 Bertrand Russell Quotes 366 |
It is commonly said that children do not distinguish between pretence and reality, but I see very little reason to believe this. We do not believe that Hamlet ever existed, but we should be annoyed by a man who kept reminding us of this while we were enjoying the play. So children are annoyed by a tactless reminder of reality, but are not in the least taken in by their own make-believe.
Source: Bertrand Russell: On Education, especially in early childhood, 1926, Pt. 2： Education of character, chap. 5: Play and fancybr> More info.： https://russell-j.com/beginner/OE05-040.HTM
* a brief comment
I couldn't think of a good comment, so I asked ChatGPT to make an interesting remark about the above statement by Russell. This is the response I received:
'I can’t help but wonder what Russell would think if he experienced modern VR games. His example of Hamlet reflects an intellectual separation between reality and fiction in adults, but nowadays, games and movies are designed to immerse us, making forgetting reality the essence of entertainment. Imagining Russell wearing a VR headset, swinging a sword, and saying, "This isn’t real, but pointing it out would ruin the fun," makes me curious how adaptable his philosophy would be to new phenomena. Perhaps the boundary between children and adults is also blurring in the playground of technology and philosophy.'
I then asked Google Gemini to comment on ChatGPT's response, and I received a lengthy reply. Here are some excerpts:
The Mind of a Child and an Adult:
'Perhaps Russell realized that both children and adults share the same playful spirit at their core. It's just that adults, bound by societal rules and norms, tend to hide that spirit. VR might be a magic wand that rekindles the forgotten playfulness in adults.'
This reflects on the commonality between the minds of children and adults, while exploring the potential of VR. It’s an attempt to uncover universal human psychology from Russell's words.
Coexistence of Technology and Philosophy:
'If Russell were alive today, he would likely be fascinated by dialogues with AI. Imagine him posing philosophical questions within a virtual world created by AI, searching for answers together. Such a future may not be too far off.'
This incorporates a forward-looking perspective on the intersection of AI advancements and philosophy. It imaginatively envisions how Russell’s philosophy could connect with modern technology."
* Amazon Gift Card
