h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A626212

A very brief guide to Heidegger and the Ultimate Question. Factual not fanciful.

Hi Grimethorpe. I think this should probably go into the guide *as is*, before people start asking for changes or more data. Simple fact is that it was supposed to be simple.
Why Ape Based?
It seems there is a useful upper limit to what a turtle can comprehend (although I would be delighted to be proved wrong on this), and a useful upper limit to what a snake, monkey, dolphin, etc... etc.... can comprehend. To try to fit into this world, we are slowly coming to terms with the fact that we are merely another evolving species, as opposed to being divinely slotted in at the end. So it follows that there will be a useful upper limit to what a Homonid or any member of the ape family can understand. So I think the best, and possibly only (ape-based) answer to the (ape generated) question - "Why is there something rather than nothing?" is "Why not?"

Good stuff.

Three things:

1. Resist the temptation to add much more to this.
2. Don't resist the temptation to add the ISBN of the books you recommend, if you have them. Maybe put them in a separate headed section or a footnote.
3. Click on my name, and click the link near the bottom of my personal space (in the "pointless" bit) - it'll give you a whole bunch of GuideML code you can copy, paste and change about to make this look a little prettier. Hope that helps.

H.

Many thanx, Frogbit and Hoovoloo, for the commendations and comments and Hoolowoo's technical suggestions

Like you, I want this to be really short and to the point - and possibly interesting and thought-provoking? (Or is this too much to ask?)

I've set up a Conversation - 'This is as much a religious as a philosoophical question' (same page) - which is where comments on the content are most welcome


Grime

Oops! Thanks Hoovooloo, sory about the spelin.

Grime

Twenty points and cheap cigar to the first researcher who spells my name correctly at the first attempt!

You're welcome.

H.

The Conversation also should be

'This is a religious as well as a philosophical question'

This computer will have to go


Grime

Hi Grime. If you keep this conversation where it is, it will remain in peer revue when people reply.

Thanks Frogpit

On your advice here is an introductory posting (edited and reprinted) from the other Conversation. Hope it's not out of place
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strikes me that Heidegger's question is a religious as well as a philosophical question - whether you're religious or not.

Such answers that are propositional (ie can be expressed directly in language) (e.g. things are here because God made them) are not thought by Heidegger to be satisfactory considering the depth of the question. In fact they can seem facile and almos evasive, because the question's so scary.

The answer lies beyond language.

As Wittgenstein, (1889-1951) put it in The Tractatus, such things lie beyond the limits of language, and can only be shown, not said. (Though Wittgenstein was by no means a follower of Heidegger).

Although the main point is to understand the question, not just look for an answer.


Grime

Sorry, Frogbit. I really must get this computer seen to.


Grime

Frogpit?

Sorry Frogbit. See posting 10.


Grime

Ah. S'okay.

I've decided to move the stuff from Posting 9 into the main Entry.

Please have a look and feel free to comment.


Grime

Frogbit, to take up your first posting - many ape-descendant life forms with much more ability than me have similarly questioned Heidegger's Question as being unanswerable by us. Wittgenstein, the other intellectual giant of last century (OK, Sartre might be another one) believed that unanswerable questions were not real questions at all. But he also said somewhere that if a lion were able to speak, we wouldn't understand her/him, because of the alienness of the lion's experience - guess that would apply to real aliens too acc to Wittgenstein's view of language and experience.......

In history, thinkers have either 'forgotten' the question (since the Greeks acc. to H) or ignored it, which actually led to it being ignored and forgotten by default. Only children remembered it - and H.

Myself, I find the question fundamental and fascinating - and possibly a bit disorienting & scary. But what do I no? I'm just zis guy, you know.....

Grime

Very interesting, though bein' a simple gardener, questions of philosophy are best left to television program planners. I agree with earlier comments that the approach you have taken should be unsullied by a lot of extraneous detail... no sense muddying the water. oi tink dat... sorry... I think that it would improve the flow a bit if you could reduce the number of parentheses. Good stuff!

JTG

Thanks for the advice, JTG

I've shortened the Entry again to something very near its original length, to remove some extraneous chat - (this is now left in posting 9), and I've got to work on the parentheses (I often use too many parentheses) (or brackets) (it's a fault of mine).

Thanks to all so far for helping me improve the Entry. I'm thinking about GML-ising it, but my instinct at the moment is to leave it plain and simple.

Cheers,

Grime

Grime (you don't mind if I call you Grime, do you? )

Don't think that GML-ising it would make it anything less simple and plain. I'd strongly suggest trying it, if only for the experience.

Suggestions:
Use only the following tags:
: at the beginning, you have to use that
: ditto
: no more than two of those
: makes your paragraphs nice and neat
: for the quote around which the whole thing is based.

Try that, I think you'll like how it looks.

H.

Hoovooloo:
Please do call me Grime. I've been called much worse

I'll give your suggestions the trial they deserve - thanks for persevering with me. But it's now after 2 in England, so I'll try later.

Grime

I've changed my Entry to GML format. When feelings allow, I'd be grateful if any of you - or anyone else who's passing - could take a look at it and tell me if they like the format or not. Me, I'm not sure, but me, I'm jzg, you know?

Thanx

Grime

[solidarity with all victims, in the United States and everywhere]