It’s an idea to which I’ve given serious consideration, since self evidently, objective external reality cannot be shown to exist independently of a conscious observer. Because to show, prove, or speculate about the existence of any phenomena, necessarily requires the action of a conscious agent.
We may fervently believe that the moon exists independently of our observation of it, but since all of our experience of reality takes place within the realm of consciousness, we can’t possibly know the world as it would be if we weren’t there observing it.
It’s not just me who has entertained these ideas though, and they are certainly not original; see also, Renee Descartes, Immanuel Kant, John Berkeley, Nils Bohr, John Wheeler, Christopher Fuchs, lots of people.
What I’m offering for consideration might sound like solipsism or anti-realism, but those are extreme positions. Whereas, the idea that all distinctions are arbitrary, and that the object, the observer, and the act of observation are inseparable, is not extreme at all, it’s logically coherent. We may think of it as a paradox, one which at some point becomes unavoidable, in philosophy, in cosmology, in quantum mechanics.
The basic building blocks of life are found in space, already assembled so the odds are not that high.
The idealism vs materialism is an ongoing debate.
"Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, a 17th-century German philosopher, and mathematician, did not specifically prove that the mind is separate from the brain. However, he did propose a concept called "Monadology," which is a metaphysical theory about the nature of reality that could be interpreted as supporting the idea of the mind being separate from the brain.
Leibniz believed that the universe was composed of simple, indivisible, and immaterial entities called "monads." Each monad represents a unique perspective of the world and is independent of other monads. Monads are not physical entities, like neurons in the brain, and they are not reducible to simpler components.
According to Leibniz's Monadology, monads can be seen as the fundamental constituents of both material objects and immaterial minds. In this sense, one could argue that Leibniz's monads might be seen as supporting the idea that the mind is separate from the brain. However, this interpretation would be a philosophical stance rather than a scientific proof.
It is important to note that the concepts of mind and brain were not as clearly defined in Leibniz's time as they are today. Modern neuroscience and cognitive science have advanced our understanding of the relationship between the brain and the mind considerably, and there is ongoing debate about the nature of consciousness and the mind-brain relationship."
does idealism prove materialism cannot be true
"Idealism and materialism are two opposing philosophical views about the nature of reality. Idealism posits that reality is fundamentally mental or immaterial, while materialism asserts that reality is fundamentally physical or material. These positions represent contrasting perspectives, but the existence of one does not necessarily disprove the other.
The debate between idealism and materialism has been ongoing for centuries, and it is unlikely to be resolved definitively. Both positions have their strengths and weaknesses, and they appeal to different aspects of human experience and understanding.
Idealism can provide compelling explanations for certain phenomena, such as the nature of consciousness and subjective experience. For example, idealists might argue that our conscious experiences are proof of the existence of a non-physical, mental reality.
On the other hand, materialism has been successful in explaining a wide range of empirical observations, particularly in the natural sciences. The progress in fields like physics, chemistry, and biology has largely been based on the assumption that the natural world is composed of material entities that follow predictable laws.
Ultimately, whether one believes that idealism proves materialism cannot be true depends on one's philosophical inclinations and worldview. It is important to recognize that both idealism and materialism have contributed valuable insights to human understanding, and the ongoing dialogue between these positions can help deepen our knowledge of reality."
