I certainly can’t claim to know about whether or not we humans are part of a “giant experiment;” on the other hand, I’m delighted to, once again, remember that uncertainty itself is what allows for novelty.

(All of those who are enamored with A.I., please remember that no matter how “smart,” it appears, the human-created frame within which its linguistic machinations are embedded rests on nothing.)

Likewise, those who still think we can “prove” something, using logic, whether deductive or inductive: how can we prove anything, if there’s no such thing as a “bottom line” and all our “assumptions” dissolve into the great unknown? (Cf. Godel’s incompleteness theorems; Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle.)

Here’s an essay I composed back in 1986 that is, unfortunately, still relevant today, so little have we “learned” in nearly 40 years.

What Is Philosophy?

And Why Do We Need It Now?