The Philosophers Chair » people

Why do so many people confuse religion with philosophy?

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:43:43 +0000

Question by Belzetot: Why do so many people confuse religion with philosophy?
Philosophy is about asking questions and keeping an open mind. Something which religion obviously doesn’t approve.
Religion is based on dogmas, which are unquestionable truths. The very idea of a truth not being questioned is completely alien to any respecting philosopher.

Best answer:

Answer by Tennisguy
why are you confusing relgion with “closed mindedness?”
yes, many people in religious terms are not tolerant, but that doesn’t mean you can judge a whole religion of people based of the few you’ve met or seen

and sometimes religion is needed to bring into SOME aspects of philosophy

What do you think? Answer below!

Are there any famous gay people in history?

admin — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:13:01 +0000

Question by D.K.: Are there any famous gay people in history?
Besides modern day gay people, such as celebrities/actors, are there any famous gay scientists, philosophers, army generals, kings/queens, etc. throughout history? I’m just curious, because I rarely/never hear about them, if they existed.

I’m thinking that there were some, but they were probably likely to be killed/arrested if they were open about it, so they kept it quiet.

Best answer:

Answer by A furry
Wasn’t Ernst Hemingway a homosexual?

Give your answer to this question below!

Find More Modern Philosophers Articles

Why do so many people hate the French?

admin — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:13:06 +0000

Question by thecatphotographer: Why do so many people hate the French?
I am Italian, and of course I want Italy to win tomorrow!!!

But I can’t understand why so many people hate the French. Not only their team, but the nation in general.
I’ve been to France several times, and I can tell you it’s a charming country. Paris is one of the most beautiful cities ever. France has good wine, good cheese, and its sophisticated cuisine is one of the most appreciated worldwide along with the Italian. They don’t eat just frogs or snails. Granted, the French sometimes do sound a little snobbish and they do pronounce foreign names their own way, but they have good reasons for being proud of their country. They have a great cultural heritage — novelists, poets, philosophers, painters, sculptors, architects. Modern art was born in France with the Impressionists. They were the first country to be a republic while all surrounding countries were still monarchies. Not all of the French vote for LePen or are racist. So, why do you people hate them?

Just curious…

Best answer:

Answer by casper

What do you think? Answer below!

Who are some people that are similiar to Socrates today?

admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 07:13:24 +0000

Question by john: Who are some people that are similiar to Socrates today?
Can you think of anyone who is very similiar to the ancient philosopher in more modern times?

Best answer:

Answer by Alan Turing
So, what do you mean by similar?

Give your answer to this question below!

Q&A: why are some people drawn to psychology and philosophy and religion, and others couldn’t care less?

admin — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 15:42:56 +0000

Question by Dreamer: why are some people drawn to psychology and philosophy and religion, and others couldn’t care less?
is it because of the people are different, or are the topics themselves just uninteresting to some?

Best answer:

Answer by Iona
Both. But a lack of interest in the philosophical suggests a lack of imagination to me. Some people have less imagination than others.

What do you think? Answer below!

Should an exception be made for religious people in the modern era?

admin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 22:14:24 +0000

Question by Desiree: Should an exception be made for religious people in the modern era?
Religious people in the modern era have access to a lot more knowledge, information and ideas than religious people of former times. Therefore, religious people in the modern era have to deny, manage or willfully ignore a lot more knowledge, information and ideas to maintain faith in their absurd bible myths, right? I mean, you can say that ‘religious people’ is too broad a term that covers legendary Greek philosophers to brain-dead Fox News anchors, but those legendary Greek philosophers did not have access to the internet and the wealth of knowledge, information and ideas at their fingertips. Therefore, an exception needs to be made; religious people in the modern era are radically different to religious people of former times, right?

Best answer:

Answer by President Ookdork
They are fatter now

Add your own answer in the comments!

Horizon Research Foundation Presented: Unravelling the Mystery of the Self – From Philosophy to Modern Day Science at Imperial College London, September 10, 2009. The symposium consisted of an engaging discussions on the nature of the self by: Dr Peter Fenwick, Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London and Dr Sam Parmia, Fellow in Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York. Joining them for a panelist discussion was: Dr Christopher French, Professor of psychology at Goldsmiths College, University of London, is head of their Anomalistic psychology Research Unit which he founded in the year 2000 and Dr. Joan LaRovere, a Consultant in Paediatric Intensive Care and Director of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London.
Video Rating: 5 / 5

How do you think ordinary people of pre-modern generations determined what was true/accurate?

admin — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 04:13:13 +0000

Question by RubiaBonita: How do you think ordinary people of pre-modern generations determined what was true/accurate?
This is for soc…how do you think ordinary people of pre modern generations (before the European Enlightenment) determined what was true/accurate/correct about their world and what was not?

Also, today how do you think the following people develop knowledge of “what is”: religious believers, philosophers, natural scientists and sociologists?
How did they determine what was true about their world- and what was not true?

Best answer:

Answer by Mimi
What a geat question. They probably just stuck with what the Church or the King said.

Add your own answer in the comments!

Boomers Building Tolerance- Understanding People of Different Religions

admin — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 01:44:11 +0000

Terrorism in the name of religion, riots in god’s name, killing innocents for not worshipping a particular god, hatred or dislike for people of a particular religion, looking at worshippers of a certain god with suspicion….unfortunately such is the reality of today’s world.

Religion is a personal choice which is supposed to bring peace of mind and guide you to your life’s purpose. Loving god should encourage you to love everything he/she has created…yet why is there so much destruction and violence in the name of religion? Perhaps it’s because we focus on our differences more than our similarities. We look for ways to hate others because they are different from us. We use religion to create “Us” and “Them”. Religion is something that can actually unite all humanity; it’s only a matter of how we choose to view it.

Religions are like books with different covers, names and supposedly different philosophies, but if you read between the lines, you’ll observe that every religion promotes and encourages the same basic virtues. Let’s examine the similarities one by one:

*Reap as you sow- Every religion believes in this concept, though the names given to it may differ. While some call it sin, it’s known as Karma or the threefold principle in others. Whatever you call it, the basic principle remains the same; if you do or think of something that harms or hurts others, you will pay a price! Every religion in its own way encourages goodness. What constitutes goodness may be different, but again if you read between the lines and remove the layers of corrupt human interpretation you will realize that peace, kindness and love define goodness in its purest form.

* The Concept of soul- All religions believe that the soul is indestructible, though there may be different beliefs about what happens to the soul after death. Yet to all, the soul exists as a fundamental universal religious concept. If you believe in the soul you know it can’t be destroyed, then why attempt to destroy human lives, when you know you have no power over the soul? Why even try to destroy something that’s indestructible! Isn’t that acting against the will of any religion’s god?

* The purpose of life- Reaching god or becoming one with him is considered the purpose of life. Every religion may prescribe a different path to attain that goal, but the goal is essentially the same; reaching your creator, whether in heaven or by attaining salvation by becoming like him, free of the cycle of life and death.

Human interpretation has corrupted almost every religion; it has given us a reason to hate each other. We are told we are different because our religion insists that ours is the only god. Does that mean people who don’t follow our religion are not god’s children? How is that possible? We are all humans, we all have two eyes, two legs, two hands, and one nose…our skin colors may differ but our blood is all the same color! You wouldn’t hate your sibling if he called your father “papa” instead “dad”? Would you? Then why hate humans if they address their god by a different name? You wouldn’t hate your siblings if their philosophy of life was different from yours? Then why hate people who follow different religions?

There may be a lot of differences in the way we live and the philosophies we follow. We might also believe that we are headed towards different goals, after all Islam’s heaven is not the same as Christianity’s heaven which is different from a Hindu’s heaven, which is again unlike the Buddhist heaven, or Jewish heaven…yet if you ask yourself what heaven is, all religions believe it is a place of infinite bliss that only those of pure souls reach and hatred is the antithesis of purity.

There’s no denying that there are a lot of differences in the philosophies of religions, but if we learn to focus on our similarities instead of our differences, we’ll learn how to love and accept each other as fellow humans; children of god, even if they address him or her by different names!

Care to chime in and share your own religious thoughts and experiences? Come join others at Boomer Yearbook.

www.boomeryearbook.com is a social networking site connecting the Baby Boomer generation. Share your thoughts, rediscover old friends, or expand your mind with brain games provided by clinical psychologist Dr. Karen Turner. Join today to discover the many ways we are helping Boomers connect for fun and profit.

For www.boomeryearbook.com

Online expert on various topics

www.abc.net.au Some interesting questions asked by the audience! ================================== * 13:30: Abdullah Kunde * 25:30: Hamzah Qureishi * 31:00: Another brother. ================================== Panellists Richard Dawkins – evolutionary biologist and prominent athiest Rabbi Jacqueline Ninio – progressive Rabbi, Emanuel Synagogue Professor Patrick McGorry – Australian of the Year Steve Fielding – Leader of Family First Julie Bishop – Deputy Leader of the Opposition ==================================

When you were young and impressionable, what religion, philosophy were the most intelligent people you knew?

admin — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 02:32:52 +0000

Speaking of teachers and professors, there were a few. One was a Jesuit, another was a guy I was sure was an Atheist while I took his class, though I later found out he was a Christian, another was an Existentialist who talked constantly of Sartre and French thought. Do these early experiences with intelligent men influence your current definition of intelligent?

Is this section where people who believe in metaphysics would ask questions?

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:31:42 +0000

Or would alternative health or paranormal be a better place or somewhere else? If you believe in metaphysics could you let me know & if you are involved with others at a spiritual center such as a New though church, which one or ones such as Religious Science for example.