Quote:
Originally posted by Stanley
2+2 does not equal 4
The above is correct in most instances.
There is only one exception.
Which one?
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Is it that the Maitreya opines that Philosophy is only a game? Kant never thought so, and in his 'Critque of Pure Reason' he assailed logic for the abstraction that it is. He even made an effort to make apodictically clear that Philosophy entails reality. In one part of his work, he addresses the issue by actually counting on his fingers, in order to demonstrate the concrete reality that 2+2=4.
He was a very cultured man as well as a genius, whom being sophisticated was very well received in his day and time. But we who are realists view such aristocratic qualities as obsolete, and instead opt for the criterion of human practice.
To give an example of this relevant to the question above, (and all of us philosophers highly regard questions, irregardless of our cultural mores), let me try by asking the Maitreya to hold out the four fingers of his hand, while secreting the thumb in the palm of his hand. Now, then, he has the empirical evidence of an observation that the two plus two fingers with the split vee in the center of the hand does equal four fingers.
Now, let me underscore this based on our modern realist principles, and say if he doesn't see that, and still thinks that it is all a game of whom can stump whom, we can always assist him by avulsing his thumb, and listening to him cry out "OH MY, I GOT ONLY FOUR FINGERS LEFT!" Anyhow, it won't be all that negative if he realizes that he won't have that thumb anymore to poke into someone's eye.
Begone! and try to stump someone else if they are foolish enough to let you.