Say you have a desk that was scratched, does the property of 'being scratched' exist when the desk was first made?

[episodic]

Ok - so you make a desk in 1950.

In 1970 - little Johnny scratches is name in the desk.

Some would say that the property of little Johnny's name scratched in desk was there the day the desk was made.

Discuss. . .

 

[giantpinkbunnyhead]

That seems pretty far-fetched... I mean, we could assign a gazillion properties to any object in this fashion. Suppose it was my name and not Johnny's that was etched into the desk. BOOM! Another property.

 

[doze]

What then happens if you sand and refinish the desk in 1971? Was little Johnny's name ever really there?

 

[imported_LoKe]

I'm gonna' kill little Johnny for scratching up my desk!! :|

 

[episodic]

Originally posted by: doze
What then happens if you sand and refinish the desk in 1971? Was little Johnny's name ever really there?

What happens when the desk is destroyed. . .?

How far does the causal chain go back (the wood in the desk and the metal for instance). . .

 

[imported_LoKe]

There's a difference between being made and modified. The desk is still a desk, with or without a name scratched into it.

 

[redgtxdi]

That was gonna be my next thing was.................



How 'bout the tree was cut down & processed into lumber in '69, but it was scratched by a bear in '61, 8 years earlier.

etc., etc., etc.

 

[alien42]

this thread is not even thought provoking

 

[altonb1]

Originally posted by: alien42
this thread is not even thought provoking

QFT!

 

[CollectiveUnconscious]

Being exists outside of time, and is both always present and never present.

 

[giantpinkbunnyhead]

Originally posted by: CollectiveUnconscious
Being exists outside of time, and is both always present and never present.

There is no spoon.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: giantpinkbunnyhead

Originally posted by: CollectiveUnconscious
Being exists outside of time, and is both always present and never present.

There is no spoon.

Is a spork a modified spoon or is the spoon an unmodified spork? That's the real question I would like answered.

 

[imported_LoKe]

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: giantpinkbunnyhead

Originally posted by: CollectiveUnconscious
Being exists outside of time, and is both always present and never present.

There is no spoon.

Is a spork a modified spoon or is the spoon an unmodified spork? That's the real question I would like answered.

Depends on how it was made. If it was always a spork, then it couldn't be a modified spoon. And seeing as how it's called a "spork", one would assume the spoon came first. Thus, it is the "offspring" of a spoon and a fork.

 

[T9D]

This kind of thinking is idiotic. It only serves to make pretentious professors feel superior or stroke their own ego in some stupid non justified way.

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: LoKe

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: giantpinkbunnyhead

Originally posted by: CollectiveUnconscious
Being exists outside of time, and is both always present and never present.

There is no spoon.

Is a spork a modified spoon or is the spoon an unmodified spork? That's the real question I would like answered.

Depends on how it was made. If it was always a spork, then it couldn't be a modified spoon. And seeing as how it's called a "spork", one would assume the spoon came first. Thus, it is the "offspring" of a spoon and a fork.

If it was destined to be a spork but the cuts weren't made then would it be a spoon or an unmodified spork? Also, consider the other case where the cuts are too deep. Would it be considered a fork at that point or a badly maufactured spork? How about if only one cut was made? What qualifies a spork as a spork?

 

[XZeroII]

This is why we have the 4th dimension. If the 4th dimension didn't exist, then yes, the desk would be forever scratched.

 

[DainBramaged]

Originally posted by: giantpinkbunnyhead

Originally posted by: CollectiveUnconscious
Being exists outside of time, and is both always present and never present.

There is no spoon.

LOBSTER BISQUE!

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: episodic
Ok - so you make a desk in 1950.

In 1970 - little Johnny scratches is name in the desk.

Some would say that the property of little Johnny's name scratched in desk was there the day the desk was made.

Discuss. . .

I can see that being the case only if the future is predetermined, and that is something that we can't be certain of at this time.

If someone says that this IS the case, I'd like to know what they base their certainty of this on.

 

[DrPizza]

You're bringing up bad memories of philosphy class from many years ago... It's not a friggin desk! It's a TABLE! (had a prof calling a table in the front of the room a "desk" drove me nuts.)

 

[Fiat1]

I carved my name in the tree that made the desk.

:thumbsup:

 

[EGGO]

Originally posted by: episodic
Ok - so you make a desk in 1950.

In 1970 - little Johnny scratches is name in the desk.

Some would say that the property of little Johnny's name scratched in desk was there the day the desk was made.

Discuss. . .

But little Johnny wasn't even alive in the 50's. I don't get this.

 

[BoomerD]

But what if the desk was made to be emo, and scratched itself?

 

[Shawn]

philosophy is retarded

 

[MrDudeMan]

Originally posted by: BoomerD
But what if the desk was made to be emo, and scratched itself?

winn4r!!!!

 

[AbAbber2k]

If you're viewing the desk from the 5th dimension where the timeline of the desk is a single point, then yes, I suppose the "property of 'being scratched'" existed as far back as when the desk was made and even beyond that.

Ignignot: "You and your 3rd dimension."
Frylock: "What about it?"
Ignignot: "Oh nothing, it's cute. We have 5..."
Err: "5... thousand."
Ignignot: "Yes, five thousand."
Err: "Don't question it!"

That said... I'm going to have to go ahead and suggest that "philosophy" of this sort is utterly useless.