Although Star Trek is an old movie that is released around 1970, I have to say that it reminds me another famous science fiction movie: Matrix. Both movies engage me to consider the reliability of our sensation. According to my understanding, sensation is the only connection between our minds and the outer world, but is sensation trustful?
In the Matrix, the whole human world is created by computer program. People's senses are triggered by electric signals, which means that human judgements toward the "real world" are totally controlled computer. In the Star Trek, Captain Pike's sensation is also controlled by aliens, and he cannot tell the difference between the real world and the illusions.
In fact, the reliability of sensation has been discussed for a long time. Some people think that our sensation varies in different situation and is largely affected by our emotions. Sometimes, we cannot even distinguish dreams from reality. However, most our knowledge is derived from the sensation (knowledge like ice is cold and translucent). If sensation is not trustful, how can we gain and justify the knowledge?
I've not seen The Matrix, but I heard it made people take a second look at why they think the way they do, why they respond to things in a certain way, why they do what they do. I think the episode of Star Trek we're watching brings up similar philosophical questions: what are our limitations? (ex. Spock is limited by the stereotype of his race) How do our limitations effect us? (ex. The Telosians, limited by their "narcotic" of vicariously living through others, remain static and "forget the technologies of their forefathers"...)
ReplyDeleteBefore arriving on Talos IV, Captain Pike wanted to live a different life. When talking to the doctor, he said (something along the lines of), "There are so many other lives out there [beyond being the captain of The Enterprise]." Ironically, the Talosians give him the opportunity to live out any of the lives he can imagine--but he wants nothing to do with them.
As far as how we can reliably gain knowledge, I think that it is best to rely on the virtues that have been proven "true" over and over again throughout history and our own personal experiences (free will, love, earnestness, honesty, compassion...). Pike does not let alluring sensations fool him because beyond the fantasy was captivity.
I think that we can definitely trust our senses. Even though they are sometimes controlled by our emotions, our senses are also one of the most primitive things our mind and body use daily. Just like we know to stay away from fire because it's hot and that ice will cool us down, we can use our sense to evaluate everything that is going on around us. I also think we can definitely trust our senses because in times when our emotions may be too overwhelming to cope with such as in captivity or other extremely draining or stressful situations, our senses take over in order for our mind (the survival instinct part of it) to ensure that we remain alive. However, if we couldn't trust our senses, I don't think we would have a very reliable means of justifying anything because it would be completely subjective.
ReplyDeleteI believe our senses are pretty reliable, especially with repeated experience. Kind of like the basis of science, ideas that are repeatable become facts and theories. If I feel that water is wet and then I feel that it is wet again, I can assume that water will always be "wet." It will become common knowledge that I can use daily without having to test water's "wetness" every single time.
ReplyDeleteOf course one time events, like the botched Russian missile test (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8405481.stm), are tough to explain and believe. Russia said it was a failed ICBM but many people had a hard time believing that a failed missile could produce such an eerie trail in it's wake. We've never seen a missile create such a perfect spiral, so how are we expected to believe such a crazy idea?
I agree with Basil. It is like the reading that we discussed in class forever ago, I believe it was Huxley, about when we taste that a green apple is sour over and over again we will forever look at green apples as sour. As everyone has discussed already, the senses are reliable, unless of course we are living in the matrix where we would never know.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there has always been a question that I have wondered about. It has to do with the sense of sight. I often think, does everyone see the same color? From birth we are taught which color is which. With this said, is it possible that I could see yellow as blue to you because I learned it as yellow? In this case I guess the senses could still be trusted in that we all can agree which one is yellow, however, just for deeper thought. Is this possible?