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/lit/ - Literature

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13433181 No.13433181 [Reply] [Original]

Did David Hume describe an early form of the NPC in "An Enquiry concerning Human Understanding", Section 12, Part 3?

>"The greater part of mankind are naturally apt to be affirmative and dogmatical in their opinions; and while they see objects only on one side, and have no idea of any counterpoising argument, they throw themselves precipitately into the principles, to which they are inclined; nor have they any indulgence for those who entertain opposite sentiments. To hesitate or balance perplexes their understanding, checks their passion, and suspends their action."
>[...]
>"But could such dogmatical reasoners become sensible of the strange infirmities of human understanding, even in its most perfect state, and when most accurate and cautious in its determinations; such a reflection would naturally inspire them with more modesty and reserve, and diminish their fond opinion of themselves, and their prejudice against antagonists."

>> No.13433188

Yep, that's what he did.

>> No.13433198

>>13433181
Hume is cancer and the only npc was his author

>> No.13433599

>>13433181
Literally everyone who takes the NPC meme seriously is an NPC

>> No.13433608

>>13433181
>retards who STILL don't get the NPC meme is just a retread of the old hylic/psychic/pneumatic distinction

>> No.13433667
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13433667

>>13433599
no u

>> No.13433681

>>13433181
Yes, Hume was actually writing about a meme by and for edgy spergs who think not being able to behave normally in social situations means they are 'main characters'.

>> No.13433695

>>13433681
Op btfo

>> No.13433783

>>13433599
>>13433608
>in the figurative sense
>is unable to make a distinction between the meme and the philosophical reality

Obviously there are behaviors of people who can not think for themselves. Yes, it is a meme. And yes, there is a group of people who can not think independently.
These are two different things, but they are congruent.

>> No.13433906

>>13433681
very female post

>> No.13433962

I'm just going to say fuck Hume. At least Locke was fun to read, this brit was a fucking chore

>> No.13433972

>>13433962
Weak. Hume says so many things nobody even now will believe. That's way more interesting to read than Locke who played it super safe

>> No.13434017

>>13433972
>Hume says so many things nobody even now will believe.
This is not a good thing, anon.
Locke played it safe and built the foundation of empiricism.

>> No.13434027

>>13434017
Locke was so boring. Nothing worse than a timely sycophant. "Human freedom is the highest virtue except for slavery which is justified and needed please keep paying me". Fuck him and his stupid treatise of government.

>> No.13434067

>>13433906
Yes, because I am a girl. Does that make you uncomfortable?

>> No.13434097

>>13434017
Sometimes it's good sometimes it's bad, but it makes Hume more fun to read than Locke.

>> No.13434291

>>13433181
Aristotle said basically the same thing.

>> No.13434313
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13434313

>>13433681
why does the NPC meme upset reddit so much lads

>> No.13434351
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13434351

>they read hume from an atheistic, skeptical light
>then wonder why he doesn't resonate with them
Hume was an irrationalist fideist predecessor to Hamann and Kierkegaard, well ahead of his time.

>I am the better pleased with the method of reasoning here delivered, as I think it may serve to confound those dangerous friends or disguised enemies to the Christian Religion, who have undertaken to defend it by the principles of human reason. Our most holy religion is founded on Faith, not on reason; and it is a sure method of exposing it to put it to such a trial as it is, by no means, fitted to endure.

>> No.13434358

>>13433181
why all philosophers see the majority of humans as trash?

>> No.13434375

>>13434358
because they see clearly

>> No.13434419

>>13434067
You talk like you are in the matrix

>> No.13434430

>>13434358

Because they are human, and the majority of humans see the majority of humans as trash. There's absolutely nothing special or insightful about the attitude.

>> No.13434457

>>13434430
normies and redditors don't

>> No.13434539

>>13433962
i found hume more fun to read than locke. locke was pretty awful and boring, prose-wise

>> No.13434572

>>13434358
you think long and hard about the human condition and you begim to realize the majority of humans are shit

>> No.13434619

>>13434351
>>I am the better pleased with the method of reasoning here delivered, as I think it may serve to confound those dangerous friends or disguised enemies to the Christian Religion, who have undertaken to defend it by the principles of human reason. Our most holy religion is founded on Faith, not on reason; and it is a sure method of exposing it to put it to such a trial as it is, by no means, fitted to endure.
Is that in the enquiries?

>> No.13434625

>>13434067
Clearly a larp. There are no females on the Internet.

>> No.13434630

>>13434358
he didn't say they were trash
he's just looking at one aspect of what they are, it's not the whole

>> No.13434701

>>13434619
enquiry on understanding, the chapter for miracles I think

>> No.13434719

Prior to the 20th century every educated person knew 90% of their countrymen were natural slaves like Aristotle said.

>>13433608
which is just a transcendental/spiritual rehash of the caste system followed by every ancient civilization

>> No.13434823
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13434823

>>13433181
Daily reminder that NPCs are happier and more fulfilled than you will ever be.

>> No.13434832

>>13434823
>Caring only for happiness
Go shoot heroin

>> No.13434837

>>13434832
What does heroin have to do with anything?

Are you brainless?

>> No.13434861

>>13434823
happiness doesn't exist no matter how much you can emulate it

>> No.13434868

>>13434861
>happiness doesn't exist
Yikes imagine being you

>> No.13434888

>>13434861
Anyone who rejects the concept of happiness simply believes it isn't possible for themselves

>> No.13434896

>>13434868
>Yikes imagine being you
Seriously what possesses you to post like this?

>> No.13434908

>>13434868
>>13434888
>>13434861
Human beings are prone to flux with their moods changing constantly. I think we can all agree happiness is a temporary state of being. Things are more nuanced than just non existence or existence.

>> No.13434923

>>13434888
>when you don't reach your goals you are unhappy
>when you do reach your goals you become bored and unhappy
seriously

>> No.13434939

>>13434923
Is this the inner workings of the mind of a non NPC?
What a miserable life. I'm so sorry.

>> No.13434950

>>13434923
The happiness is in striving towards them, for better or worse

>> No.13434989

>>13434939
NPC core belief is that there is happiness to pursue in this world

>>13434950
so its illusory then, no value

>> No.13435022

>>13434989
It used to be; NPC's nowadays have abandoned the idea of happiness, which they now believe doesn't exist, and have instead resigned themselves to typing on a computer for 8 hours a day and saving up enough money to travel to Laos or Panama or some shit once a year, but they've abandoned the idea of true happiness in any meaningful way

>> No.13435032

>>13434989
>So it's illusory then, no value

Does not follow. Happiness exists, and it exists in its most potent form when you are striving towards a greater mission with focus, work and consistency

>> No.13435036

>>13435022
the npc vision of happiness is basically still 'moderately successful career + spouse + kids. They're probably not entirely wrong that that is the best bet for most people, but then again what the fuck do i know.

>> No.13435064

>>13435036
>moderately successful career + spouse + kids

I agree that npc's still mostly want this, but it's not happiness that they're after anymore, they are simply trying to fulfill a social obligation. Happiness no longer factors into their thinking. It's a dead idea for the NPC

>> No.13435080

>>13434837
Best source of happiness, millions of junkies can attest.

>> No.13435092

>>13435064
I don't think npcs clearly understand the difference between happiness and social obligation(nor truth and social obligation for that matter). This is by design, conflating the two in an unexamined state allows them be fully integrated into the set of necessary opinions to function in society without having to wear a mask, which takes constant conscious effort.

I tihnk they geniunely do believe that their wife and kids will bring them happiness, and they are not completely wrong about this. It may also bring them misery, but optimism is part of the npc parcel. They might not term it this way consciously, but I think they have an instinct towards being happy and it is tied up with those things.

>> No.13435107

>>13435092
Yeah, I would probably agree with that. Here's my question: do you think the average poster in something like an askreddit thread is a good example of an npc, or are even they too elevated to truly embody the npc mindset?

>> No.13435148

>>13434358
They are correct

>> No.13435166

>>13435107
I havent been able to read through reddit threads since around 2014 when the site became mostly aligned with the mainstream sort of twitter consensus on reality. It just irritates me way too much and I cant call anyone a faggot.

The npc mindset though is found in all classes of people, I think it's just the basic operating system of human psychology, and variation away from it is a sort of aberration, or perhaps an alternative strategy, or maybe even something that occurs from environmental factors in part as well. Redditors used to be a more inquisitive demographic, still very groupthinky, but not like what you see on twitter or wherever. I think now they might just be a generic cross section of people.

There is an important point of distinction to be made though, the main thing that causes social groups to form is not npcdom but for lack of a better term, normiedom. A lot of fully socially integrated normies are not npcs, at least not fully. They are much more aware of their own thought processes and those of others. The two clearly correlate but you can find npcs in the least normie of social groups like neonazis.

basically we have a lot of variables at play here, so when you're speaking about any amorphous group like the askreddit posters youre going to have a variety of positions on things like npcdom. People who max out on caring more about truth than social consequences very rarely end up in places like that, but they arent just all zombies either. The really zombielike people probably dont even post anywhere on the interent but their friend's social media accounts. And that group also has non-npcs.

this is a very equivocating post but really the question is enormously complicated, subtle, and lacking in real data.

>> No.13435202

>>13433681
Seething

>> No.13435239

>>13433198
How can one philosopher be so based?

>metaphysics: BTFO
>morality: BTFO
>religion: BTFO
>Rationalists: BTFO
>the Self: BTFO
>causation: BTFO
>induction: BTFO
>all scientific paradigms before and since: BTFO
>philosophy: BTFO

Where were you when the entirety of human intellectual history was kill?

>> No.13436220

>>13433181
the entire npc premise is a failure on the part of autists to empathize with others

>> No.13437233

>>13433962
>Hume boring
>Locke gun

Woah, I legit could not conceive this as a possible opinion until now

>> No.13437239

>>13436220
get that reddit shit out of here

>> No.13437264

>>13437239
>'everyone's a NPC, I'm a special boy!'
>proceeds to spout dribble undistinguishable from half the people on the internet
Really makes you think.

>> No.13437473

>>13435239

I'm sorry I kant seem to agree with you

>> No.13438117

>>13437473
kant and hegel are brain cancer.

>> No.13438133

Hume is an unparalleled philosophical genius whose writings anticipated many contemporary threads of scientific and philosophical investigation.

>> No.13438141
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13438141

>>13433681

>> No.13438170
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13438170

>>13434358
>>13434457
Thus normies and redditors can't be philosphers.

>> No.13438233

>>13438133
I also heard he was a very friendly sort with a good sense of humour

>> No.13438732
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13438732

>>13433681
>behave normally in social situations