tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499217243284937366.post8411285299642265109..comments2024-03-25T08:56:25.810-04:00Comments on TKIN: Philosopher Encounters Modern Life: Kantians Vs. Humeans: What If It Were Real?Patricia Marinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16087880431696831634noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499217243284937366.post-32344952160883430282011-04-11T09:56:11.122-04:002011-04-11T09:56:11.122-04:00Hi Tim, yeah I know what you mean -- if you ask th...Hi Tim, yeah I know what you mean -- if you ask the question one way you get one answer and another another. The idea that that's all this comes to is, to me, kind of disturbing in a whole other way. <br /><br />Maybe some day we'll teach the cats to use the internet and find out just how deep the differences go ... X-phi anyone?Patricia Marinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16087880431696831634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499217243284937366.post-84749251996431820512011-04-11T07:12:40.066-04:002011-04-11T07:12:40.066-04:00For Hume, the difference between you and your cat ...<i>For Hume, the difference between you and your cat is ... details details. </i><br /><br />Indeed, it's been suggested to me that, in my case, the difference between me and the household cats isn't even that <i>many</i> details.<br /><br />Great post, Patricia. Sometimes I think this debate (or maybe it's a fault line) comes down to whether one focuses on what's most distinctive about people as opposed to other animals, or just on what people are like. Maybe if one takes the former focus, and idealizes a bit (or more than a bit), the Kantian approach seems apt.Timnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499217243284937366.post-43308694710296068782011-04-10T13:38:46.767-04:002011-04-10T13:38:46.767-04:00Hi Mare, thanks! It is true what you say about pas...Hi Mare, thanks! It is true what you say about passions and desire causing our heads to spin. And desires are notoriously fickle, too. It is interesting.<br /><br />As a Humean all I can say is that in the face of all that the reasons do nothing for me. Even when I recognize them, they just sort of sit there inert, until, outside of my control, they attach themselves to some sort of feeling.<br /><br />With respect to the marriage of desire and reason ... hard question. I wonder if in this, as so many things, we actually love those who remind us of ourselves.Patricia Marinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16087880431696831634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499217243284937366.post-731171652128466132011-04-10T13:08:17.228-04:002011-04-10T13:08:17.228-04:00I love this post! After completing an essay on def...I love this post! After completing an essay on defending the Kantian Saint from Wolf's attacks, this post makes me want to go back and overwrite the 1800 words I struggled to cut down to.<br /><br />I really like the contrast between the cat and the human, and the story of Kantian aliens.. and the part where Humeans trick Kantians into making love! I wonder--does this oblige the desire to marry reason? :)<br /><br />Albeit I'm a Kantian myself, I agree that the question of "so what if its irrational to kill?" ruins the idea of acting upon reason. If I were to respond for Kant, I'd say that it is because I have this moral law that I have respect for which doesn't allow to override irrational reasoning. Although that's not why I truly pursue reason, I prefer it because because our passions and desires are so strong sometimes it causes our head to spin and act upon something we sometimes regret later. To me it seems like Kantianism gives us far less reasons to feel remorse if something goes wrong, as opposed to Humean theory. Although, it is more fun to be a Humean. After all, reason often does not withhold power over desire--almost like men not being able to withhold emotions over women...Marenoreply@blogger.com