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An equivalent idea would be: - Humans don't realize the possibility of living on the bottom of the ocean or in space. We overwhelmingly assume that we must liv
by Retra 11y ago
An equivalent idea would be:
- Humans don't realize the possibility of living on the bottom of the ocean or in space. We overwhelmingly assume that we must live on land and above water. Nobody builds houses under rivers or ponds.
Either way, it's just a metaphor.
- thaumasiotes 11y agoNope. The idea isn't that fish don't think they can live outside of the water. For most fish, that would be completely correct. This imagery is always used to say that fish don't (and can't) know what water is, or realize that there's anything there at all.
- Retra 11y agoIn that case, why would the fish care? A fish is helpless with regards to its knowledge of water, and that's the salient point. If you are not helpless (or don't think you are), you will know what your environment is, because it is that knowledge that makes you powerful.
- thaumasiotes 11y agoFor the same reasons humans might care about air and wind? There was a widespread belief that cities had "bad air" and the countryside had "good air" (actually, this belief persists today). Regardless of the truth... why would anyone care? Look at the comment I responded to. He referred to "fish don't know they live in water" problems. That is not at all analogous to humans thinking that living underwater would be a bad idea (it would!). It's analogous to humans not knowing that air exists at all. You can't know that living underwater doesn't work unless you do know about the air.