"There will be no end to the troubles of humanity, until philosophers become kings, or kings become philosophers.", Plato.
"Hyperbole will destroy us all.", Matt Dillahunty.
"The hyperbole, the demonization of the other opinion and the unwillingness to even read the opposing opinion destroys the so important political discussions necessary for the well functioning of society.", Couleur
I think that there have been great fellas who have been genuinely concerned with the real problems and have used philosophy as a means of better understanding the world, in order to change it and provide a solid basis for the development of social formations, but I also think that many of them philosophers were just wankers (of the mind) with too much free time on their hands. And I mean that as a compliment, mind you, no pun intended xD [existential crisis intensifies]
I think that there have been great fellas who have been genuinely concerned with the real problems and have used philosophy as a means of better understanding the world, in order to change it and provide a solid basis for the development of social formations, but I also think that many of them philosophers were just wankers (of the mind) with too much free time on their hands. And I mean that as a compliment, mind you, no pun intended xD [existential crisis intensifies]
The world would be a better place if more people spent time thinking about philosophy and ethics and less about profit.
I think that there have been great fellas who have been genuinely concerned with the real problems and have used philosophy as a means of better understanding the world, in order to change it and provide a solid basis for the development of social formations, but I also think that many of them philosophers were just wankers (of the mind) with too much free time on their hands. And I mean that as a compliment, mind you, no pun intended xD [existential crisis intensifies]
The world would be a better place if more people spent time thinking about philosophy and ethics and less about profit.
So very true. A far, far better place indeed. Sadly our human nature prevents us from achieving such noble goals, or at least it limits them in a way that they become significantly marginal. It's the behavior of faulty organic machines, with a genetic code with more bugs than an early access game on Steam.
It can be inspiring to listen to other peoples results of their research sometimes, though philosophy is, content wise, best read since you need time to reflect. But the most important thing about philosophy is the discussion. That is something we do not have that much on the hump anymore. There were a few users a few years back that got into quite the heated discussions about philosophical topics but moste of these are gone. Even the world news doesnt really give much of a challenge anymore.
Is philosophy in a forum really possible?
If you read Plato about the "writing" (Phaedrus) you will see that he sees writing as bad since it is just a copy of the living thought. Some of the reasons beeing, that the written word cannot defend itself, cannot explain itself and that reading other peoples thoughts exempts the reader from thinking himself. In this day and age, at least two of these are not right anymore. The internet enables the written word to explain and defend itself. Though one cannot say if the user reading and repeating the text really lives the thought he produces or if he just copies it. Just like a painter that copies a fisherman at work can say what the fisherman does without really understanding it.
"Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-imposed nonage. Nonage is the inability to use one's own understanding without another's guidance. This nonage is self-imposed if its cause lies not in lack of understanding but in indecision and lack of courage to use one's own mind without another's guidance. Dare to know! (Sapere aude.) "Have the courage to use your own understanding," is therefore the motto of the enlightenment."
As much as I love the idea of philosophy and learning about philosophers, I cant seem to get into it more than a sort of dinner table discussion type conversation about, or in it. Water cooler type discussions of it i guess. I love to do it, but more as a thing to pass time than a serious search for answers.
Think it the way my brain works that I'm not cut out for long discussions on it...I end up seeing it as a "if then" loop that never ends, and is a lot of work to end up nowhere 'subjectively'. It does the opposite of what occam's razor implies to do for answers and drives me batty after a while. The more complex you can make the reasoning's for a simple thought, the more deep and meaningful it is
I think its because it seems to be worked down to psychology, sociology, morality, anthropology, or just a debate of general majority opinions as the result. Making finding an answer like nailing jello to a wall, it can never be done.
A sort of 'explain the meaning of this modern art' type questions. Its answers in search of a self satisfying question to fit. A projection of humanity as a whole trying to fit itself to universally simple and objective 'facts' (wrong word but I cant think of the right one).
Like the "whats the meaning of life". Thats a vague and mostly personal psychological, moral and socially biased question request. In the end there is no 'meaning' as far as a text book definition, its all dependent on what the person seeks.
But to answer that question would be satisfying as we finally found a peg our square hole fits so to speak, and make us all fuzzy inside...Even though it's a need for a universal meaning to something that only has meaning because we desire it to. We are a hole searching for a peg. When the peg might not even need to exist.
Asking the "meaning of life" as a point direct question searching for a single answer, is like asking "whats the best food" searching for a single point answer.
They are only deep questions because they can be answered 'right' in so many ways depending on the cultural upbringing when personal vs rational replies come into play.
Or for example the one above of "What does it mean to be a good person?"
Rational answer is a short easy: Whatever traits evolution has programmed into us as desirable to see in others, that further the species and the pack as a whole for greater gain that causes no malice, vs individual short term selfish gain.
In other words, genetically programmed core ethics that are molded by our social upbringing of those around us and before us, deciding what those 'desirable traits' are.
But put in cultural, emotional, personal, and social factors of the current timeframe into it, and it turns into a 'deep' question only because it can have as many answers, as people asked because of slight cultural differences on how we want to see those core desirable traits in others.
That IS a bit narrow on its scope I admit to pigeonhole it to those 2 questions, but didn't want to write one of my 500 paragraph replies. But while I LOVE philosophy because it can be debated all day on answers..and I love to debate. To me its bubblegum for the mind, can chew on it forever, and get satisfaction of the work put into chewing it. But eventually you have to stop chewing and move on, as it doesn't give you any tangible end result, or end in the purpose of what chewing is for...to finish and get something to swallow. (It doesn't end in tangible facts, only get more sticky, malleable, and more complex as opinions are refined on it). OR end up with the vague and useless "The answer...is there is no one answer" and people go "That is deep, an answerless answer".
To put it the best way i know how, douglas adams summed up philosophy best with 'deep thought'. What is the meaning of life they ask..it said 42. They didn't understand, because they never realized there was never a question to nail down to ask.
To ask the meaning of life, is to ask what fits "x+y=42". x and y can be many many things, endless if you count negative numbers..but they wanted one sole question that answer fits that answered it for everyones x and y. They was so focused on finding a single answer that to a question that didn't make sense outside of the context of their own mind.
-We don't control what happens to us in life, but we control how we respond to what happens in life.
-Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times. -G. Michael Hopf
Disclaimer: Post made by me are of my own creation. A delusional mind relayed in text form.
What if everyone who had color blindness were seeing the "real" colors and its everybody else that dont see the real shades?
There is no 'real' colors from a universe perspective anymore than there is real sounds. Both are just waves, one of radiation, the other of compression, that our brain translates into color/sound to help us figure out the world, avoid dangers, and put into recognizable context the things around us.
A colorblind person receives the same waves into his eye we all do, they just lack the receptor to translate it into something the brain can comprehend they only see shades of intensity of the waves (light to dark, or grays in that spectrum).
And yes I am a lot of fun at parties
Id love to grab some drinks with couleur, ixi, frant, ect, and all the guys and discuss it one day..but Id drive them crazy.
This guy is me at philosophical debates:
-We don't control what happens to us in life, but we control how we respond to what happens in life.
-Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times. -G. Michael Hopf
Disclaimer: Post made by me are of my own creation. A delusional mind relayed in text form.
So here's a cliche', yet something that's been plaguing my mind since devoting my whole life to helping a suicidal, yet extremely intelligent mate; what's the meaning of life?
Any inner concepts of greater purpose are long gone. The only logical conclusion is that we are mere animals without a goal, and the only thing there is is to veg out our lives striding along the pursuit of happiness. But what if happiness in ones life is just an illusion?
I don't doubt there are many, but can anyone recommend a book that somehow delves(positively, I definitely don't need a downer right now) into the subject?
Last edited by Sellob on Sat, 16th May 2015 05:06; edited 1 time in total
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And I mean that as a compliment, mind you, no pun intended xD [existential crisis intensifies]
uhhh, nice thread here...
Sadly our human nature prevents us from achieving such noble goals, or at least it limits them in a way that they become significantly marginal. It's the behavior of faulty organic machines, with a genetic code with more bugs than an early access game on Steam.
true words my fellow believer 
true words..
