Tag: illusion
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Common sense? V
After four posts suggesting that ‘common sense’ can be deceiving, I want to conclude this series by suggesting an area in which ‘common sense’ may be spot on. One of today’s most obstinate mysteries is the origin and nature of consciousness, especially in the form of self-awareness. We humans, at present, are the most advanced […]
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Common Sense? I
Bishop George Berkeley (1685-1753) is famous, or infamous, for arguing that esse est percipi – “to be is to be perceived”. What we humans experience as material objects exist solely in our perceptions of them. In other words, there are no material objects as such, but only minds (human and divine) containing mental ‘representations’. Hence […]
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Consciousness, Mind and God
What precisely is ‘consciousness’? On the one hand, we know exactly what it is. It is ‘what it feels like to be us’ in our every moment of wakefulness. It’s the contents of what we call our ‘minds’. But on the other hand, we haven’t the slightest clue what it is. It’s a complete mystery. […]
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Jesus and his Resurrection
I’m fully persuaded that some of Jesus’ followers ‘saw’ him after his death, and were convinced that he had ‘risen’. ‘Seeing’ people who matter to us, after they have died, is not an uncommon human experience, nor are ‘visions’ of a religious nature. There is therefore plenty of debate around this, but I want to […]
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