Friday, May 8, 2009

Acting Philosophy: A Posteriori

Philosophical action is based upon the developed rationality. Since our rationality is developed, implying evolvement of some kind, it can only ever be based upon a posteriori reasoning. Philosophy is based on our existence and the effects from that existence, defined here as our experiences. This assumes you can not exist without constant experience. Using this assumption a priori reasoning is only a theory, since we can not truly know a reason before experience as long as we do exist and are experiencing.There can be a priori facts, for example gravity, but the existence of that fact is not dependent upon our reason, so still in this case our reasoning is of a posteriori origins, say the apple falling on Newton's head. Our existence comes before our reasoning abilities, then our reasoning abilities define our existence - the intelligence or conciousness that defines us as human. So our philosophies can only view a priori reasoning as either 1) a logic that exists outside ourselves as long as we do exist or 2) an hypothetical situation. Thus, any philosophical discussion is based upon a posteriori reasoning.