Falsifiability

[Sanoy]

Why can you doubt your body? Do you not possess independent means of verifying the existence of your body?

Because it could be completely different than what it appears to be, however that "I" exist is indubitable.

 

[TBDude65]

Because it could be completely different than what it appears to be, however that "I" exist is indubitable.

Are there not ways of verifying its appearance external to your own body/mind?

 

[Sanoy]

Are there no ways of verifying its appearance external to your own body/mind?

Not in the thought experiment, well, no ways I am aware of.

 

[TBDude65]

Not in the thought experiment, well, no ways I am aware of.

You can think of no way for an independent verification of your physical body?

 

[Sanoy]

You can think of no way for an independent verification of your physical body?

Without a premise I can't think of a way. With the right premise I could ask someone to describe myself.

 

[TBDude65]

Without a premise I can't think of a way. With the right premise I could ask someone to describe myself.

You couldn't find measurable and verifiable attributes of yourself that are measured relative to standards independent of you?

 

[Sanoy]

You couldn't find measurable and verifiable attributes of yourself that are measured relative to standards independent of you?

I could find attributes about my consciousness. I have said that I don't know so if you have a suggestion tell me what it is and we will see if it works.

 

[TBDude65]

I could find attributes about my consciousness. I have said that I don't know so if you have a suggestion tell me what it is and we will see if it works.

You have no way of learning about your own body?

 

[Sanoy]

You have no way of learning about your own body?

I feel I have been clear in my answer. I know of no way. If you know of a way, we can talk about it, but I don't.

 

[TBDude65]

I feel I have been clear in my answer. I know of no way. If you know of a way, we can talk about it, but I don't.

Is it possible to verify your mass?

 

[Sanoy]

Is it possible to verify your mass?

I assume you mean run into something? You have mass in a dream, so I don't think so. The 'sense' of mass is tied to proprioception which could be manipulated. Some people have parts of their body that lack proprioception and they feel as if it is a foriegn entity. In dreams our proprioception is accurate to the dream rather than reality.

 

[TBDude65]

I assume you mean run into something? You have mass in a dream, so I don't think so. The 'sense' of mass is tied to proprioception which could be manipulated. Some people have parts of their body that lack proprioception and they feel as if it is a foriegn entity. In dreams our proprioception is accurate to the dream rather than reality.

No, I mean is there a way of verifying the mass of any given physical thing, including your own body?

 

[Sanoy]

No, I mean is there a way of verifying the mass of any given physical thing, including your own body?

Not that I know of.

 

[AV1611VET]

No, I mean is there a way of verifying the mass of any given physical thing, including your own body?

Not that I know of.

You can always ask in this thread: Ask a physicist anything. (8)

... started by our resident Mensan some time ago.

 

[TBDude65]

Not that I know of.

What is mass?

 

[Sanoy]

What is mass?

Google it.

 

[TBDude65]

Google it.

I'm wondering why you can't think of a way to determine your own mass, and I thought perhaps it had to do with how you understand mass. What is mass as you see it that would prevent you from measuring your mass yourself?

 

[Sanoy]

I'm wondering why you can't think of a way to determine your own mass, and I thought perhaps it had to do with how you understand mass. What is mass as you see it that would prevent you from measuring your mass yourself?

Mass refers to matter, so given that all I have is my mind, and apriori reasoning I don't see how I could. If you can think of a way let's talk about it, but as I have said I don't know a way.

 

[TBDude65]

Mass refers to matter, so given that all I have is my mind, and apriori reasoning I don't see how I could. If you can think of a way let's talk about it, but as I have said I don't know a way.

Again, we are in the process of verifying the body, correct? Your mind is clearly integrated into and part of your body. Were it not so, you'd no control over any aspect of it. So, again, is it possible for you (because your body and mind are not separate things. The only way your "mind" came into existence was as a package deal with your body) to discover your own mass, thereby confirming you are matter?

 

[Sanoy]

Again, we are in the process of verifying the body, correct? Your mind is clearly integrated into and part of your body. Were it not so, you'd no control over any aspect of it. So, again, is it possible for you (because your body and mind are not separate things. The only way your "mind" came into existence was as a package deal with your body) to discover your own mass, thereby confirming you are matter?

With a premise I can verify my body. Under that premise I can verify it is integrated. Without that premise I can't see how it could be verified.

There is 0 direct evidence that the mind is the body. (IE: Correlation /= Causation). It's not even an intuition that your mind and body are identical, you have to be told that because your actual uninterrupted intuition is that you will persist the loss of your body (IE your body is doubtable). Additionally the law of identity states that A and B are identical if everything true of A is also true of B. There are things true of my mind that are not true of my brain. Therefore they are not identical. Finally if you believe that your mind is simply your brain, why should I believe that a chemical reaction in your brain is relevant to true facts about reality? Why is the statement "because your body and mind are not separate things" any more meaningful in regards to reality than a tree growing a branch.

Here is something to consider. If you are not your brain...what happens to you when your body dies?