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Author Topic: Help me unpack this philosophy meme  (Read 6133 times)

arete

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Re: Help me unpack this philosophy meme
« Reply #15 on: July 20, 2018, 02:55:06 pm »
I recently found a meme on the interwebs whose text is as follows:

--------------
The Black Cat Analogy

Philosophy is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat.
Metaphysics is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat that isn't there.
Theology is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat that isn't there and shouting "I found it".
Science is like being in a dark room and looking for a black cat using a flashlight.
---------------------------------

There are several problems that I can see with this, including (a) assuming that all of these fields have the same goal, (b) implying that Science is better/more useful than the other disciplines, and (c) badly misrepresenting Theology (and probably the others too). I'm sure there are more.

In the interest of discussion, what would be more accurate ways of describing these disciplines using this analogy? (For Theology, I thought, "being in a dark room, wondering why a black cat would be there.") How about other academic fields? And are there any fallacies or misconceptions I missed?
Philosophy, Theology and Science are spot on. But Metaphysics? For Metaphysics I'd say ''is like being in a dark room and thinking why a black cat is there.''

Sefiru

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Re: Help me unpack this philosophy meme
« Reply #16 on: July 20, 2018, 05:45:26 pm »
Philosophy, Theology and Science are spot on.

Really? I thought the one for Theology was way off base. Why do you think it is accurate?
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arete

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Re: Help me unpack this philosophy meme
« Reply #17 on: July 22, 2018, 08:11:39 am »
Really? I thought the one for Theology was way off base. Why do you think it is accurate?
In Theology you find God. God is ''invisible'' and the cat is a manifestation of God. So in order to ''find'' the cat you must look beyond the cat, and afterwards return to the cat. I hope it makes sense.

Sefiru

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Re: Help me unpack this philosophy meme
« Reply #18 on: July 23, 2018, 06:36:15 pm »
In Theology you find God. God is ''invisible'' and the cat is a manifestation of God. So in order to ''find'' the cat you must look beyond the cat, and afterwards return to the cat. I hope it makes sense.

Ah but the original meme said "a cat that doesn't exist," rather than "an invisible cat." Which is quite different.

So a more accurate re-phrasing of the meme could be, "Theology is like looking for an invisible cat in a dark room."
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arete

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Re: Help me unpack this philosophy meme
« Reply #19 on: July 24, 2018, 03:46:54 pm »
Ah but the original meme said "a cat that doesn't exist," rather than "an invisible cat." Which is quite different.

So a more accurate re-phrasing of the meme could be, "Theology is like looking for an invisible cat in a dark room."
God is ''invisible'' not the cat. In the Theology meme you find God (the source of the cat)  :)

Sefiru

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Re: Help me unpack this philosophy meme
« Reply #20 on: July 24, 2018, 06:21:49 pm »
God is ''invisible'' not the cat.

... You do realize the whole thing is a metaphor, right? In each sentence of the meme, the cat represents the objective of the academic discipline. In the case of theology, the cat represents God.
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arete

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Re: Help me unpack this philosophy meme
« Reply #21 on: July 25, 2018, 05:24:15 am »
... You do realize the whole thing is a metaphor, right? In each sentence of the meme, the cat represents the objective of the academic discipline. In the case of theology, the cat represents God.
It's how each thought interacts with the cat.

ehbowen

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Re: Help me unpack this philosophy meme
« Reply #22 on: July 27, 2018, 02:38:47 pm »
... You do realize the whole thing is a metaphor, right? In each sentence of the meme, the cat represents the objective of the academic discipline. In the case of theology, the cat represents God.

So what are you supposed to do after you find the cat...and no one believes you? It's not like she was a tame kitty...!
--------Eric H. Bowen
Where's the KABOOM? There was supposed to have been an Earth-shattering KABOOM!
Computers are like air conditioning. They become useless when you open Windows—Linus Torvalds.

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Re: Help me unpack this philosophy meme
« Reply #23 on: July 27, 2018, 06:25:01 pm »
So what are you supposed to do after you find the cat...and no one believes you? It's not like she was a tame kitty...!

I suppose that would be Apologetics.
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ehbowen

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Re: Help me unpack this philosophy meme
« Reply #24 on: July 27, 2018, 06:38:19 pm »
I suppose that would be Apologetics.

Hey, that's hard work!  :D
--------Eric H. Bowen
Where's the KABOOM? There was supposed to have been an Earth-shattering KABOOM!
Computers are like air conditioning. They become useless when you open Windows—Linus Torvalds.

Hariti

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Re: Help me unpack this philosophy meme
« Reply #25 on: August 26, 2018, 10:47:41 pm »
I recently found a meme on the interwebs whose text is as follows:

Just ugh. Whoever made this needs to take a class or two on epistemology. Science is the best method for getting concrete, useful information about the properties of physical reality, and not much else. Rationalism has its uses, and can do things empiricism can't do, and vice versa. Different tools for different jobs.
"The worshippers of the gods go to them; to the manes go the ancestor-worshippers; to the Deities who preside over the elements go their worshippers; My devotees come to Me." ... "Whichever devotee desires to adore whatever such Deity with faith, in all such votaries I make that particular faith unshakable. Endowed with that faith, a votary performs the worship of that particular deity and obtains the fruits thereof, these being granted by Me alone." - Sri Krishna

Sefiru

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Re: Help me unpack this philosophy meme
« Reply #26 on: August 28, 2018, 06:43:48 pm »
Science is the best method for getting concrete, useful information about the properties of physical reality, and not much else.

I'm pretty sure there's a group of people who believe that this kind of information is the only kind that is real or valid. And yes, they would probably benefit from an epistemology class. Or any kind of humanities really.
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