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Old 07-14-2003, 10:52 PM   #37 (permalink)
duckznutz
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Location: Brook Cottage, Lanark, Scotland
Quote:
Originally posted by Lebell
Science is not only silent, but simply doesn't care why things are, only how they came to be.)
I cannot get my head around this word 'why'.

A man drives a car of mass x a distance of y in t seconds. The how is because the combustion engine of z horse-power burns petrol/gas at rate r and generates t torque and through the transmission rotates the tyres against the tarmac of the road. The friction propels the vehicle forwards along a vector. In order to travel at a constant speed in a straight line then the engine must continually supply energy to the tyres to overcome gravitational friction.

But WHY was the man driving the car? Answer = to go meet his girlfriend.

The car doesnt care why. 'Why' is simply a subjective, personal, individual human reason of no relevance to anyone. If a child is knocked down and killed by a motorist, it matters not that the motorist was driving to go buy a pizza or to meet his girlfriend.

I guess my conclusion would be that 'why' is of no relevance.


. . . . in fact, now that I think of it . . . . . . . perhaps people have difficulty coming to terms with the fact that they are wholly responsible for their own personal 'whys' . . . . . . . perhaps this is a responsibilty they can shirk and pass to a third party?

Last edited by duckznutz; 07-14-2003 at 10:55 PM..
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