Stop all this Pseudo-Philosophy crap

[soliloquy]

Seriously.


It's just annoying and stupid.

[thalbergmad]

Yes oh great one.

We all obey immediately.

Thal

[rach n bach]

See, but this is a rather deep request in and of itself...

Why is it annoying you?  Perhaps you are simply being convicted?  Is this all a way just to have a clear conscience?

I await Pianitismo's post 

[soliloquy]

It's just embarrassing to read, if you have studied philosophy.  I don't claim to be a true expert, but I have read a substantial amount of the literature, and it's just sort like like "bleh".

I dunno, have you ever watched the movie "About Schmidt"?  It's like watching that Randall character =/  It sort of just makes you cringe.

[opus10no2]

John, in the search for knowledge, truth, and clarification of beliefs, one must do 3 things -

Read, experience, and converse.

Reading is a 1 way street, and as much as me can learn from it, we have to interact with others for clarification and challenges.

So, everyone is at a different stage in their search, and noone can become knowledgable without at first exposing his own percieved knowledge to others, to challenge and refine them.

In short, one musn't be afraid of looking like an idiot if one ever wants to become anything but.

[pianistimo]

everyone has to study some kind of philosophy even with music.  musicans had all kinds of personal philosophies they carried into their music.  take liszt for instance.  but, the thing is - every 10 years or less - he would change something.  in fact, he went from desperation to desperation.  wild changes.  experimenting.  now, if liszt was allowed to experiment - why don't you want people on here to? 

are you saying that you want us to be exactly like you?  to make quick decisions.  i'll admit - it's the easiest way to live life. i go to the store with that mindset.  if it's not important - it's not important. if i come home and forgot half the things i went for - i just use what i've got.  but, what if someone cooks a gourmet meal in the next house over.  the smells waft to your house.  you think - i could have made a meal like that, but i would never rememeber all the ingredients unless i took the time to read the recipie, write them down, and come back with every last thing (including the capers).  and, typically the important ingredients are costly.

as i see it - i'm content with pizza and spaghetti.  but, occasionally - get fancy.  why do this every week.  it's a waste of time.  you want to be in the kitchen all the time?  are you going to be a chef or something?  are you trying to impress people. 

now, with a name like soliloquy - i think it odd that you have no real philosophy of your own excepting shutting people up.  but, be that as it may - it's a good one.

ps if you go to the store with a really open mind - you just come back with whatever is fresh.  if something doesn't smell or look right - would you be taking time sampling it?  no.  of course, not.  now, that might lead some to say - but just because something looks fresh doesn't mean it's fresh.  why don't you sample what looks fresh.  that is where i draw the line.  i don't have time to be taste-testing and sampling all day.  let's just get the job done.  cook the meal. go on to something else.  maybe practice.

[Derek]

Seriously.


It's just annoying and stupid.

Look who's talking. 

...on a more serious note, what really makes philosophy authentic or pseudo? Personally, I think it is simply "the love of knowledge," so if one is seeking knowledge and thinking for oneself, one is philosophizing. I think it's only "pseudo" when people rattle off philosophical nonsense in an attempt to gain attention or make people think they are smart.

[pianistimo]

and who is yoshihisi taira?  personally, i've never heard of this person. 

[Bob]

Enlighten up. :p

[pianistimo]

oh. i know who he is.  he makes this really interesting wood furniture and says that it will become whatever it is meant to be.  and that wood is one element that can stay around (once laquered) and remind us of the outdoors and of nature.  that you can bring nature indoors.

[soliloquy]

oh. i know who he is.  he makes this really interesting wood furniture and says that it will become whatever it is meant to be.  and that wood is one element that can stay around (once laquered) and remind us of the outdoors and of nature.  that you can bring nature indoors.

He could also possibly be the Japanese-French avant-garde composer and previous student of Iannis Xenakis.  Possibly=definitely.

[pianistimo]

oh.  ok.  sorry.  i just don't know that much about xenakis.  thanks for filling me in.

[ramseytheii]

It's just embarrassing to read, if you have studied philosophy.  I don't claim to be a true expert, but I have read a substantial amount of the literature, and it's just sort like like "bleh".

Well I think you should contribute some of your knowledge, if you don't want to read cringe-worthy posts.

I remember a scene from "Devil Wears Prada," where Meryl Streep goes on a rant against her naive assistant, describing in painful step-by-step detail where the color of the assistants cheap blue sweater came from, how it trickled down from the avenues of high fashion to the bargain basement. 

The same thing happens with philosophy.  Those ideas that are conceived at an arm chair, or whatever library, directly affect the way we perceive, understand and experience things.  It's therefore essential that people improve their understanding of the ideas, and the only way to truly learn something is to interact with it.  Rote memorization is impressive as a party trick, but useless for assimilation. 

The only way to learn is to interact, and that's why these kind of threads are valuable.  It gives all of us a chance to throw our ideas out there, and see the reaction, and temper our language, or even abandon the idea, or make it stronger.  Some people have a better initial grasp than others, but everyone's got the chance to improve.  Stop whining and start contributing!

Walter Ramsey

[pianolearner]

Well I think you should contribute some of your knowledge, if you don't want to read cringe-worthy posts.

I remember a scene from "Devil Wears Prada," where Meryl Streep goes on a rant against her naive assistant, describing in painful step-by-step detail where the color of the assistants cheap blue sweater came from, how it trickled down from the avenues of high fashion to the bargain basement. 

The same thing happens with philosophy.  Those ideas that are conceived at an arm chair, or whatever library, directly affect the way we perceive, understand and experience things.  It's therefore essential that people improve their understanding of the ideas, and the only way to truly learn something is to interact with it.  Rote memorization is impressive as a party trick, but useless for assimilation. 

The only way to learn is to interact, and that's why these kind of threads are valuable.  It gives all of us a chance to throw our ideas out there, and see the reaction, and temper our language, or even abandon the idea, or make it stronger.  Some people have a better initial grasp than others, but everyone's got the chance to improve.  Stop whining and start contributing!

Walter Ramsey

It's ironic in a sense. His "whine" is an indirect contribution because he has stimulated a type of philosophical debate...I think soliloquy has been quite clever by starting this thread..

[Bob]

Interesting.  (strokes chin, acts philosophied)

(continues reading Philosophy For Dummies while making "hmmm" sounds)


(posts, but contributes nothing really to this thread)

[ramseytheii]

It's ironic in a sense. His "whine" is an indirect contribution because he has stimulated a type of philosophical debate...I think soliloquy has been quite clever by starting this thread..

Yes, but also someday far in the future, when there actually are democracies in the Middle East, George Bush will get the credit as a trailblazer and bold visionary.

Walter Ramsey

[ada]

Haha must say I'm with soliloquy on this one. And half of this is philosophy by wikipedia, which is pretty sad.

What happened to developing an understanding of philosophy by studying and reading the greats?  Now any idiot can do a google search and get some sort of dodgy abridged version of Determinism for Dummies. Cut and paste it on a forum and there you go, world's greatest thinker in two minutes 

Not to say people shouldn't think, but I reckon wikipedia is going to have a lot to answer for in years to come....

[teresa_b]

Yes, but also someday far in the future, when there actually are democracies in the Middle East, George Bush will get the credit as a trailblazer and bold visionary.

Walter Ramsey

 

[pianistimo]

the philosophy of warfare is to kill your enemy.  the terrorists, if they win, will invade countries.  cause as much chaos as they can. 

i don't think that the philosophy of war leads to anything other than more war.  that's the sad part.  nobody wins.

and, the scary part is that negotiations mean nothing.  you can negotiate with serious people - but have the other part of the organization completely unwilling to take orders.  iran was ordered to stop it's nuclear production (and suspend uranium enrichment).  it's going full speed ahead.   that's the impression one gets anyway.  who is stopping it?  so, who is actually doing anything except for Bush.  i think people are idiots for siding with terrorists.  they'll just bite you in the heel like a snake.

that said - i'm not completely certain the time and place for invasion of iraq was supposed to be 9/11 - but it certainly got the public to stand up and take note of where terrorist cells were.  before then, we weren't certain.  now, we know.  they can't deny things - because they are found and destroyed. 

[soliloquy]

the philosophy of warfare is to kill your enemy.

Um, no.

[jakev2.0]

The philosophy of warfare: to hide in a tent and eat Honeybunches of Oats whilst praying that your enemy leaves you alone.

[ada]

War is diplomacy by another means, according to Karl von Clausewitz, possibly one of the world's greatest military strategists and war philosophers. 

According to him, the purpose of war is to exert the maximum amount of force on the enemy with the aim of subduing, demoralising and bringing him under your power, to the end that the victor can impose his political will.

He describes war as an escalating series of exchanges until one side (the vanquished) can no longer respond.

War, says Clausewitz is the means; the political object is the end.

To secure peace, he says, is to prepare for war.

If you want more info, I'm sure he has his own wikipedia page. Or you could read his book, On War.

[pianistimo]

george washington said the same thing about preparing for war securing peace. 

and, jake, i believe that christians don't buy into the philosophy of war - so yes - they could eat honey bunches of oats and get a good nights sleep before being shot in the morning.  but hey - it's Christ's philosophy to be willing to die for someone else.  if someone wants to take what you have - let them have it.  they don't have the last word.  God does.  they don't control what happens after you die.  that's eternity.

manifest destiny. that's what i believe.  at the time we were fighting for national sovereignty - we also believed in God as a nation.  we trusted God.  he fought our battles with us. where is God now?  i believe we are cursed as a nation and losing men for being stubborn.  if we would pray - we would see some better direction.  better guidance.

God can change the weather, cause storms, cause problems for our enemies they never dreamed of.  God is God.  but we have forgotten Him.  left Him out of our plans.

[jakev2.0]

How can you believe in good 'ol Christian pacifism and Manifest Destiny simultaneously?

Umm...we [The US] aren't "cursed" as a nation. The war in Iraq is failing because of inept reconstruction. Believing in a higher power is fine, but if you think he/she is guiding events on planet earth, I question your sanity. 

[ramseytheii]

manifest destiny. that's what i believe.  at the time we were fighting for national sovereignty - we also believed in God as a nation.  we trusted God.  he fought our battles with us. where is God now?  i believe we are cursed as a nation and losing men for being stubborn.  if we would pray - we would see some better direction.  better guidance.

I think you are avoiding the obvous answer to your question.  If we are losing the battle in the Middle East, then God must be on the side of the Middle East.

Walter Ramsey