Sure. It's a part of our social evolution.

Maybe he likes puzzles. Reality is definitely a big one ;)

The Trickster roaring with laughter.

A convergence as opposed to fatalism? That makes sense, we clearly see that in evolution.

I'm not trying to endorse any kind of fatalism. If Isaac Newton, in 1665, had stayed in Cambridge and then died of the plague, the subsequent history of science would almost certainly have differed in ways beyond our imagination. Even so, in that alternative history, the scientific community in 2015 would probably still have known everything that it knows in our own history.

There are all kinds of flavors of mathematics, too, but when you buy two six-packs of something from an honest merchant, you still get twelve of whatever it is.

I agree with this, but I think individuals can alter the direction of the current paradigm, making the work of future individuals end up in a somewhat different place. Am I certain it works this way? Absolutely not.

Hi. (And I appreciate your comment regarding your wife!) But your above comment directed me through Schopenhauer to reading about Hinduism and Buddhism. So, within that context, I guess, it's alright, - just haven't 'developed' to the point of having right speech, etc. yet!! Yeah! I've been contesting logic, and argument, etc. etc. too. And in my 'explorations' have found that Aristotle's treatment of his 'principles' could perhaps be regarded as being 'epistemic', whereas the third Category of Kant's treats these principles as 'ontological'???? So I guess tht is really the 'Great Divide' Knowledge-Being!!!???? (I don't mind being a dwarf, a reference that perhaps was 'intentionally' left out of Newton's quote, but then I read Nietzsche's and find he only wants to deal with the 'giants'. Philosophy for me has always been a way to 'get to know - people -' !!!!

Loreen, I have had many friends with whom I have disagreed strenuously about some very important things. My wife is one of them. We're both atheists, but our political views are quite divergent.