외계인의 생각들?

심심해서 외계인과 헤겔에 대해서 써봤어요. 재미로 쓴 거라 리비전도 제대로 안 거쳤으니 가볍게 봐주시면 감사하겠습니다. 영어를 잘하진 않지만 (교수님이 영어못한다고 뭐라한적도 있어서...) 한국어는 더 못하기에, 그냥 영어입니다.

Regardless of whether we actually find out that aliens exist or not, it is metaphysically possible that aliens think the same way as we do. They might employ the same set of thought categories as we do, and they might also use the language of mathematics to build their UFO's to get to the earth. However, is it metaphysically necessary that aliens have the same ways of thinking as we do? -- This question, in my opinion, is very crucial in philosophy.

If we start philosophy from determinate ways of thinking anything, we cannot ground our logical tools in any metaphyscially necessary way. This is because it is we who took this determinate structure of subjectivity as opposed to that. Any appeal to determinate grounds from which we can begin philosophy can tell us that our structure of subjectivity is such and such, but it does not tell us whether it cannot be otherwise. This would mean that we cannot gain any metaphysical necessity of aliens' ways of thinking, because some other beings could operate in a different way. For example, if we take a Kantian stance in that any thought categories we employ cannot be investigated, precisely because any effort to put anything under our scrutiny entails that we are using the given set of thought categories, it is only metaphysically possible that aliens think in the same way as we do. A determinate set of our faculty of cognitions, e.g. intuition and reason, could be otherwise. We simply cannot metaphysically necessitate a certain determinate structure, precisely because we took it for granted as a starting point of our knowing.

In contrast, however, Hegel derives our structure of subjectivity without appealing to any determinate ground. He begins his Science of Logic from what is, that is, pure being or what is completely indeterminate. This means that if he somehow does not make any arbitrary leaps that allow for any other metaphysical possibility of aliens thinking in a different way from we do, and if he gets at a complete set of thought categories, whatever we find in SL will be ways in which any intelligent beings must think of anything. This is because unlike the case in which we could have different determinate structure of subjectivity, it cannot be the case that they have different ways of thinking. We started from indeterminate, and as long as Hegel succeeds in deriving different set of thought categories, there simply is no room for any arbitrariness. For example, in Hegel's Logic of Concept, we see a living thing that metabolizes as a thought category derived from the pure being (footnote: analogous to Evan Thompson's autopoiesis.). This means two things. First, it might be physically possible that aliens could be made out of a completely different set of materials, but they would have to have their organs moving for the sake of the whole. If we somehow disconnect some of their organs from their body, such organs will not function anymore. Aliens will not, for example, be like a set of chairs, because a set of chairs does not lose its essence if I remove certain amount of chair from it; nor did the chairs I have "disconnected" have different essence, like stomach that stops digesting what we have eaten. Aliens, just like us, will "suffer" like we do, if their organs are cut off from them. Second, more importantly, aliens, if they have any intellectual capacity, will see themselves and human beings in a same way. They will understand that we will have some sort of pain if we have our organs cut off or disconnected from our body. Ways in which we express our pain may be different, but that metabolic form that determines aliens and human beings, if Hegel succeeds in doing it, will be the way in which any living things can be and thought.

I'm glad to read an interesting article on the first day of the Chuseok holiday. First of all, thank you, and I want to write down my thoughts below.

Philosophy can be said to be a collection of various systems of thought, or explanatory methods for various topics. There may be something here that depends on the structure of our subjectivity, and there is a system of thought that relies on mathematical/logical laws that would otherwise be common anywhere in the universe.

The structure of alien subjectivity and the way their consciousness works can be very different from ours. Therefore, it is very probable that the way of thinking that relies on it is also completely different from ours.

However, in alien mathematics, one cannot think that it will be 1+1=3 or 4 instead of 1+1=2. I think this is something that doesn't depend on the structure of our subjectivity. The same is true of the inevitable way of logic.

But I'm not sure we can understand alien consciousness. For example, if they have a very different range of sensory abilities than we do, or if they have the ability to know the past or the future, or read our human mind, then we won't be able to know or understand their state of consciousness, and what we've just estimated about alien philosophy as a system or collection of their thoughts is just based on our consciousness.

For example, dogs, cats, and goldfish have their own consciousness, but it is hard to think that they understand our human thinking/philosophy. There may be similar differences between us humans and aliens in some way.

Therefore, we can assume that they will be thinking unless they violate the universal logical law, but it will be difficult or impossible to know the content, method, and system of the reasons that their subjectivity constitutes.

They may not even need philosophy anymore, or they may be exploring new disciplines that we cannot imagine at this time. Therefore, why don't we take a break from human-centered thinking and quietly savor the vastness and infinite possibilities of this universe with humility...

어익후... 한글로 달아주셔도 되는데... 전 한글 못해서 영어로 적은 거라...

1. You said that if aliens have mathematics at hand, they cannot have wrong equations like 1+1 = 3.

I think we have some miscommunications here. What I tried to say, though I don't think I made it clear enough throughout the "article" (뻘글을 아티클이라고 해주셔서 황송합니다), was that it is possible that aliens may not use mathematics as an instrument by which we can understand what is out in the universe (if we were to use non-Hegelian approach). Mathematics appears to be a solution that we have to various physical problems, but in my opinion, we never know whether mathematics is the only solution to solve what is in the universe. If we do not take Hegelian approach as I have explained it, we cannot know if there is any other way to solve what is in universe other than logical tools we have. At least that was what I tried to say, if we are to begin philosophical thinking with a determinate standpoint like Kant did.

2. You said that aliens may have a different set of faculties of cognition, such that we cannot understand what their state of consciousness is.

I think this is a corollary to Kantian stance of taking a determinate structure of human subjectivity for granted. This is because as soon as we set a determinate basis on which we can build our philosophical system, we might as well have a basis that is different from the basis we just have established. Therefore, as you said, we might have a complete different basis of being what we are.

However, if we take Hegelian approach without having any determinate standpoint to begin philosophy, I think we can take any arbitrariness out of equation. In my "article" (기분 좋아서 한 번 더 쓸게요), I talked about how we have a pure indeterminacy from which we can proceed and establish our philosophical system. Because we have avoided the problem of having a determinate standpoint like Kant did, what I was trying to say was that we no longer have to worry about having this structure of subjectivity as opposed to that structure of subjectivity.

3. You said that dumb animals cannot understand human beings, and therefore it is possible that aliens may not understand what we think.

You are right. I made an assumption that aliens under investigation have intellectual capacity of some sort, and I wrote it at the end of my "article" (haha), which I don't think is the best place to put. What I was trying to say, a point that I need to make repetitively because of my sloppiness, is that "if aliens are intelligent, then human beings and aliens will have the same set of thought categories, such that we can understand each other as a living being, what metabolizes, i.e. uses energy to sustain ourselves."

4. You said that they may be exploring new disciplines, and may not even study philosophy.

I agree. Even intelligent aliens may not study what kinds of thought categories we use to think of anything. However, what I was trying to say is that regardless of what they do, they will use a set of thought categories that we have seen in Hegel's Science of Logic in order to do whatever they do. We cannot know what specific disciplines would be. What we can know, instead, would be that their activities, studies, etc., will be thought in terms of thought categories like something, finite, infinite, etc. that we talked about few days ago.

Disclaimer: This "article" is hypothetical, which means that I have written down what I think is consequential to Hegel's Science of Logic. If Hegel's project is doomed to failure, then as you said, we will have to go back to the stage where we have to "take a break from human-centered thinking and quietly savor the vastness and infinite possibilities of this universe with humility."

이런 좋은 날에 이런 sloppy한 글에 시간 써주셔서 감사합니다.

Thank you for the detailed comments. I was happy to read an 'article' on interesting topics, and it was good to get intellectual stimulation.

In the future, I hope you don't hesitate to post interesting writings like this. It was good that you read my thoughts well and I could listen to your opinion.

In conclusion, if I were to say something...I want to say, "Thinking about the philosophy of aliens promotes thinking about us humans."

Have a happy Chuseok holiday!

I hope my additional comments helped you clear out possible confusions. I guess this is what is good about 서강 올빼미 -- we can be sloppy with our writings, because we can always talk more about it. It is not like a literary piece that we have to "let go" after the publication like Derrida would have thought of it.

Have a happy Chuseok as well!

네. 덕분에 많은 점들이 명확해졌고 선생님의 입장을 충분히 이해할 수 있었습니다. 감사드립니다.

그리고 재미있는 책을 발견했어요. 펜실베이니아 킹스칼리지의 철학교수인 윌리엄 어윈 등의 논문을 실은 "Alien and Philosophy" 라는 책인데요, 재미있는 내용이 많은 것 같습니다.

헤겔에 대해서는 잘 모르지만, '외계인의 생각'에 관해서 일전에 흥미로운 논설이 이루어진 적이 있기에 읽어보셔도 좋을 것 같습니다.

와! 친절하게 알려주셔서 정말 감사합니다. 행복한 추석 보내세요.