Alan W. WattsPhilosophers, for example, often fail to recognize that their remarks about the universe apply also to themselves and their remarks. If the universe is meaningless, so is the statement that it is so.
About This Quote
The idea that it is meaningless to make statements about the universe is sometimes called "the self-referential problem." This is the idea that if something has no meaning, then no one can say whether or not it has meaning. It's not clear how people should understand this problem, but some philosophers believe that the only alternative to this state of affairs would be to say that humanity does not exist. Others point out that it is perfectly possible for humans to recognize the existence of other humans, but not recognize their own existence.
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