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akaltwasse's picture

Plato says...

To me, it seems like these illusions are all successfull because of weaknesses in our minds.  Well, maybe not "weaknesses", but visual flaws.  Because I had seen some of the illusions before and learned about color theory in psych, the illusions themselves did not have the best effect on me.  However, I enjoyed our discussion.  But if the mind is so easily tricked, then how can it have the capacity to make sense out of all of these constantly moving particles that make up objects?  That's not necessarily my opinion, but I think the notion that our perception is flawed and that everything just exist because our brains are putting order to chaos was unsettling to the majority of the class.  Much like when you find out how an optical illusion works, some theories can really suck the fun out of things...NOT THAT THE CONVERSATION WASN'T FUN!  In one of Plato's dialogues, Socrates asks Euthyphro, "And if a thing is being led, is it being led because of the leading?  And if being seen, being seen because of the seeing?"  Euthyphro replies with, "Certainly."  The opinion is like what Paul suggested in our discussion: that the table is only in existence, or being seen, because our seeing it and interpreting it exists.

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