Since the time of George Berkeley in 1710, one of the most perplexing questions in metaphysics is how much existence depends on perception.
This is most famously expressed in the maxim "If a tree falls to the ground in the forest, but nobody is there to observe it, does it make a sound?"
Modern Quantum physics has taken and developed this debate to consider how much observation alters the state of that which is observed. Put another way, does observation affect outcome?
I was musing on this when I realised that our justices, no doubt unintentionally, had stumbled on a solution to the question that had eluded Einstein, Twiss, Mann and other great Metaphysicists.
|They have concluded that a member of the regional assembly may cease to exist, but their demise only actually happens when the Speaker of the Regional Assembly observes that it has happened. One can conclude, therefore, that our very existence depends, not on any objective criterion, but on our perception by the Speaker. If he sees us, we exist. If he does not see us, we do not exist.
Therefore the TNP universe, at least, conforms to a subjective idealist theory.
I conclude this lecture with two practical outworkings of this theory:
1. Existence is fragile. You may say "cogito ergo sum" but the reality is in fact, "Orator cogit ergo sum" - The speaker thinks, therefore I am.,
2. Don't piss off the Speaker. Ever. He can kill you with a thought.
This is most famously expressed in the maxim "If a tree falls to the ground in the forest, but nobody is there to observe it, does it make a sound?"
Modern Quantum physics has taken and developed this debate to consider how much observation alters the state of that which is observed. Put another way, does observation affect outcome?
I was musing on this when I realised that our justices, no doubt unintentionally, had stumbled on a solution to the question that had eluded Einstein, Twiss, Mann and other great Metaphysicists.
|They have concluded that a member of the regional assembly may cease to exist, but their demise only actually happens when the Speaker of the Regional Assembly observes that it has happened. One can conclude, therefore, that our very existence depends, not on any objective criterion, but on our perception by the Speaker. If he sees us, we exist. If he does not see us, we do not exist.
Therefore the TNP universe, at least, conforms to a subjective idealist theory.
I conclude this lecture with two practical outworkings of this theory:
1. Existence is fragile. You may say "cogito ergo sum" but the reality is in fact, "Orator cogit ergo sum" - The speaker thinks, therefore I am.,
2. Don't piss off the Speaker. Ever. He can kill you with a thought.
This made me chuckle. Well done Flem. 
