Do Chairs Exist?
Michael Stevens,
Curiosity Box, YouTube,
Sept 15, 2021
This is a lovely introduction to ontology packaged as an entertaining 38 minute video. It asks the simple question "do chairs exist?" and through a series of considerations shows how this very simple question actually has a very complex answer. It's not merely a question of whether we can rely on the senses; it also calls into question how we identify and name objects at all. And how we count them. At a certain point, it all appears pretty arbitrary. "Ordinary objects may be unredeemably vague." Or "A chair is simples arranged chairwise." And that's the point. As a philosopher I appreciate the fun romp though the standard arguments; as an educator I appreciate the presentation and the clarity of the exposition.
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