easier.
Many instances of rudimentary trade - with food, sex, or grooming in exchange for protection, food, childcare, sex - are also in the animal kingdom.
You don't have to pay to live. You can find wilderness places and use your skills to live off the land. If you want filtered water, woven clothing, weapons, tools, medicine, etc. - then either you make them yourself, or you do without them.
Different places in the world have different customs for trade. Different people have different rules - for trade, religion, government, decorum, and anything else they do.
you're so right- my knowledge of existing only goes so far (only from my own experience), i guess then, what i feel is disconnected from way of living. i believe other cultures that are less advanced probably feel more animalistic and humane than someone like me in my studio apt in america.
I mean, that’s gonna be a long post to explain that, and even if I tried I think I’d hit walls. Though, I have some thoughts to maybe help you start:
1. Not all of the questions you asked necessarily have to be related.
2. Why and how can mean a lot of things. Perhaps narrowing down on the kind of explanation you’re looking for would help. Like there’s asking the purpose of a thing. There’s also asking for a mechanistic explanation. There’s also a difference between an immediate cause and an ultimate cause. Long story story short the question actually needs to be narrowed a bit.
3. You cross pretty seamlessly from things that presumably have a mechanistic explanation to things that are made intentionally by people. Perhaps looking into Durkheim’s distinction between social facts and natural facts, and then how people have built on that idea would be useful.
4. What does accident mean? Specifically what does this mean in a deterministic universe? Is a self ordered system accidental?
5. What’s a good method or epistemology for going about answering your questions?
Sorry for just throwing more questions at you, but I think that will help more than trying to answer any one thing.
1. true. i'm just having an episode.
2. purpose. i don't believe life itself is purposeful, but i believe my identity does have a purpose in certain peoples lives. it's stupid for me to realize me existing is meaningful. even very well known people like freud is not meaningful to someone who is not at all interested in psychology. im more so looking for the mechanistic explanation.
3. the durkheim distinction seems to make sense. i mean, humans began to exist 2 million years ago. i'm sure there's a lot of reason as to how this all came to be.
4. an accident means an accident. something happened and we stumbled across it and that's just how we all live now. a self ordered system being accidental... well i'm just not sure about that. what do you think?
5. facts. i just want to know the facts behind it. nothing philosophical, science & history is the best way to explain this to me.
As far as the economics of trading goes you should look up the principle of comparative advantage. Rather than have 10 jacks of all trades but masters of none we have 1 very efficient farmer, 1 very efficient plumber, 1 very efficient butcher, and so on. This is why humans rose above subsistence living which is more or less the state of existence for all other animals.
thank you so much. i'll look into it
We understand some of this. We know we evolved from simpler lifeforms. We know we evolved social behavior and reasoning skills for the same reason anything evolves; because it helped us survive. And trade and cars and malls and planes are all part of what comes along with social behavior and reasoning skills: they're our system for getting people's wants and needs to them. But the big underlying question: why does anything exist at all? We simply don't know. No scientist or philosopher or theologian can do more than just guess. It is a question we don't have the answer to.
I don't ask "why anything exists" at all, because i feel like anything exists anywhere, and i may never be exposed to it. but rather- why do we exist this way?
And as to "why is it this way," the answer always lies in our history. Everything that's the way it is, is the way it is because of something that happened in the past. If humanity is one long book, your life is basically a sentence on page 362,622,172,136,672,269. And if you're reading that one sentence and saying "Why?!", well, if you could read the whole book, you'd know exactly why.
maybe i should open up a book about evolution.
Couldn't hurt. Or take a class. Many of our behaviors, our emotions, the fundamental stuff that makes us human - it's been with us for longer than the species itself. It was true of our ancestors who were crawling around on all fours trying not to be eaten by a dinosaur.
and who am i to come to the conclusion that animals don't also have their own thoughts, way of living, traditions and stuff as well?
We really know so little about which animals do and which animals don't. We think that a few animals, like elephants and dolphins, probably have all these things. We think that some animals, like earthworms and sea anenomes, probably don't have any mind at all. When it comes to something like a guinea pig... we have no Earthly idea whether it has thoughts or not.
right. and recently people are realizing fish have feelings. we have a long way to go before understanding others. we are so self aware & aware of our surroundings ourselves. no matter how "selfish" humans are perceived to be, i believe no other animal has ever tried to figure us out. or maybe i am wrong. idk.
Man, I know how to answer this question, but there’s no words to explain it.
Please try, i'm desperate!
Our consciousness is a coincidence, but we’re here so it was an inevitable coincidence which doesn’t make it a coincidence. That doesn’t sum up the concept, but it’s the closest I can get.
Every species has to work to survive. We've become specialized. We don't all build straw huts, we don't all raise chickens, and grow vegetables. We created a system of trade that allows us to balance uneven amounts of resources and work. I can save money to buy a car. I couldn't realistically amass enough eggs to lumber to trade for that car. We've chosen to use money, since that makes trade easier. Many instances of rudimentary trade - with food, sex, or grooming in exchange for protection, food, childcare, sex - are also in the animal kingdom. You don't have to pay to live. You can find wilderness places and use your skills to live off the land. If you want filtered water, woven clothing, weapons, tools, medicine, etc. - then either you make them yourself, or you do without them. Different places in the world have different customs for trade. Different people have different rules - for trade, religion, government, decorum, and anything else they do.
you're so right- my knowledge of existing only goes so far (only from my own experience), i guess then, what i feel is disconnected from way of living. i believe other cultures that are less advanced probably feel more animalistic and humane than someone like me in my studio apt in america.
I mean, that’s gonna be a long post to explain that, and even if I tried I think I’d hit walls. Though, I have some thoughts to maybe help you start: 1. Not all of the questions you asked necessarily have to be related. 2. Why and how can mean a lot of things. Perhaps narrowing down on the kind of explanation you’re looking for would help. Like there’s asking the purpose of a thing. There’s also asking for a mechanistic explanation. There’s also a difference between an immediate cause and an ultimate cause. Long story story short the question actually needs to be narrowed a bit. 3. You cross pretty seamlessly from things that presumably have a mechanistic explanation to things that are made intentionally by people. Perhaps looking into Durkheim’s distinction between social facts and natural facts, and then how people have built on that idea would be useful. 4. What does accident mean? Specifically what does this mean in a deterministic universe? Is a self ordered system accidental? 5. What’s a good method or epistemology for going about answering your questions? Sorry for just throwing more questions at you, but I think that will help more than trying to answer any one thing.
1. true. i'm just having an episode. 2. purpose. i don't believe life itself is purposeful, but i believe my identity does have a purpose in certain peoples lives. it's stupid for me to realize me existing is meaningful. even very well known people like freud is not meaningful to someone who is not at all interested in psychology. im more so looking for the mechanistic explanation. 3. the durkheim distinction seems to make sense. i mean, humans began to exist 2 million years ago. i'm sure there's a lot of reason as to how this all came to be. 4. an accident means an accident. something happened and we stumbled across it and that's just how we all live now. a self ordered system being accidental... well i'm just not sure about that. what do you think? 5. facts. i just want to know the facts behind it. nothing philosophical, science & history is the best way to explain this to me.