10 Philosophical Questions that will Change Your Life

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Transcript: •Hey everyone, I am Peter from TopThink, and today we explore 10 questions in philosophy that will change your life
• But quickly before that, make sure to subscribe to TopThink so you don’t miss out on our new animated series about psychology, science, and lots of other nerdy stuff. Now, let’s begin.
• Number 1: Should you live for the present, or for the future?
• Some people party all the time, others work all the time. Some people spend their money like it was their last day, while others save everything they can. This question in philosophy seems to define the choices we make and ultimately outlines our romantic lives, our careers, and pretty much everything else, too.
• Ask yourself this: what are the things that you spend the most time doing? Then ask: do these activities satisfy immediate wants and needs, or those of the future?
• Number 2: Do we have free will?
• Before you just quickly say yes, consider this well-known argument: Atoms and particles, from a scientific standpoint, behave in probabilistic ways. Even when you get a random number from a computer, it’s not as random as you might think.
• In fact, RNG’s, or random number generators, actually use extremely complex algorithms to generate numbers. The output appears to be random, and for all practical purposes is random, but in reality, it is not.
• So again, science tells us that atoms and particles behave in probabilistic ways. But our brains, which contain, so to speak, our consciousness, are made up of atoms and particles, logically leading to the conclusion that our minds behave in probabilistic ways. So answer me this: do we really have free will?
• Number 3: Is an absolute truth possible?
• An absolute truth is something that is universally true, no matter the circumstances. For example, it’s normally true to say that murder is wrong. But would it have been wrong to kill Hitler or Stalin before they executed all those people? Most would say no. So, can you name any truth that is absolute?
• Number 4: What does it mean to be conscious?
• Imagine this scenario: a robot exists such that it can respond to any question with decent accuracy, it can discern images like your eyes can, but with a camera. It can move, it can solve problems, it even recharges like you do when you sleep and consume food. Essentially, it has all of the functions of living animals, even if it has different levels of competence in some of these areas than we do. Now face reality: some modern robots do have these functions.
• Naturally then, one must ask: What separates this robot from you, other than the fact that it is made from different materials?
• Number 5: What is the first thing you think about when you wake up in the morning?
• Mornings are generally when our mind is freest. In Latin, this is known as the Tabula Rasa, which translates to a “blank slate.” It means that your mind hasn’t yet been troubled with day to day worries and activities. Thus, your first thoughts in the morning often reflect upon the things in life that matter to you the most.
• For example, when you wake up, you may start thinking about your kids or your spouse. Perhaps you fantasize about your passions. Whatever it may be, reflect upon it.
• Number 6: What are your values, and are you being true to them?
• Now, I could ask you to write down all of your values like some self-help guru, but it’s a lot to juggle, especially when you’re watching a video. So just think about one of them. What is your number one value? Then, answer the hard question: how true are you to that value?
• Number 7: If you could design your own life, how would you do it?
• You may think that this is really easy to answer. After all, you can have anything you want: an expensive car, the perfect spouse, a giant mansion, and six pack abs.
• But once you have all this, what do you have to look forward to? Would you live out the rest of your life just acquiring more stuff? And finally, would you be satisfied knowing that you did not actually earn what you have? Is that not part of the reward…

(more would exceed limit)