There are two kinds of space, that in which one person's private experiences are situated, and that of physics, which contains other people's bodies, chairs and tables, the sun, moon and stars, not merely as reflected in our private sensations, ... The starry heavens that I see are not the remote starry heavens of astronomy, but an effect of the stars on me ; what I see is in me, not outside of me. The stars of astronomy are in physical space, which is outside of me, but which I only arrive at by inference, not through analysis of my own experience.
Source: Bertrand Russell: Religion and Science, 1935, chapt. 8:
More info.: https://russell-j.com/beginner/RS1935_08-140.HTM
* a brief comment:
In connection with "Today's Words of Russell" (see attached image), I have been reflecting on the following ideas.
According to what is now regarded as the standard view in modern physics, space and time (or more precisely, spacetime) did not exist before the Big Bang. Spacetime came into being in an instant through the Big Bang, and since then, the universe has been expanding at a speed close to that of light.
The universe is full of mysteries. Life emerged in a universe where no life had previously existed. That life, however, depends on the localized environment of the solar system, and it is likely that, when the solar system eventually disappears, all life within it will vanish as well.
In philosophy, "consciousness" is a major topic of inquiry. But perhaps it is only considered important because we humans believe it to be so. If humanity were to go extinct, there would no longer be any living beings who consider human consciousness to be significant. It is possible that some form of extraterrestrial intelligent life might study human consciousness as part of cosmic archaeology or cosmic history, but what they might study, how they would do so, or even what such beings might be like, all of that remains unknown.
That said, for us humans, our own consciousness remains a fascinating subject. So it would not seem pointless for us to keep reflecting on it.
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