In philosophy, we ask three basic questions. First, what is? Second, how do we know? Third, what should we do?
What is? Apparently, a mind with a body extending from it. I believe I have a face too, because I can feel it. However, I only ever see my face through other mediums such as mirrors and photographs. Seeing is believing, but I can never directly see my face. I must have faith in my face.
A mind and a body with a face appear to exist. Anything else? Space filled with objects, time (invisible but I can perceive its effects), other bodies with minds. I know other beings have minds because I intuit their minds' existence. In this case, my intuition is enough evidence for me. The existence of minds means that ideas, meaning and emotion exist.
How do I know that these objects exist? I experience them. The philosopher David Hume said that I am in error if I expect my future experiences to be anything like the past. I don't know with certainty that events will continue as they have. Am I going to stop believing all those objects will exist in 10 seconds?
Sorry, Hume, I'm not going to stop believing that the future will resemble the past. I have faith in my continued perception of space, time, my body, my mind, physical objects and the bodies and minds of others.
What should I do? Well, my emotions tell me that suffering is an enormous part of existence and therefore must be contemplated in order for as much suffering as possible be eliminated. So, I contemplate suffering and how to stop it.
I notice that other people suffer. This also causes me to suffer. I know that one way suffering lessens is through human connection. If someone listens to and appreciates me, I feel good. Thus, I want to listen to and appreciate others, because I know it will help them feel good. And maybe I will say something to them that will cause them to make a change in their lives that will lead to less suffering. But that's an added bonus. I can't account for other people's receptivity to my ideas.
Forms of suffering that require more than a receptive ear exist too. For instance, during the Wisconsin Film Festival my friend Kate and I saw the documentary ""Made in India."" In the movie, an infertile American couple wants to have biological children for as low a cost as possible, so they acquire a surrogate mother in India to be injected with their test tube-fertilized egg.
The surrogate mother ends up carrying twins for the American couple. In her seventh month, her feet swell up so painfully that she opts to stay at a clinic for surrogate mothers, where she is separated from her three children. Then, she starts hemorrhaging and is taken to the nearest hospital for an emergency C-section. The hospital keeps her interred for two weeks. Then, the surrogate mother, who has so far received $1,400 for her troubles, asks the American couple for $2,000 more.
The American woman, who has thus far been spouting praise and gratitude for the surrogate mother, refuses, saying it is a misconception that Americans are extremely wealthy and that her and her husband don't have an extra $2,000 laying around to give to ""just anybody who asks.""
The ignorance and greed of the American couple and the dehumanizing effect of the bureaucratic system of surrogacy cause the suffering of the surrogate mother. Her own ignorance and the system of poverty also cause her suffering.
What should I do about this? Well, clearly, education is essential to the cessation of suffering. I don't see a way I can directly assist this particular woman, but, by writing this article, I have done something for somebody, even if all I did was mildly amuse you for five minutes.
Comments? E-mail them to Angelica at aengel2@wisc.edu.
