Book of Everything.

rhapsody!

If you were given a book that contained answers to absolutely everything, would you read it? Some of the questions contained inside would be.. what is the meaning of life? Is there an afterlife? What existed before the universe? All these complex questions answered in one book.

In my opinion I like life with alot of questions and I personally would prefer not knowing the answers. I think not knowing makes life alot more interesting, having to work out the answers in your mind. Driving yourself crazy with questions. But life would be boring if we all knew what was really going on wouldn't it?

So if you had the book of everything, would you read it?

sink

rhapsody! wrote: »

If you were given a book that contained answers to absolutely everything, would you read it? Some of the questions contained inside would be.. what is the meaning of life? Is there an afterlife? What existed before the universe? All these complex questions answered in one book.

In my opinion I like life with alot of questions and I personally would prefer not knowing the answers. I think not knowing makes life alot more interesting, having to work out the answers in your mind. Driving yourself crazy with questions. But life would be boring if we all knew what was really going on wouldn't it?

So if you had the book of everything, would you read it?

Yes because higher thought is as much about creating as it is discovering and creating first relies upon discovering. Think of the possibilities for creating if we understood our reality perfectly, they would be almost endless.

Joe1919

Your question is interesting. The persuit of knowledge was often considered noble or even sacred, as knowledge can be used for the benifit of man. However, this is not always the case. Augustine, for example, questioned our 'lust' for knowledge and it could be argued that knowledge is power and our persuit of knowledge is really a persuit for power.
It is certainly the case that knowledge (e.g, of atomic power, Noble's discovery of explosives, etc) can be used against humanity as well as for.
What then, if your book of knowledge contained the secrets that hold the Universe together and gave man the knowledge to completly neutralise and destroy all matter?
Perhaps, if you ever find this book, you should burn it !

nyarlothothep

basically yes, I would like to have all the answers.

Ruffledpuff

sink wrote: »

Yes because higher thought is as much about creating as it is discovering and creating first relies upon discovering. Think of the possibilities for creating if we understood our reality perfectly, they would be almost endless.

However if such a book existed it would already have these creations because we would simply have to ask the question such as "how to cure cancer?". So really, if we found out everything, then there would be no more creating apart from the creation of questions which humans by nature seem to ask and the only difference would be the time difference between asking the question and finding the answer and also the method used to find the answer; the book would be checked instead of research being carried out.

And:

rhapsody! wrote: »

I like life with alot of questions and I personally would prefer not knowing the answers. I think not knowing makes life alot more interesting, having to work out the answers in your mind.

I agree, I like to think about things without knowing them and if I knew all the answers then there would be nothing to question.

But also I don't think such a book would exist because some answers are solved due to perspective such as:
- is murder always right?- sometimes exceptions are made e.g. killing people thought to be bad/ evil
- what is evil?- some people don't believe it exists past a concept whilst other believe it to the extent of a devil
And so there would be no answer to these questions and if there were, the reader may not always agree. But I guess maybe just because we don't like the answer doesn't mean it's not the truth.

Húrin

It's the fruit of the tree of knowledge (Genesis), or the Ring of Power (Tolkien). Better not to take it. I think that the answers to everything would only be suitably in the hands of a morally perfect being.

lovethespots

Would the answers, though, bring about more questions that one hadn't considered because they didn't know the answer before?

Ruffledpuff

Good question, lol. I think that if it was a book of answers then it would have to have all the answers to either it would already have the answers before you ask the questions or the answers would just "appear" as soon as you thought of the question as if it didn't have all the answers, it wouldn't be the book of everything.

lovethespots

I was just considering the here and now of everything. I would most likely go to the chapters of "who wrote this book and why he/she did it? What was the motivation to do so? What is he/she hoping to gain from doing such a thing?"

nobodythere

There's plenty of these books around if you believe them.

spoonbadger

Húrin wrote: »

It's the fruit of the tree of knowledge (Genesis), or the Ring of Power (Tolkien). Better not to take it. I think that the answers to everything would only be suitably in the hands of a morally perfect being.

Eh, no?!.

Of course i'd take it !!.

You could find a cure for cancer, how to solve world hunger, how to disprove organized religions, what the best form of government is, how to create cheap efficient energy, how to save the environment.....

Even if you were worried about the negative effects, in theory you could destroy it/yourself after you've gleaned all the positive effects.

Metaxis

spoonbadger wrote: »

Eh, no?!.

Of course i'd take it !!.

You could find a cure for cancer, how to solve world hunger, how to disprove organized religions, what the best form of government is, how to create cheap efficient energy, how to save the environment.....

Even if you were worried about the negative effects, in theory you could destroy it/yourself after you've gleaned all the positive effects.

but just because you have good intentions dosen't mean the power you now have will better the world. good intentions can go badly wrong!

I don't think an item like this would give me much fulfilment. it seems to much like cheating in a game. Yes you could help people but you haven't worked for it I would feel like im just taking credit for whomever wrote the book.. i think they gave it away because they coudn't deal with the pressure :P

#Edit- apologias for the bump, didnt realise this thred had been closed for so long

Iwasfrozen

I would like to know who wrote the book.

FANTASTIC

Húrin wrote: »

It's the fruit of the tree of knowledge (Genesis), or the Ring of Power (Tolkien). Better not to take it. I think that the answers to everything would only be suitably in the hands of a morally perfect being.

True tbh i'd read it to fcuk eveyone over:D but thats the person I am

Yet lifes great with so many questions.

L31mr0d

I'd liken this question to one where I'd be asked if I'd rather climb a mountain to stand on top of it, or to be flown to the top of that mountain to avoid the effort.

I'd personally prefer the effort as the reward would not be as sweet had I not earned it.

In the process of finding answers, you learn how to apply knowledge and thus become wiser. This book may have all the answers, but it can not give the individual the wisdom to know what to do with them.