We can each individually run the mind experiment Descartes discovered quite easily: "I think; therefore I am." We can each observe our own thinking and questioning minds and recognize that because we have a subjective, conscious mental experience, that very experience is solid proof of our own existence, but there can be no similar proof of the existence of others around us. It is theoretically possible that they are all in our imagination, part of a world that exists only in our mind. What if we are the only truly real thing? Well, first of all, if you really believe that no one else in the world is truly a conscious thinking being, then you have an acute case of megalomania. We know such people are crazy because each of us can prove for ourselves that their belief is flawed, by observing our own conscious existence. But we can't prove that to the deranged person.
Nothing can be proven completely other than our own existence without making some basic assumption. In fact, even belief in Descartes’ proof requires a presupposed faith in logic. So how do we make the leap to an assumption that others exist? We have to change our question. Rather than asking what we can prove, we must settle on what is reasonable. Socrates is correct in stating that we can’t really know much of anything for certain. But we might as well move forward with some pretty good guesses and act on them. A life sitting around drooling isn’t very useful or exciting.
If we are going to make an assumption on the existence of others outside of ourselves, what is reasonable? What is functional, or useful to us? I think you could make a case that believing that others don’t really exist could have a limited function. It justifies a person doing whatever they want. He could enjoy a limited sociopathic frenzy of extreme self indulgence, which brings a limited sense of satisfaction. Of course this cannot be sustained for long because eventually he must face the consequences that others will impose upon him. Far more functional of course, is recognizing that others have thoughts and feelings just like you. By recognizing this, we can treat them in ways which will generate good will toward us. It makes our lives happier to follow the Golden Rule.
Similarly, when we recognize that treating people well generates a positive reaction, that leads us to the conclusion that the other people are conscious beings like us. Otherwise, why are they reacting that way? Who shall we suggest is controlling their behavior, if not themselves? If people are in your imagination, you should be able to control their behavior on some level without having to modify your own behavior. If some part of you controls them, which is so unconscious that you cannot access it, well, that might as well be another person. In any case, if some other being is controlling the people around you, then you are interacting with that other being through them. So in essence, this is equivalent to them being real people. Therefore it is both reasonable and functional to believe that other people are really thinking conscious beings like us. The contrary is absurd.
Most of you reading this may find it absurd that we need bother discussing such an issue at all, but the modern rise of atheism demands the discussion of the absurd. Look up references to philosophical zombies (different from the undead in movies) for more information. Here are a few references I have found:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_zombie
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/zombies/
http://metapsychology.mentalhelp.net/poc/view_doc.php?type=book&id=1661
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