Descartes's Stove • Hacker News Board

Re: Descartes's Stove

#31

Post by _a_a_a_ » Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 12:00 AM UTC

"Analytic geometry represents space as a vacuum oriented by abstract coordinates and occasionally inhabited by bodies, not as an atmosphere already filled with airborne materials of varying composition, density, temperature, and velocity."

Deep stuff.

Re: Descartes's Stove

#32

Post by baking » Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 1:03 AM UTC

I was taught that he climbed inside a large brick oven, which is what he literally says. Alone with his thoughts inside a quiet oven. I mean, it is the middle of winter and if other soldiers also wanted to stay warm, don't you think a heated room would be more crowded?

Re: Descartes's Stove

#33

Post by jimt1234 » Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 4:13 AM UTC

I majored in philosophy. Descartes is at the center of the only philosophy joke I ever heard.

Socrates, Kant and Descartes were sitting in a bar, talking about baseball:

- Socrates: Dodgers are gonna win it all this year. They're unstoppable.

- Kant: Totally agree. Betts, Ohtani, Freeman. Go Dodgers. What do you think, Rene?

- Descartes: Well, they have the hitting, but I don't think [Poof! Descartes disappears.]

Re: Descartes's Stove

#34

Post by ses1984 » Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 5:33 AM UTC

jimt1234 wrote: post #33

I majored in philosophy. Descartes is at the center of the only philosophy joke I ever heard. Socrates, Kant and Descartes were sitting in a bar, talking about baseball: - Socrates: Dodgers are gonna win it all this year. They're unstoppable. - Kant: Totally agree. Betts, Ohtani, Freeman. Go Dodgers. What do you think, Rene? - Descartes: Well, they have the hitting, but I don't think [Poof! Descartes disappears.]

Here are two more for you.

Sartre is sitting at a cafe and orders coffee with no cream. The waiter says, "I'm sorry, Monsieur Sartre, we are all out of cream -- how about with no milk?"

man goes to bertrand russell. says he hates his beard but will not shave it. russell says "treatment is simple. great barber pagliacci is in town. he will shave all men (and only those men) who will not shave themselves." man bursts into tears. "but bertrand,"

Re: Descartes's Stove

#35

Post by aidenn0 » Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 5:49 AM UTC

jimt1234 wrote: post #33

I majored in philosophy. Descartes is at the center of the only philosophy joke I ever heard. Socrates, Kant and Descartes were sitting in a bar, talking about baseball: - Socrates: Dodgers are gonna win it all this year. They're unstoppable. - Kant: Totally agree. Betts, Ohtani, Freeman. Go Dodgers. What do you think, Rene? - Descartes: Well, they have the hitting, but I don't think [Poof! Descartes disappears.]

Assuming the converse is really putting Descartes in front of the horse.

Re: Descartes's Stove

#36

Post by 082349872349872 » Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 6:18 AM UTC

jimt1234 wrote: post #33

I majored in philosophy. Descartes is at the center of the only philosophy joke I ever heard. Socrates, Kant and Descartes were sitting in a bar, talking about baseball: - Socrates: Dodgers are gonna win it all this year. They're unstoppable. - Kant: Totally agree. Betts, Ohtani, Freeman. Go Dodgers. What do you think, Rene? - Descartes: Well, they have the hitting, but I don't think [Poof! Descartes disappears.]

The various anecdotes[0] about Diogenes are almost nothing but jokes[1]; he used humanity as his straight man.

— Not the Diogenes? I have been looking for you... I am Alexander, king of Macedon, called by some "the Great"; do you have any boon you wish to ask of me?

— Yes: please move a little to the left. You're standing in my sun.

[0] https://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/gr...

[1] compare Moore's The Comedian? "It came true. You're lookin' at it."

Re: Descartes's Stove

#37

Post by getwiththeprog » Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 7:50 AM UTC

jimt1234 wrote: post #33

I majored in philosophy. Descartes is at the center of the only philosophy joke I ever heard. Socrates, Kant and Descartes were sitting in a bar, talking about baseball: - Socrates: Dodgers are gonna win it all this year. They're unstoppable. - Kant: Totally agree. Betts, Ohtani, Freeman. Go Dodgers. What do you think, Rene? - Descartes: Well, they have the hitting, but I don't think [Poof! Descartes disappears.]

This may have been why Descartes preferred the French formulation of the cogito Je Suis, Je Exist.

Re: Descartes's Stove

#38

Post by actionfromafar » Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 8:44 AM UTC

ses1984 wrote: post #34

jimt1234 wrote: post #33

I majored in philosophy. Descartes is at the center of the only philosophy joke I ever heard. Socrates, Kant and Descartes were sitting in a bar, talking about baseball: - Socrates: Dodgers are gonna win it all this year. They're unstoppable. - Kant: Totally agree. Betts, Ohtani, Freeman. Go Dodgers. What do you think, Rene? - Descartes: Well, they have the hitting, but I don't think [Poof! Descartes disappears.]

Here are two more for you. Sartre is sitting at a cafe and orders coffee with no cream. The waiter says, "I'm sorry, Monsieur Sartre, we are all out of cream -- how about with no milk?" man goes to bertrand russell. says he hates his beard but will not shave it. russell says "treatment is simple. great barber pagliacci is in town. he will shave all men (and only those men) who will not shave themselves." man bursts i…

I could use an explanation of the last one.

Re: Descartes's Stove

#39

Post by AdamN » Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 9:23 AM UTC

ses1984 wrote: post #34

jimt1234 wrote: post #33

I majored in philosophy. Descartes is at the center of the only philosophy joke I ever heard. Socrates, Kant and Descartes were sitting in a bar, talking about baseball: - Socrates: Dodgers are gonna win it all this year. They're unstoppable. - Kant: Totally agree. Betts, Ohtani, Freeman. Go Dodgers. What do you think, Rene? - Descartes: Well, they have the hitting, but I don't think [Poof! Descartes disappears.]

Here are two more for you. Sartre is sitting at a cafe and orders coffee with no cream. The waiter says, "I'm sorry, Monsieur Sartre, we are all out of cream -- how about with no milk?" man goes to bertrand russell. says he hates his beard but will not shave it. russell says "treatment is simple. great barber pagliacci is in town. he will shave all men (and only those men) who will not shave themselves." man bursts i…

Descartes sits down in his seat on an airplane and the steward asks, "would you like some tea?", to which Descartes replies, "I think not" and poof!, he disappears out of existence.

Re: Descartes's Stove

#40

Post by AdamN » Thu, Apr 25, 2024, 9:26 AM UTC

This also makes me think about Descartes' ball of wax - which he handled while pondering the Great Deceiver. One of his great writing techniques was to bring the reader to the room where he was writing at that moment in time.