Tuesday 24 March 2020

Unheard Sounds

"The Three-Cornered Wheel."

Martin Schuster to an Ivanhoan Consecrate:

"'I daresay your philosophers have argued whether the sound of a stone falling in the desert, unheard by any ears, is a real phenomenon.'" (VI, p. 251)

The vibration of air molecules is a real phenomenon but there is no experience of hearing a sound because there is no animal near enough for the vibrating air molecules to affect its ears. So, if "sound" means air vibrations, then it refers to a real phenomenon whereas, if it means an auditory sensation, then, in this case, there is no such phenomenon.

Schuster, comparing God before the creation to an unheard sound, introduces the Kabbalah by arguing that:

God is perfect;
perfection includes completeness;
completeness includes being observed and comprehended;
God existing alone without creatures would not be observed or comprehended;
therefore, God had to create.

One non sequitur after another:

to be complete does not entail to be comprehended;
God can presumably observe and comprehend Himself.

At least, that second proposition follows from the theistic premise. However, seeing no reason to accept that premise, I argue instead that:

the creator before the creation would be a self without other which is like a square without sides;

the one being becomes conscious of itself by appearing to itself as many and other.

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

But I disagree with these Berkeleyan ideas! The sounds caused by these vibration of molecules in air are still REAL even if no one is around to hear them. And trees do fall in forests even if no one sees them falling.

Ad astra! Sean