I am sitting with a philosopher in the garden; he says again and again “I know that that’s a tree”, pointing to a tree that is near us. Someone else arrives and hears this, and I tell them: “This fellow isn’t insane. We are only doing philosophy.”
~Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations, §467
Minds and Brains 
Reblogged this on mezgebebooks's Blog and commented:
To
(from a previous experience of mine)
I am standing alone in a downtown street; I mutter again and again the f-word – an unconscious tendency at a moment of elation – pointing my camera at a tree. Someone else arrives and sees me, tabs on my shoulder and says gently but reassuringly: “Don’t worry, dear. The leaves will appear again in no time.” And I tell him: “But no! Look at these twigs. Are they not beautiful?” — To this he says nothing, but instead gives me a pitying smile, and soon leaves me alone.
“Philosophers Are Weird but Not Insane”
LOL – I’m not so sure … anyone who asks “What’s It Like To Be A Bat?” might just be a little more than half-way there … that is to say half-way there to somewhere that I don’t have a clue as to where, but no doubt it’s interesting to say the least!
(I do have to admit – I’d love to know what it’s like to be a bat!)
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What is it when he says ‘I would accept I was wrong and it is not a tree, if condition X is met?’
Or does he then look sane to the outsider, but insane to you? 😉
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