| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| Existentialism | 11/19/2009 |
Q: Sir, did any existentialist speak about social responsibility and asked to get off our comfortable ...
A: Jean-Paul Sartre is probably the best example of a socially active existentialist philosopher. He ...
|
| "It's all in Plato" | 11/13/2009 |
Q: "It's all in Plato...what DO they teach them in school these days?" is what the old Professor in CS ...
A: It's just a general reference, actually a common statement among philosophers, and CS Lewis was a ...
|
| opinions | 11/7/2009 |
Q: Steven--- If 2 people have a different opinion about the same thing, does that mean one of them is ...
A: What a great question. In order to answer it, one must be clear about opinion, belief, truth, ...
|
| Agnostic Existentialism? | 10/10/2009 |
Q: I have recently taken and interest in Agnostic Existentialism, but I can't seem to find much ...
A: The best introduction is going to be Jean-Paul Sartre's essay, "Existentialism is Humanism." You ...
|
| Metaphysics | 8/19/2009 |
Q: Culture can affect what we see and understand but which philosopher talks about culture and ...
A: There are scores who talk about culture affecting perception...Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, ...
|
| Metaphysics | 8/12/2009 |
Q: Berkeley proposed that what we perceived is in our mind. However, since perception based on the ...
A: Yes, the only perceptions we have are of ideas, not physical objects. We don't have chairs or books ...
|
| Kant's transcendental epistemology / circular arguments | 8/10/2009 |
Q: Mr. Storch -- Here's the question I posted to Mr. Motta, who suggested I ask you. Hi! 1) Please ...
A: 1. In the western tradition, "axiomatic" epistemology has been the standard from Plato and Aristotle ...
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| Consciousness in Animals | 6/28/2009 |
Q: In John Searle's book "Mind, Language, and Society," p.63, he writes the following regarding the ...
A: Consciousness is present along the entire scale of living creatures. Just think about the criteria ...
|
| Rorty and Kant | 6/16/2009 |
Q: I think that Rorty's image of the mirror says that the mind is not like a mirror which passively and ...
A: Charles, I must admit that I'm not a Rorty expert but your synopsis seems on point As for Kant, he ...
|
| Descartes and Religion | 6/16/2009 |
Q: I hope this is your area or please tell me if you know of any good online philosophy forum... What ...
A: Reason was "God-given." Descartes argues that the idea of God is innate (a priori) and that God ...
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| Phenomenology, Husserl & Philosophy of the Mind | 6/11/2009 |
Q: Good Day Mr. Storch, I am a student of philosophy at Victoria University, Wellington New Zealand, ...
A: My first inclination would be to get a copy of the next philosophy conference proceedings. Here in ...
|
| Descartes and Religion | 6/6/2009 |
Q: I hope this is your area or please tell me if you know of any good online philosophy forum... What ...
A: Charles, Sorry for the delayed response. Your mentioning of the Thirty Years War brings up some ...
|
| justification | 4/29/2009 |
Q: I've been reading your responses and I would like to get your opinion on something Do you think ...
A: Not sure what you mean by "justified." What I think you are trying to get at is can we ultimately ...
|
| perception and reality | 4/2/2009 |
Q: I would like to ask you a question about a hypothetical situation. One person is inside a dark room ...
A: This is really a very involved question despite its simplicity. The answer, however, depends upon ...
|
| Logical consistency | 3/15/2009 |
Q: How important is it to be logically consistent?
A: Absolutely essential...one could write a treatise on the importance of being logically consistent. ...
|
| Fallacious reasoning | 1/30/2009 |
Q: I'm trying to think of the technical phrases (or Latin term if applicable) for the type of hazy ...
A: In the first argument, the arguer, rather than providing the correct citation from the bible to ...
|
| Philosophy | 1/10/2009 |
Q: I'm currently taking a philosophy class and I am having a bit of a hard time understanding the ...
A: Every argument has two parts: a premise set and the conclusion. The conclusion is typically the ...
|
| hi | 1/9/2009 |
Q: Are you familiar with Jesse Prinz, emotional construction of morals. If so i just finished reading ...
A: I just read a bit of his work. There is some truth to his empirically based assertions however, his ...
|
| Help | 11/6/2008 |
Q: I am curious thats why i am sking this type of question and this is not a homework question. What ...
A: Everything exists, or more accurately, everything is real. However, there are different levels of ...
|
| Should I ignore this 2 website? | 8/3/2008 |
Q: Should I trust this 2 website? I have encounter this 2 website, which question reality once again, ...
A: Do you think that the external world is really like what we see? Yes. Because what I see can be ...
|
| Should I ignore this 2 website? | 8/2/2008 |
Q: Should I trust this 2 website? I have encounter this 2 website, which question reality once again, ...
A: The view you discuss is reductionist, i.e., it reduces all of experience to "ideas" and then claims ...
|
| John Locke and Plato: theories on language and essences | 7/28/2008 |
Q: I don't know if you know anything about John Locke or Plato but I'm trying to study John Locke's ...
A: Essences aren't about language for Plato, they are about reality, the ultimate form of reality. I ...
|
| hi | 7/16/2008 |
Q: I am studying the laws of philosophy and currently focusing on utilitarian and punishment. I ...
A: Only under a crude understanding of utilitarianism would someone try to justify punishing an ...
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| what is the real world like? | 7/2/2008 |
Q: ecently I come across a article in the internet, it is about human perception of the world and his ...
A: Rambo, You have stumbled upon some of the fundamental and perennial philosophical questions that man ...
|
| Numbers | 7/2/2008 |
Q: What are numbers?
A: I answered this question a few days ago but it didn't seem to get posted...sorry if this response is ...
|
| Metaphysical dualism as realism. | 6/15/2008 |
Q: I am familiar with physics, engineering, mathematics, philosophy, and religion, so whatever you say, ...
A: But once, it is included, and forms a macroscopic-microscopic-matter-energy-correlation-time-space ...
|
| Metaphysical dualism as realism. | 6/14/2008 |
Q: I am familiar with physics, engineering, mathematics, philosophy, and religion, so whatever you say, ...
A: Hmmm... I think your model of experience tends to conflate interior and exterior by reducing the ...
|
| Feuerbach | 4/27/2008 |
Q: What is another philosopher that I can compare to Feuerbach's new philosophy. Plese help thank you.
A: Feuerbach was very much influenced by Hegel (see Phenomenology of Spirit) and even studied under him ...
|
| Another Question | 3/9/2008 |
Q: they aren't so much questions as a want to interact with someone and share my ideas and hear yours. ...
A: Dane, Your question is a good one but would take up many pages to answer completely. When you say ...
|
| well-known quote | 3/2/2008 |
Q: I know this doesn't really have to do with philosophy but I want to know what this quote means and ...
A: Could be a biting comment on believing in a God that is personally involved in our actions and is ...
|
| question !!! | 2/29/2008 |
Q: somebody said, " you canīt never ask the question that you donīt know already the answer to " do ...
A: It is an expression that implies that in order to ask an intelligent question, the questioner must ...
|
| existence | 2/25/2008 |
Q: should we accept that non existent objects exist? (quotes?)
A: Not sure what you are asking here. If something doesn't exist (non-existent) then it doesn't exist, ...
|
| A Question About Existentialism | 12/20/2007 |
Q: I noticed one of your expertise is existentialism. Are you a firm believer that you create the ...
A: It was perhaps the discovery of the fundamental freedom of consciousness, and the consequential ...
|
| Kant | 11/30/2007 |
Q: I have read that Kant emphasised epistemology over ontology. I broadly understand what these two ...
A: Not sure that your characterization is correct. Both epistemology (theory of knowledge) and ...
|
| Philosophy | 9/4/2007 |
Q: My boyfriend is in his first year of a Ph.D philosophy program and just started teaching an ...
A: Teaching is about all you can do with a Ph.D. in philosophy, that is correct. And Ph.D.'s are a ...
|
| philosophy for non-philosophers | 7/3/2007 |
Q: I'm wondering if you can name some great books on philosophy for non-philosophers. There are two ...
A: One that comes to mind is Bertrand Russell's "Introduction to Philosophy" which is not much of an ...
|
| Humor | 6/13/2007 |
Q: Did the Greek philosophers ever say anything about humor? I seem to recall Aristotle categorizing ...
A: Johann, Sorry for the delay. I did answer this but the my response apparently didn't make it ...
|
| Would Jesus talk to me? | 5/30/2007 |
Q: I have what I think is the biggest story to tell and everyone thinks that I am either crazy of a ...
A: Melanie, Unless you have a history of mental illness, e.g. schizophrenia or psychosis, only you can ...
|
| locke | 4/27/2007 |
Q: Reading locke and berkeley i have a few problems; For Berkeley there is no such thing as matter? Or ...
A: 1. Yes, for Berkeley, matter is a fiction. 2. Yes 3. Things exists only insofar as they are ...
|
| porpuse | 4/14/2007 |
Q: I'm recently very depressed: i have lost the will to live normally. I want to know: 'What is the ...
A: you've hit upon the fundamental philosophical question that has plagued man since he's been around ...
|
| Bad Faith | 4/12/2007 |
Q: my question is concerns Sartre's notion of bad-faith (which i take to be a flight from ...
A: sorry phil, I responded but it apparently didn't go through It could be psychological at either ...
|
| Bad Faith | 4/4/2007 |
Q: my question is concerns Sartre's notion of bad-faith (which i take to be a flight from ...
A: It could be viewed as both (psychological or moral) but it is fundamentally an ontological mode, ...
|
| to know | 3/18/2007 |
Q: Steven! Henry David Thoreau wrote that: We are for the most part more lonely when we go abroad ...
A: Socrates, through Plato, was well known for his adage "The unexamined life is not worth living." It ...
|
| Existentialism | 3/7/2007 |
Q: I have no knowledge about existentialism. However I heard David Quinn (Irish journalist) once refer ...
A: Not sure about Quinn's remark but I'd bet he meant to say that the existence of God is an ...
|
| ARISTOTLE AND HAPPINESS | 2/25/2007 |
Q: In a final follwo-up question is it fair to say Aristotle in Nicomachean Ethics moves from talking ...
A: You are correct in noticing the shift from the emphasis of practical virtue early on in the N.E. to ...
|
| ARISTOTLE AND HAPPINESS | 2/24/2007 |
Q: I am a phiolosphy student in Glasgow and am struggling over this question regarding Aristotle; - ...
A: Happiness is the result of activity that is done in accordance with virtue. Happiness is the telos ...
|
| suffering | 2/17/2007 |
Q: What is the cause of suffering? I know, we all know, that we suffer a lot when someone close to our ...
A: The question of suffering is a fundamental human question, and a perennial one. There are and have ...
|
| enquiries | 1/25/2007 |
Q: how can logic help in the attainment of truth?
A: The primary goal of logic is the pursuit and perfection of the criteria for proof. In ordinary ...
|
| Accention | 12/17/2006 |
Q: I am a terminally ill cancer patient. My spouse for the past six years needed something to use as a ...
A: Is this the poem? By Colleen Hitchcock ASCENSION And if I go, while you're still here... Know ...
|
| Have you see Matrix the movie? | 12/16/2006 |
Q: I have 3 questions I wanted to ask to you. 1.Is Matrix a fiction or non-fiction?does Matrix really ...
A: The notion that there are different levels of reality that most of us aren't aware of goes back ...
|
| career course - hopefully you can help! :) | 11/8/2006 |
Q: let me apologize in advance if this is not the correct area to submit this type of question. i have ...
A: take a look at a brief history of everything by Ken Wilber if still interested, look up some of ...
|
| Sisyphus | 10/16/2006 |
Q: How long is Camus's Myth of Sisyphus? I'm asking because the same bit is always quoted, and it's ...
A: Don't have my copy on hand but it's about 100 page essay. Camus uses the greek myth as a metaphor ...
|
| Phenomenology | 10/11/2006 |
Q: I have recently taken up a course in phenomenolgy, and am really struggling with even the most basic ...
A: Phenomenology and Existentialism, by Robert Solomon (now in paperback and available used for under ...
|
| The typical simple matrix question | 10/7/2006 |
Q: I have a couple general questions. The first one is fairly unanswerable in my opinion, but I just ...
A: Not sure about what you mean by "ultimate truth" If you're asking whether or not anything can be ...
|
| Metaphysics | 9/29/2006 |
Q: What exactly is Metaphysics and how is it different from regular Physics
A: Aristotle wrote several books on physics (which dealt with laws of nature, laws of the physical ...
|
| Phenomenology | 9/11/2006 |
Q: I am currently taking a class on Husserl and Phenomenology. My prof. is a disciple of one of ...
A: How can "B" hold that "A" exists, when part of the definition of "A" is that "B" does not, can not ...
|
| philosophy | 8/26/2006 |
Q: I am wondering about importance of philosophy in modern times.Does it really matter so much?What is ...
A: Victoria, You've got to ask yourself, "What are the fundamental questions that philosophy attempts ...
|
| Husserl's Phenomenology and the Natural Attitude | 7/12/2006 |
Q: I have read parts of Ideas I and II and the Crisis, and I have managed to get a fragmentary ...
A: The epoche is nothing new although reading h. it may appear to be because of his jargon that defies ...
|
| bioethics | 6/15/2006 |
Q: Bad Definitions: "Vegetarianism" is the noble, righteous, and upright rejection of the disgusting, ...
A: I normally don't answer homework/school questions but this one I couldn't resist. The best answer ...
|
| differences | 5/18/2006 |
Q: What is the difference between philosophy, ideology, and theory? Thanks!
A: philosophy is the broad pursuit of knowledge, namely of truth, beauty, and goodness (morality) it ...
|
| About philosophy | 2/6/2006 |
Q: To begin with my school years are just over and I am interested in carrying out courses in ...
A: If you are interested in philosophy, then by all means, continue to take classes. I'm not sure what ...
|
| Hello
Is it possible that... | 1/14/2006 |
Q: Is it possible that there is the "good side of bad" Bad is always bad in my opinion. How do you ...
A: What would be an example of "a good side of bad"? Could you think of something that is "bad" ...
|
| Metaphysics | 1/10/2006 |
Q: I am a beleiver in Tarot, Scrabble, and Fortune cookies. Why do you think it works? The other ...
A: Although Tarot, etc. are often classified as metaphysical activities, they are scoffed at by ...
|
| - | 12/24/2005 |
Q: A few times when i was reading different books i came across a phrase like this one "there is no ...
A: This is a common in eastern philosophy (as well as the spirtitual/mystical aspects of ...
|
| Hello Mr Steven!
I've read... | 11/12/2005 |
Q: I've read somewhere that people are just apparently worse and more cruel than animals. I was ...
A: What you say is true for most animals but: 1. Killer whales play a game of tennis with live seals, ...
|
| Hello Steven!
"Let us make... | 10/29/2005 |
Q: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the ...
A: What I think personally isn't appropriate for this forum. I can comment on how that passage is ...
|
| Problem of Evil | 10/5/2005 |
Q: I see you are very knowledgable and refer to many great philosophers. If you may send specific ...
A: First, there's Nietzsche's "Beyond Good and Evil" (anti-christian view) Then there's Sartre's ...
|
| Problem of Evil | 10/4/2005 |
Q: On the existentialist and/or phenomenological plane, how is the problem of evil viewed? Have you ...
A: Generally, evil is not an external force that has a magical power or presence in the universe (and ...
|
| Suicide as Alternative | 8/23/2005 |
Q: I thought I heard this on the radio. Was there a famous philosopher who said that life is pointless ...
A: A follow up for you. I do remember Camus' The Stranger (a novel) written by Albert Camus, a french ...
|
| prime directive | 4/27/2005 |
Q: assumeing the argument that an intelligent designer (god), created exactly every sub atomic energy ...
A: Be careful of the fallacy of composition: All molecules are invisible (to the naked eye). ...
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| Realism with Harré and Bohr | 4/22/2005 |
Q: There is a way to be realist, not a simple way like Popper for instance, but a complicated way like ...
A: You assume that you personally create the objective world (this is called solipsism at its worst, or ...
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| assumption | 4/14/2005 |
Q: I was wondering is there anything we humans can answer without backing up with premises that are ...
A: 1. Sure, plenty of things. In fact, anything we experience directly doesn't have any assumed ...
|
| Husserl | 4/13/2005 |
Q: In the First Lecture of Husserl's "The idea of phenomenology" he writes that metaphysics and theory ...
A: Anna, Without having a copy of the first lectures before me, I'll have to give the short answer. If ...
|
| - | 4/10/2005 |
Q: How do you understand this sentence from the bible: "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks ...
A: I would disagree. What is putting hand to plow? Working, sowing seeds, creating. Looking back is ...
|
| The replacement of philosophy with rhetoric | 3/27/2005 |
Q: but i must address its merits. I believe your answer is inadequate, because it is an uncharitable ...
A: but i must address its merits. I believe your answer is inadequate, because it is an uncharitable ...
|
| Why ask why? | 3/22/2005 |
Q: Why do we ask why? Or, why do we asking questions? Why do I want to know the answer to that and ...
A: Most philosophers, from Socrates up through the contemporary period would concur that it is human ...
|
| The replacement of philosophy with rhetoric | 3/20/2005 |
Q: The influence of Nietzsche's rebellion against philosophy has extended to Ricoeur, Derrida, n ...
A: It was very persuasive position when I was in grad school back in the early 90's. And this ...
|
| journalism, ethics and 'the other' | 3/15/2005 |
Q: do you think it's possible for me to write on the subject of ethics in journalism, and it's relation ...
A: Sounds a bit too broad. First, what sense of "the other" are you using? In Existentialism, the ...
|
| question | 3/9/2005 |
Q: Reading the code of samurai I've come across such a line: "I have no designs; I make Seizing the ...
A: Luke, It is similar to the latin expression: Carpe Diem or "seize the day" The code advocates ...
|
| question | 2/17/2005 |
Q: I was just wondering if you could help me with this question for Philosophy. In my next class we ...
A: Liz, I generally don't do homework questions..but I'll help you out here. Metaphysics generally ...
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| Phenomenological Reduction | 2/15/2005 |
Q: I'm studying Edmund Husserl right now, and I am wondering how to "perform" the 'phenomenological ...
A: ah, if there were such an easy answer. My best suggestion would be to do a careful reading of ...
|
| hegel | 2/9/2005 |
Q: sir does hegel regard women inferior to men? in a novel named "sophie's world" by jostein garder ...
A: There is little basis for this claim in Hegel's philosophy. When he speaks of man, it is used in ...
|
| husserl | 2/2/2005 |
Q: sir i want to study the phenomenological method of husserl via internet but the matter i am getting ...
A: Sameema, Your question is a good one. Most graduate students who study Husserl couldn't give a ...
|
| Existentialism | 1/27/2005 |
Q: May I ask of you, what is the exact philosophy of existencialism? I am doing a project in science ...
A: 1. No, humans do not do very well in isolation. Hallucinations and psychosis usually occur in this ...
|
| philosopher | 12/20/2004 |
Q: How do you, as a philosopher, understand these lines? "Looking at this world Only a coward ...
A: Sounds like the current state of affairs in the world is the result of god's rage (disappointment, ...
|
| why? | 11/14/2004 |
Q: why do we sometimes ask "why" questions? please help.. thanks a lot...
A: ah, that's a good question. And philosophers from Aristotle, up through Hegel, Kant, Heidegger all ...
|
| evil | 10/29/2004 |
Q: Do you think that evil and evil people in this world are necessary, I mean, they play some important ...
A: As an existentialist, I do not ascribe to the position that evil/evil people are part of some grand ...
|
| philosophy | 10/24/2004 |
Q: What is the sense of life? Many people ask themselves this question. What are your thoughts from ...
A: Even as a philosopher, there is no one single position within philosophy of the meaning of life. An ...
|
| philosophy | 9/29/2004 |
Q: could you please explain me, briefly, what was so revolutionary in the philosophy of Immanuel Kant, ...
A: Briefly stated, Kant argues that it is we who determine how we perceive the world (via the a priori ...
|
| on Being | 9/18/2004 |
Q: If Being will still be Being whether or not we ask or investigate about it, then What is the value ...
A: This question is a fundamental question of metaphysics (many treatises have been written on this ...
|
| Logic | 9/6/2004 |
Q: I have what I believe a bit of a confusing question. This question was raised at my Logics class ...
A: Lana, Nothing wrong with being confused. It is a classic paradox (a seemingly true sentence that ...
|
| relativism | 8/14/2004 |
Q: -hi again, thanks for swift response. so how do the relativists generally respond to the accusation ...
A: They can't without further contradicting themselves. Either they reassert that their position is ...
|
| relativism | 8/13/2004 |
Q: i wondered if you had a few thoughts on the apparent challenge to relativism and post-modern ...
A: The challenge, that the positions are essentially self-contradictory, isn't flawed at all. It is ...
|
| fallacies | 5/31/2004 |
Q: I have a difficult time understanding fallacies. Can you tell me what type of fallacy the below ...
A: appeal to the people, snobbery argumentum ad populum In order to understand fallacies, you first ...
|
| Hey do you think that voters are slaves? | 5/7/2004 |
Q: Hey do you think that most people are mind-manipulated by the media and technology like the movie ...
A: Juan, It's good to see that you are critical of our system. Most people don't reflect upon the ...
|
| Deconstruction | 5/6/2004 |
Q: I am currently attending FSU(an analytic philosophy school) for a Philosophy degree. I am curious ...
A: Last first, not so popular as it was back in the 90's. Deconstructionism maintains that any text, ...
|
| Leibniz | 5/3/2004 |
Q: Storch, I am an undergrad at Humboldt State University and at the moment in this class we are ...
A: Leibniz is not very easy to understand. 1st, L. isn't just defining monads for the sake of filling ...
|
| Nietzsche | 4/22/2004 |
Q: 'there is only a perspectival seeing, only a perspectival knowing'- Epistemic implications? ...
A: Ok, gotcha. They can coexist as they describe different processes. Will to Power: is akin to ...
|
| Life is a school. | 4/21/2004 |
Q: Have any philosophers written about the idea that "Life is a school?" If you know of any, would you ...
A: Not in exactly those words but Plato's Republic deals in great detail with the education process of ...
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| Is life fair? | 3/3/2004 |
Q: Is life fair? --- I hear a lot about the idea that everyone can be everyone he wants to be if he ...
A: diamind, I can empathize with your struggling with this issue. As a philosopher, I wrestle with ...
|
| what is pure immediacy and... | 2/28/2004 |
Q: what is pure immediacy and what does it have to do with imagination
A: Tom, I apologize for not getting back to you sooner but I just got notice of your question today ...
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| Satre, Existenialism and humanism | 2/22/2004 |
Q: I am a bit of a philosophy novice but find it really interesting especially the ideas of sartre.in ...
A: For Sartre, love, or any other human endeavor doesn't exist unless it is being acted upon. One ...
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| Existentialism | 2/16/2004 |
Q: How does Sartre's notion of good / bad faith differ from Heidegger's notion of authenticity / ...
A: This could be the subject (and has been) of an extended dissertation. I would argue that the major ...
|
| Sartre's speed | 1/7/2004 |
Q: It might help explain his intense writing but is there really anything to the idea Sartre used ...
A: John, Absolutley yes. Used a kind of pickme up that was sold over the counter in France (now ...
|
| philosophy | 12/24/2003 |
Q: I was wondering if you could recommend any movies, paintings, sculptures, etc. with a philosophy ...
A: Sure, A few that come to mind are: Tucker (ethics); Crimes and Misdemeanors (ethics); Wings of ...
|
| Determinism | 12/3/2003 |
Q: I'm doing a paper on determinism and one of my arguments against free will is that to be free one ...
A: If you are going to argue that free will entails controlling one's environment and that this can't ...
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| time in general | 11/29/2003 |
Q: Hey I was wondering if you could inform me about the latest view on the idea of time. I was just ...
A: Flo, There are many views on the nature of time and the answer you get depends upon whom you ask. ...
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