42 Philosophy Pictures

Compiled by Sapphire Thorpe

Contents
Introduction Pictures:
Godels incompleteness theorem Tarksis undefinability theorem The liars paradox The liars paradox (2) Diagram of Gurdjieffs law of three Real time and imaginary time The Buddhist Middle Way/Middle Path Irony example Irony example (2) Irony example (Fukushima) Socrates quote (Wei) wu wei The fourth wall Recursion Recursion (2) Circular reasoning The ouroboros Turtles all the way down Infinity and the Mind The left and right brain The left and right brain (2) The third eye Magic Eye autostereogram Magic Eye autostereogram (2) Complex numbers In Search of the Miraculous G. I. Gurdjieff Gurdjieff on consciousness Gurdjieff on Self-remembering Nassim Nicholas Taleb Black Swans Blind spot Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence Serendipity How serendipity works Blind spot (2) Synchronicity quote Synchronicity diagram Synchronicity quote (2) Ovid on luck 42 (the answer to life, the universe, and everything) The Pink Panther 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 10 11 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 15 16 16 17 17 17 18 18 18 19 19

Introduction
This document is a collection of pictures that I quickly compiled to introduce and illustrate various (advanced) key philosophical concepts, with brief commentary. I expand on and explain these ideas in my websites and books. The concepts mentioned here all fit together to form a whole. The topics that this document covers include: Godels incompleteness theorem; Tarski's undefinability theorem; the liar's paradox; recursion; the infinite regress problem; the fourth wall; Gurdjieff's law of three; the symbol of the cross; the Taoist (wei) wu wei; consciousness; Gurdjieffs Self-remembering; the "third eye"; the left and right hemispheres of the brain; Magic Eye autostereograms; complex numbers; the blind spot and/or the "veil of forgetfulness"; apophenia and epiphany (touched on briefly); serendipity; synchronicity; irony; luck; and the Black Swan. Many of the images were taken from a google search and are reproduced here for the purpose of education and commentary. - Sapphire Thorpe, 26th October 2013

Pictures

Godel's incompleteness theorem (the liar's paradox): A mathematical system can be either consistent OR complete, but not both. The implication is that one must step outside the system in order to prove its veracity (but it is capable of expressing truth nonetheless; it just cannot be proved).

Tarski's undefinability theorem: This has the same implications as Godel's incompleteness theorem.

The famous liar's paradox.

Philosoraptor tackles the liar's paradox.

Gurdjieff's "law of three" (simplified diagram).

The meaning of the symbol of the cross and (one of the meanings of) Christ's "ministry of reconciliation" (see also the law of three). Rough description (simplified/not totally accurate): The axes represent real time (chronos) and imaginary time (kairos). To move from one to the other, you have to find where they intersect (the third force/neutralizing point), and then switch reference frames. "In rhetoric kairos is "a passing instant when an opening appears which must be driven through with force if success is to be achieved." Kairos is, for Aristotle, the time and space context in which the proof will be delivered*." - Wikipedia. *cf the blind spot, Black Swan & serendipity pictures. Carpe Diem!

The Buddhist Middle Way, or Middle Path. The path between opposites.

Irony.

Irony.

Fukushima" means "Good-Fortune Island". Not a pleasant irony, but a great example. Fortuna, the goddess of luck (and/or Nemesis) reveals her hand...

Socratic "irony": to know that you know nothing.

(Wei) wu wei: another paradox. It is linked to the symbol of the cross. "The goal of spiritual practice for the human being is, according to Laozi, the attainment of this natural way of behaving." Wikipedia.

The Fourth Wall film poster, and recursion. "The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play. Speaking directly to or otherwise acknowledging the audience through the camera in a film or television program, or through this imaginary wall in a play, is referred to as "breaking the fourth wall" and is considered a technique of metafiction, as it penetrates the boundaries normally set up by works of fiction." - Wikipedia.

Recursion.

In order to understand recursion, one must first understand recursion.

Circular reasoning works because circular reasoning works...

The ouroboros (symbol of self-reference).

Turtles all the way down ... (infinite regress problem/Munchhausen trilemma).

Book by Rudy Rucker. Douglas Hofstadter also wrote Godel, Escher, Bach.

Another duality: the left and right brains.

The marriage of opposites.

The "third eye".

Magic Eye autostereograms are a great metaphor for extra depth perception/insight into Reality - seeing the (true) meaning behind, or "through", seemingly random or opaque data (the labyrinth, or world web/tapestry). Note: this is not the same thing as apophenia (or the introspection illusion): seeing false patterns in data. I refer instead to epiphany true insight.

"A new way of looking at the world".

Complex numbers.

The cover of Ouspensky's book on Gurdjieff's teachings, In Search of the Miraculous.

Photograph of G. I. Gurdjieff.

A relevant quotation on consciousness from In Search of the Miraculous.

Gurdjieff gives us the key.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb, author of the Black Swan Theory and book.

Black Swans are high-impact, unexpected, serendipitous/unlucky events. Black swans are also used to exemplify the inductive fallacy ("all swans are white").

Blind spot: in many ways analogous to the "veil of forgetfulness". Black Swan portal. The event horizon.

As Nassim Taleb would say: "Don't be a turkey." Surprise!

Serendipity, synchronicity, and irony are all sisters. I call them the "weird sisters" (after the Fates). A little secret: serendipity by definition strikes when we are not looking for something. So, if you want to attract luck: "feign ignorance" (the definition of irony).

Serendipity enters through our "blind spot" - that is, from outside the system (our individual minds. And by extending the analogy further, also 3D). In terms of Gurdjieff's law of three, serendipity would be the third force, and step 4 the new whole that is formed. Picture retrieved via a google search (this is not my work. See the copyright notice).

The 4th search result in google, (using my particular browser), for the term "blind spot" is a site called Serendip! I came across this synchronicity in June 2013 whilst working on these topics.

I wish to point out that synchronicity can be both a subjective and an objective phenomenon (that is, it may simply reflect what we are thinking, true or false; however, it can also show us truths, and things we arent aware of).

Carl Jung's diagram of synchronicity.

Quote on synchronicity by Carl Jung.

Ovid on luck.

The answer to life, the universe, and everything. The sum of the faces of 2 die (symbols of chance/Fortuna, etc.) - is 42.

The Pink Panther.