ding an sich vs. cogito ergo sum

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  • Think of it this way - we're in a room, and it is pitch black. Then, the lights gradually begin to spread until it is incredibly well-lit, and you see that the walls are white. Forget about the colors that you now see - based on the level of light that is reflecting off the walls and into your eyes, what color were they in the dark? Objectively speaking, they were black. Not white. And they only become white in the brightest light. And they are gray when it is dim - we only see white walls in a dim room because our brains are adjusting to what we think we know. It's a delusion; your brain is lying to you. But it's an exceptionally useful delusion.

    That's what I think of our assumption of concrete reality. It's a useful delusion. If we didn't function under this assumption, we wouldn't be able to interact with the world out of paranoia and uncertainty. But that doesn't mean that it's axiomatic.

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