Philosophy Now Forum

A mirage is not necessarily an illusion. Although it may seem to someone who doesn't understand light and heat and air that there is a floating object, an experienced dessert dweller will simply say that there is something over the horizon. Although both subjects are experiencing the same light source entering their eyes in the same way, the person who understands is seeing exactly what is there, light reflecting off a thermocline, with no illusory component to their internal understanding.

Both are seeing the same thing, but each derives different interpretations of the sight based on their knowledge of past and current conditions. Because of past knowledge the desert dweller has a higher probability of accurate interpretation, but familiarity can also cause blindness that concludes only the known.

theoretically, the French air force can kick ass...

-Imp