near to death episodes (Endings)

by John Clinch , London, Thursday, March 06, 2008, 17:06 (6104 days ago) @ whitecraw

Interesting.
To respond to your points... - I myself have no difficulty imagining death as nothingness. Think of a dreamless sleep that lasts forever. - I don't disagree with your comments about art etc, though I'd add that art is the apotheosis of subjectivism - the diametric opposite to science. That doesn't mean that science can't contribute to ideas about art and I have in mind Wilson's comments in Consilience on art criticism. - Thank you for the link to Fodor's criticism. His ideas may be worth considering if I only they weren't so obscured by his tiresome, clever-clever clotted prose. I'm afraid I don't know what "recidivist Associationalism" is meant to mean. I get the gist though and there is probably an argument there but I confess to being impressed by Wilson's book. - On independent reality, yes, the question is a valid one and is as old as philosophy. How we can know reality would open up a whole new discussion that, as someone without a formal training in philosphy, I'm quite sure I can't do justice to. HOWEVER, I am quite unshakeable in my belief that it does exist, that the world will continue without me just as I observe it continuing without the Queen Mother, who I'm quite sure also existed. I guess you could charactise my own ontology as anti-idealist, physicalist and materialist.