(October 8, 2013 at 12:50 am)bennyboy Wrote: Your definition of knowing there's a mind and mine are not the same. I could do the same to YOU and not know in an absolute sense that there is an actual mind there, rather than a philosophical zombie brain that BEHAVES aware but isn't. Basically, I have to start with solipsism, and then choose what assumptions I'm willing to make.
Your definition of knowledge seems to be that unless you can directly perceive it, there is no way of knowing it is there. By this standard, you must also regard most of the knowledge that humanity has gained as not actual knowledge. There is no way of knowing that micro-organisms exist - the microscopes might just be behaving in a particular way. There is no way of knowing that historical events actually happened - the records could be behaving in that particular way. There is no way of knowing that a human is writing this post - your computer might just be behaving in such a way.
But then, there is know way of knowing that you have a brain - your body just might be behaving in such a way. And the X-rays and MRI's might be behaving in such a way as to pretend as if there is a brain whereas, actually, there isn't.
