Social constructionism and the nature of reality -

[Iwasamwillbe]

Assuming that all of the major concepts that "make up" our reality* are just social constructs, shouldn't it be possible to distort, alter, or warp reality just by getting enough people to believe in something really hard?

*"Major concepts" such as space, time, causality, matter, energy, the laws of physics, history, consciousness, change, life, death, momentum, etc.

 

[Recoil]

No but with a bit of flourish you could weave an excellent fantasy novel out of that premise. Not high fantasy, but maybe something with a magic/steampunk hybrid, like China Mieville's world in Perdido Street Station and Iron Council.

 

[Syaoran Li]

Only if you're playing Mage: The Ascension

 

[Meat Poultry Veg]

No.

Social constructionism is fake and gay.

 

[wokelizard]

I think it's very weird that sending signals boucing around really complicated networks somehow generates subjective experiences, that would not have been predicted but it somehow *hurts* when I cut myself so hmm.. universe is a strange thing

 

[Dom Cruise]

Sounds like Videodrome, which was about a signal that creates a tumor that causes hallucinations so vivid they actually rewrite reality itself.

 

[NOT Sword Fighter Super]

Who do you think you are, Sutter Kain?

 

[Garm]

"Quantum Physics is misogny" article when?

 

[Exorbital Columnations]

Social constructionism is just solipsism with an added buffer which, come to think of it, has a certain ironic tang to it. The obvious rebuttal to the solipsitstic viewpoint is that it's a self-defeating argument; the concept itself is just a subjective interpretation of reality and safely discarded on those grounds. Trying to unload the responsibility for that breed of nonsense on society as a whole is somehow even more pathetic.

 

[MrWhoDat]

shouldn't it be possible to distort, alter, or warp reality just by getting enough people to believe in something really hard?
Theres a thread on a youtube channel called Spirit Science, and they have done a few episodes on mass meditation to change reality.
Their version of history is that back when we were at a "higher consciousness" we could will things into existence by mass meditation.
The whole channel is loopy and its pretty funny knowing theres a lot of people who fully believe the shit he says.
The comment section is full of good stuff lol

 

[Cactus Wings]

I sort of had the same weird thought playing Assassin's Creed: Odyssey earlier. The female main character said "Sparta can build as many ships they want, it won't change that Poseidon sides with Athens". The superior army would not come out on top. Solely because a fictional god is believed by both parties, basically having both allies and enemies of Sparta tell them that they will not win. So they likely won.

"But why don't they just not quit believing in gods?", because it's the foundation of their lives. If they'd even get that far before being gutted for being heathens. Technically we can shape reality, but we're so many polygons in that it would barely change anything. I don't really believe we'll hit another major leap in science from this point on.

 

[Some JERK]

Belief, or lack of it does and can not alter fact. Julius Caesar's body was made of atoms whether he knew or believed it at the time or not. Pluto has been orbiting the sun for far longer than anyone has been aware of its existence. If you got every being who has or will ever live to deny the existence of hydrogen atoms, those atoms would not go away or change their behavior.

EDIT: I guess another way to put this would be that there may be beings in the universe that create reality through what they believe or demand to be true, but to quote Bob Dylan: it ain't us, babe.

 

[soft kitty]

No. Social constructionism is stupid and has no basis in reality.

 

[Y2K Baby]

You were a fag and will be.

 

[Ughubughughughughughghlug]

I sort of had the same weird thought playing Assassin's Creed: Odyssey earlier. The female main character said "Sparta can build as many ships they want, it won't change that Poseidon sides with Athens". The superior army would not come out on top. Solely because a fictional god is believed by both parties, basically having both allies and enemies of Sparta tell them that they will not win. So they likely won.

"But why don't they just not quit believing in gods?", because it's the foundation of their lives. If they'd even get that far before being gutted for being heathens. Technically we can shape reality, but we're so many polygons in that it would barely change anything. I don't really believe we'll hit another major leap in science from this point on.

View attachment 1275989

In Hardcore History, Dan Carlin mentions an anecdote about a professor. The professor was talking about ancient Roman politics and then he asks his class, "So what role do you think magic played in it?"

The class awkwardly waits until somebody says magic isn't real. Then the professor says, "I know that. But they didn't."

Magic/religion/superstition have an effect on the real world in the sense that they guide behavior.

 

[garakfan69]

Dragons are a social construct. Doesn't mean you can bend dragons to your will.

 

[RapeMan]

This is the reason for all the weird shit our masters get up to. Rituals, media, magic, predictive programming, it's just about getting everyone on the same page and then seeming is being.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

Maybe if we were Orks.
Anyways the question is impossible to answer as we can't get all people to believe in a single thing (especially since everything can have tons of interpretations) and if there is a change, it might rewrite reality so that we can't know there was a change.
Social constructionism is just bullshit to argue why the metaphysical rules don't apply to you.

 

[VariMatau]

Maybe if we were Orks.

If it's red it goes faster. That's all you need to know, grot.

In Hardcore History, Dan Carlin mentions an anecdote about a professor. The professor was talking about ancient Roman politics and then he asks his class, "So what role do you think magic played in it?"

The class awkwardly waits until somebody says magic isn't real. Then the professor says, "I know that. But they didn't."

Magic/religion/superstition have an effect on the real world in the sense that they guide behavior.

I tend to agree with this. If a "miracle" or a "sign" appears during a battle and reinvigorates your soldiers I can see it as a possibility to turn the tide of battle, simply from your soldiers finding strength again or your opponent becoming irritated from your refound spirit.

In the same sense, the Spartan navy soldier would be less concentrated and easier frightend or irritated when everyone keeps telling them Poseidon fights for Athens. Mistakes start to happen, morale isn't great and you lose.

I guess it goes the same with overall expansion. Rome thinking they have powers and are favored by the gods can make them more ambitious, more risk-friendly which could in turn make them more cunning.

So yeah, I guess it influences our perception and our actions of things, not the physical world itself. Thus, trough this... well distortion things can turn out differently.

 

[Webby's Boyfriend]

I unironically believe cartoons are real and I constantly fall in love with fictional (often underage) characters. So, yeah.