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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Neocon who wrote (69160)	12/3/2002 9:27:43 AM
From: epicure	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 82486

But it only matters because we care about it- things don't "matter" first- they only "matter" because we care. "Mattering" is a human construct, and doesn't exist out in the universe on its own- or do you think that it does? Do you think "mattering" exists out side of the minds that contemplate mattering?

To: Neocon who wrote (69160)	12/3/2002 10:58:59 AM
From: The Philosopher	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 82486

You are fixated on a secondary use of the term importance, having to do with some object's role in a given situation. If I am fixated on anything, it is that the term "important" is a value judgment that humans put on an object or situation. Certain things are absolutes. The sun contains hydrogen, always has since its creation, always will until it burns out. It contained it before any human existed, it will contain it long after the last human has died off, at least on earth. It contained hydrogen before any human ever knew that hydrogen existed. It's true for every human being at every time in every human being's life. That's an absolute fact. But whether the fact of its containing hydrogen is important is NOT an absolute. The term "important" is a value judgment placed on it by humans and interpreted in human terms. It's not inherent in the sun. Before there was human life the fact of hydrogen in the sun was neither important nor unimportant. It just was. It was necessary for the creation of life on earth, but whether the creation of life on earth is important or unimportant is also a value judgment. I doubt it makes a whit worth of difference to the sun itself. It was shining before we came along, it will be shining after we're gone. Important or trivial, big or little, are VALUE judgments. They are always relative to the speaker and the situation. They change over time, sometimes minute by minute. They are not absolute.