So, you want to create a god?, Good question... Isn't that what man has always done? - Johny Depp

IMDB

Very deep and good movie, i highly recommend it for the philosphical crowd here at ATS.

I want to discuss one scene in particular where Depp's charachter is giving a speech on atificial intelligence when a student stands and asks, "So, you want to create a god?"

Depp replies, "Good question! Isn't that what man has always done?"

I found this a very interesting observation. Come to think of it we all do this in some fashion don't we?

What are your observations on this thought, and movie?

n/m...too controversial

a reply to: onequestion

Hey onequestion!

You have made me want to see the movie, lol.
S&F
You had me at "philosophical crowd".

Thanks!
jacygirl

No comment on the quote...will wait to see the movie first.

a reply to: onequestion

The idea of artificial intelligence is a hot topic among philosophy, neuroscience and psychology right now.

On the quote in question, it is what we've always done. It is no wonder that the statues of Gods in every culture happen to look like the ones who created them.

a reply to: Words

What can we see about ourselves through this idea?

What does this mean about how we think and why?

a reply to: jacygirl

Hey i like the queen with dragons too!

Thanks

Haven't seen the movie yet. Waiting for it to come to OnDemand.

As for who is in control, it ain't us. Self control is an illusion.

the movie was very good...just saw it the other day and was highly impressed. I hadn't even heard of it and a friend of mine wanted to go see it. Very good. It takes a lot of themes and philosophies that have been done before but it does it really well.

a reply to: onequestion
I haven't see the movie, but I'm wagering the Depp's character was not speaking in the affirmative, only meaning to throw the question back at the questioner? I'm assuming the questioner was belligerent. The Depp character registered this, and, upon inspection, chose to make a snide remark about history.

a reply to: onequestion

I think it's accurate to say that humans have always created god(s) going all the way back to our "Flintstones" days... which means it's most likely a natural human trait in an attempt to explain the unknown. We have a tendency to want to have an answer for everything.

Many "god(s)-du-jour" have come and gone throughout the history of mankind, some lasting for more than a few millennia... and no doubt, many more are yet to come.

It's interesting to think about how so many throughout history have thought that their particular god(s) was/were THE correct one(s).

That's why arguing about religions is a complete waste of time... it's an argument that will carry on to the end of days with each side adamantly believing that they are correct in their credo. This seems to have always been the case, and it seems most likely to continue being so.

In my humble opinion, it's the one major downfall of the human animal... our neverending need to "create gods" and the resulting hubris that causes us to always be at each other's throats.

It's a shame, really.

Once upon a time, many, many Sun Gods ago...We were scared that the Sun was going to die, and take all life with it.

It was fun, under the Sun. Then someone lost an eye, then it lead to another eye. Then the whole world went blind.

Nothing New under the Sun.

Science guys - Keep on science-ing. Don't get discouraged. You all know the THRUTH. No matter how hard you science, stuff just keeps on happening and you don't know why, and NEVER will! That's the beauty of the Mysterious Hand of the Divine. You make all these "Hocus Pocus" break throughs, and as your congratulating each other, the hand slaps you in the back of the head and says, Guess again, foreskin!

I'm glad we have Science and the Mysterious Hand. If we didn't? that would be like eating fish and chips WITHOUT vinegar !

Who's "Janey Depp" ?

a reply to: onequestion

It only makes sense that we create our own Gods and in our image usually as well.

Religion has always been how people explained things to themselves. Religion, Science.

Look at it this way: Which came first Reading? or Writing? It had to be writing as there was nothing to read if it wasn't written down first (and is the reason writing should be taught before reading as it is in Waldorf Schools).

We have 'evolved' collective stories that different people 'believe' but utimately we create our own God or Gods.

This became real to be one day driving on a crowded 118 freeway in the San Fernando Valley, praying one more time to the traffic Gods for intercession during my journey. It was so real that the act of believing created the God.

Scary - that we create God in our own image - what does that say about us collectively?

I don't know anything about this movie you speak of but will check it out.

a reply to: FyreByrd

What is truth, and what is God?

You don't want the answer to that question.

Yes I do.

If I take a lamp and shine toward the wall, a bright spot will appear on the wall. The lamp is our search for truth, for understanding. Too often we assume the light on the wall is God, but the light is not the goal of the search, it is the result of the search. The more intense the search, the brighter the light on the wall. The brighter the light on the wall, the greater the revelation upon seeing it. Similarly, someone who does not search, who does not bring a lantern with him, sees nothing. What we perceive as God is the by-product of our search for God. It may simply be an appreciation of the light, pure and unblemished, not understanding that it comes from us. Sometimes, we stand in front of the light and assume we are the center of the universe – God looks astonishingly like we do! – or we turn to look at our shadow and assume all is darkness. If we allow ourselves to get in the way, we defeat the purpose – which is use the light of our search to illuminate the wall in all its beauty and all its flaws, and in so doing, better understand the world around us.

Sorry to spoil the party but I saw it the other night and thought it was way over the top. Almost silly. But I guess that is Hollywood. I would love someone to do a similar more realistic movie.

originally posted by: HarbingerOfShadows
a reply to: FyreByrd

What is truth, and what is God?

You don't want the answer to that question.

Yes I do.

If I take a lamp and shine toward the wall, a bright spot will appear on the wall. The lamp is our search for truth, for understanding. Too often we assume the light on the wall is God, but the light is not the goal of the search, it is the result of the search. The more intense the search, the brighter the light on the wall. The brighter the light on the wall, the greater the revelation upon seeing it. Similarly, someone who does not search, who does not bring a lantern with him, sees nothing. What we perceive as God is the by-product of our search for God. It may simply be an appreciation of the light, pure and unblemished, not understanding that it comes from us. Sometimes, we stand in front of the light and assume we are the center of the universe – God looks astonishingly like we do! – or we turn to look at our shadow and assume all is darkness. If we allow ourselves to get in the way, we defeat the purpose – which is use the light of our search to illuminate the wall in all its beauty and all its flaws, and in so doing, better understand the world around us.

Thank you - I love Babylon 5.

If i asked a hamster what is god, would it reply that god is a hamster? If i died and was asked 'what would you like to reincarnate as?' and i replied as god, what would i become? If the hamster was asked the same and replied the same what would he become? a cat? a human?

It seems to me that the idea of god is the relative hypotenuse of our personal sum total of information and our personal judgements of what is good and best, growing as we become more aware

a reply to: onequestion
Man did not create God. God made believe that he was man. And now man is looking for God everywhere else.

a reply to: onequestion

From what I understand, it is a valid statement. God didn't exist until homo sapiens did. Effectively a very small fraction of the universe's current lifespan.

originally posted by: onequestion
a reply to: Words

What can we see about ourselves through this idea?

What does this mean about how we think and why?

It's the ultimate irony. We create things, or choose to believe in things, that we want to be bigger and more powerful than us. Things, like God, that we have to submit to. That we have no control over.

We have the power to create whatever we want with our minds, yet we choose to create that which we ultimately submit to, therefore, ultimately control us.

Personally, I have no desire to understand why people do this.

And yes, I will see that movie. I'm a big Depp fan.