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About Me Member Digital Artist illusivemind23/Male/Australia Recent Activity Deviant for 4 Years
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The Universe is upside down

Sun Oct 29, 2006, 4:07 PM
Think about this claim.

It is questionable as to whether it is meaningful at all. Upside down in relation to what? Well, we have designated a northern and a southern hemisphere on our fair planet, with the representation being that the north is on top and the south is down below.

But of course, it could just as easily have been the other way around. There is no objective reason for preferring one to the other. We might discover alien civilizations that position their planets 'upside down' in relation to our own.

To declare the universe is upside down is to suggest that our directional preference has some 'truth' or objectiveness that the rest of the universe has failed to observe. This is absurd because no such objectiveness exists. We have forgotten that we invented this idea of direction.

This is a metaphor for the absurdity of applying objectivity to human 'reason'. Just like north & south we have designated certain ideas and limits to better understand and navigate the realms of human knowledge. For something to be outside the limits of human logic (and there are competing logics that each rule out different absurdities) means simply that it falls outside the rules we have invented. The rules so implicit in the functioning of out brains and our language that it is easy to forget we have invented them.

Were our brains and our language different it is easy to conceive that so too our logic might be different. Thus, 'truth', like 'north', is a word, we invented to describe an idea particular to our place and time. To think that it extends to and beyond the reaches of existence… well the universe might as well be upside down.

I wanted a metaphor [link] and now I have one.

  • Mood: Content

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Devious Info

  • Current Residence: Melbourne, Australia
  • Interests: Music, Philosophy, Photography
  • Favourite movie: The Matrix, Fight Club, Donnie Darko, Memento, The Prestige, Blade Runner, Ghost in The Shell
  • Favourite band or musician: John Butler Trio, Pink Floyd, Brian Eno, Tiesto, BT
  • Favourite genre of music: Epic Trance
  • Favourite poet or writer: William Blake
  • Favourite style of art: CP
  • Operating System: XP
  • MP3 player of choice: Creative Zen Vision M 60GB
  • Skin of choice: Epidermis
  • Favourite cartoon character: Jubei Kibagami
  • Personal Quote: Just a thought
  • Tools of the Trade: Canon EOS 350D
http://www.illusive-mind.com

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:iconssjkamui:
Thanks for the fav.
:iconfat-frumos:
I see you collect for cyberpunk arts. :)
:iconantizuckerkind:
Hey Hoooo
thank you for the Fav :)

:P
:iconscarlettarcher:
Thanks muchly fer the watch...












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:iconssjkamui:
Thanks for your comment on my picture.
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Thanks for the fav.

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