Quote:
Originally Posted by StAnselm  If A says to B, “Nothing exists outside my consciousness” A is communicating with B.
The assumption of communication is the existence of more than one independent mind. If there is only one mind, there could be no language.
Because there are two independent minds presumed in the statement “nothing exists outside my consiousness” A is acknowledging that B's consciousness is existing outside A's consciousness by making the statement. The statement falls apart, just by being made.
A could try saying "nothing exists outside my consciousness" to his or herself. But the use of any language presupposes that words have meanings, which have been determined by agreement among millions of independent minds, which are not part of A's mind.
If these independent minds are somehow all creating or altering reality, they must be remarkably in tune to make anything function. |
No, that model assumes other consciousnesses are just an expanded part of yourself. It's too metaphysically murky but metaphysics can't be debunked with a thought experiment that simple.
I only understand it in terms of the modern Buddhism which came about around 5AD where the physical world has dualities and separateness but experiencing things from a higher perspective shows that everything is part of 1 "God" consciousness. Now it's re-emerging as new age metaphysics. But the other posters are right, it's very semantic and doesn't really matter.