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Articles

Practical Solipsism: or how to live in a world of your own

Martin Thomasson on philosophy and design.

Solipsism – the idea that only I exist and that you, and all the other material things in the world are mere figments of my imagination – is one of those peculiar notions that make everybody realise just how barmy philosophers truly are. The average bloke in the pub, confronted with the suggestion that he exists only in my mind, might well seek to ‘demonstrate’ the falsity of the notion by nutting me, just to show how real he is. To the philosopher, this is hardly a rigorous proof. Nevertheless, it does illustrate the fact that people in general think it absurd to speculate about whether or not other people really exist. Of course you exist; I can see you, I can hear you, I can reach out and touch you.

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