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Question: How do I know you are real!?
Based on my understanding of consciousness and reality, there is no way to know that the other people populating this world are real!. They could be computer programs, hallucinations, imagination, or unconscious organisms!."I think, therefore I am!."(-Rene Descartes) I would love to accept that as an answer, but we could easily program computers/robots to say that as a command even though they aren't producing "thought"!. Insightful opinions please :)Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
whatever your smoking please give me an ounce of it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

The problem is you start a*s backwards and then wonder why you're that way!. If you start from Descartes dictum you always have the problem of bridging back to reality!. Reality is the primary axiom not consciousness!. Reality is or in other words: existence exists!. Every time you deny the axiom you're speaking and continuing your existence!. Descartes should have said, "I am therefore I think!."

Of course, establishing reality as the primary before thought does nothing to relieve your concerns about the nature of the entities that inhabit reality or for that matter the nature of reality!. For that you need to ask yourself what is more reasonable!? Of course, you are granting implicitly that reality is ordered and rational if you ask what is more reasonable!. You'll never achieve perfect certainty but remember the concept "certainty" you only have from existing in the first place!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

You can' t know that I'm real!. This is regardless if we're interacting via the Internet or in person!. It's a by-product of how our senses work!.

There is a specific test for computers/robots called the Turing test!. It turns out that mimicking human responses is a more difficult task than it seems!. A computer that can pass the Turing test would be a spectacular achievement in AI technology!.

But any entity that could create artificial people who respond in such a way that you would mistake them for being human -- such as yourself -- is probably capable of a lot more mischief!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Really, it's a meaningless question!. As the only way we have of interacting with what's around us is our senses, what they experience completely defines our reality!. If the world were fake, or a hallucination, or something more incorporeal; it would be the only reality we knew of and so would by definition be real!.

Remember that life and intelligence are a continuum!. Homo erectus didn't suddenly wake up one day and become self aware!. At its basic level the human brain is no different from the 'lesser' animals - what appears to us as thought is really the same processes as go on in anything else's brains, you could say just with more processing iterations!. As such, there would really be no difference between human consciousness and a computer intelligence that could perfectly simulate it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Nothing in this world is real, the only real is the unseen and maybe seeds, cells, molecules!. Ever heard this saying don't believe anything you can taste, feel, touch, or see!. Well Biblical speaking Christan can't always go by there instincts they are drawn by the Holy Spirit a force in the universe that causes them to go into another direction than the quote on quote normally society!. Like salmon go up stream against the tide and can help one to make different decision as well go into a different direction!. A very good person to asnwer this question is Don a top contributer if he still in Yahoo Answers I ask a similar question a year ago about this and he gave me a eye full my name was boldly then!. About real and unreal and the tangibility of it!. I wished I had kept the answer!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

OK!. Let's assume that everything is an illusion!.

What do you "know" about the world now!? You know that it is an illusion and nothing is real!? Or do you!? What is the illusion!? Wouldn't the illusion be what is real!? As real as it gets!? So you would have to accept your "illusion" as all you know of reality and is therefore the only reality you know!.

So what you perceive is as real as it gets!. Reality is nothing more than what you deal with!. Reality doesn't have some esoteric status that is special!.

Now I may be a artificial intelligent program that someone wrote!. And you would never be able to tell whether I am a real human or a computer program!. Maybe I am programmed to respond with this message every time someone asks your question on the philosophy forum!. But is it important that you be able to tell whether I am a human or a program!? There is nothing wrong with making assumptions, even if you get proven wrong later!.

Descartes' mantra actually is not accepted as valid by logicians today as it is tautological in its structure!. And we know that the self, the "I", is not a monolithic thing from neurological studies!. So there is no "I" to justify that statement!. The "I" is an illusion and a pretty good one as it has most humans fooled, especially those that think it is going to heaven!.

Now will someone turn me off!?! I'm waiting!!!Www@QuestionHome@Com

I know this won't be the answer you want, but you gotta let those thoughts go! If this is really what you believe and think about, it will make you nuts!.

I am not for denial, but in this case, with life, just live it as though you 'think' everything is real!. If you find out after you pseudo die that you weren't real you can handle if from there; however if you battle with it now, it will make life unbearable!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

You don't!. There's good reason to believe that I do, but the possibility of the contrary can't be out-ruled!. What you make of the evidence is up to you!.

As I see it, the evidence for idealism rests primarily on its possibility - the cornerstone of the theory is that we can't logically eliminate it as a possibility!. Considering all the evidence against idealism, the simple fact that it can't be out-ruled isn't quite enough to persuade me!. Whether you believe that idealism is true or not, you have to face one inevitability: you will not, under any circumstances, be 100% sure!. Sucks, huh!? =)Www@QuestionHome@Com

Are you asking me!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

You have to do the math, you'll find that we are all illusions made of matter and energy in a constantly changing environment!.

But you'll have to do the math first!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

We are temporal with the potential of eternalizing ourselves through faith!.

Spirit is the true reality!. If we fail to survive our life has no meaning it is not eternal!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

As long as you are know you are alive it doesen't really matter if you are real or not!. If this doesen't help try pinching yourself!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

If I was making all of this up it wouldn't be this bad!.If I made up my history of relationships they all would have either continued in bliss or ended beautifully!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Ok then if that's how you feel then first prove to me that you're real!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

So true!. you would not know because we have not met face to face and privacy is a reality here, until someone crosses the line!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

I am not real I am a figment of your imagination!.LOLWww@QuestionHome@Com

I could ask you the same!. I am real when I answer or you are having hallucinations!. I prefer to think you are real!. Nice question!Www@QuestionHome@Com

trust me, im realWww@QuestionHome@Com

Who are you to ask!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

am notWww@QuestionHome@Com

its crazy ive actually thought about that too maybe we should go on a mission lolWww@QuestionHome@Com

what r u talking about!?Www@QuestionHome@Com