MovieChat Forums > Philosophy > What kind of question is "Why?"

What kind of question is "Why?"


When you ask "Why do trees grow?" or "Why does the Sun shine?" what answer do you expect?

If you ask "How do trees grow?" or "How come trees grow?" we can answer that going back all the way to some point before trees existed.

Similarly, if you ask yourself "How did I choose to eat what I ate for breakfast this morning rather than choosing something else?" or "How come I chose to eat that?" you can answer that going back all the way to your primordial ancestors.

But when we ask a "Why?" question aren't we setting ourselves up for failure seeing as we've never really answered a single such question?

Also, this: http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000130/nest/263626706

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So you have no control of your actions or brain? Sudden;y it just happened, a chemical soup of signals affected your motor neurons and as your fingers moved of their own volition the question appeared on the screen?

Or is it possible you had a reason for asking it? Yknow, like a "why".

Because you did. You asked it for a reason, or reasons. Perhaps you wanted an answer -- not you, of course, because nothing you ever ask is actually looking for an answer, only to provide opportunities for you to argue against every rational and supportable reply you get.

So maybe you were asking in order to create discussion. That's valid too... and it's a "why", not a "how".

Basically, my man, you've been far out to lunch all along in these empty pursuits. Since you refuse to actually think about what anyone else says, but just counter that they are wrong because you think you're right (and that's another "why" you embody) you never get anywhere, except in increasing the amount of bile and abuse you receive.

And maybe you're a masochist, and that is the why of you.

Cos make no mistake -- you do it for a reason.

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How is more of what makes something work. Why is about why it does it.

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A short one.


😎

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