Question by ‘Cuz I said so.: do pessimists make “better” philosophers?
at least in modern times, many of the great philosophers were drunks, depressed, suicidal, or all of the above. it seems to make sense because happy people don’t feel the need to question the purpose of their existence. they don’t feel the need to ask what is the point of life, if most of their time is spent suffering. or the need to ask where everything came from, or if there is a hell or not, in case they feel like hanging themselves. for them, ignorance is bliss, and their bliss might in part cause their ignorance.
can anyone name a truly optimistic philosopher who is known throughout the world? I’m not claiming that they don’t exist, I just haven’t heard of any that I know to be optimistic.
note: religious leaders aren’t philosophers.
happy people might dilute themselves, by coming up with irrational beliefs. ever notice how happy people usually try to avoid deep conversations? they’re afraid they might learn something.
woosie, what makes you think happy people have found their answers? maybe they ignore the questions. ignoring the questions is emptiness. if they haven’t ignored the questions, and have found their answers, then they would have more to say than religious leaders, psychotherapists, and self-help/motivational speakers.

Best answer:

Answer by Woosie
Of course you haven’t heard of any they are too busy and living their lives and being happy. They know the meaning of their life and they don’t need to waste time philosophizing about things missed or lost etc. As they are happy and living life the way it should be lived!

Edit- Happy people aren’t afraid of learning something because they have already looked into themselves to find the answer they seek, therefore they do not need to philosophize. Has it ever occurred to you that these ‘happy people’ too have had bad times and have just chosen a different exit from these problems than philosophers, channeling that energy into being happier rather than, booze, drugs, alcohol etc!

What do you think? Answer below!

The Philosophy of War thinks about War. WHAT IS WAR? Set to the D-Day Landings at Normandy on June 6 1944, Part 1 focuses on this question and the views of the pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus. The Ancient Greek was one of world’s first natural scientists, trying to understand the ways of the world in terms of its law-like, physical properties. Famous for his idea that one cannot step twice into the same river, his idea that war is the nature of reality anticipates the modern physics and evolutionary biology. The insight of the thinker once known as the “dark one” could not have been more bright. Part 1 ends with the beginnings of an introduction to Carl von Clausewitz’s theory of war, contained in his book On War. He thought that War is the continuation of politics by other means. It is both a battle of wills and a trial of strength. See Part 2 here: www.youtube.com
Video Rating: 5 / 5

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Question by ‘Cuz I said so.: do pessimists make “better” philosophers?
at least in modern times, many of the great philosophers were drunks, depressed, suicidal, or all of the above. it seems to make sense because happy people don’t feel the need to question the purpose of their existence. they don’t feel the need to ask what is the point of life, if most of their time is spent suffering. or the need to ask where everything came from, or if there is a hell or not, in case they feel like hanging themselves. for them, ignorance is bliss, and their bliss might in part cause their ignorance.
can anyone name a truly optimistic philosopher who is known throughout the world? I’m not claiming that they don’t exist, I just haven’t heard of any that I know to be optimistic.
note: religious leaders aren’t philosophers.
happy people might dilute themselves, by coming up with irrational beliefs. ever notice how happy people usually try to avoid deep conversations? they’re afraid they might learn something.
woosie, what makes you think happy people have found their answers? maybe they ignore the questions. ignoring the questions is emptiness. if they haven’t ignored the questions, and have found their answers, then they would have more to say than religious leaders, psychotherapists, and self-help/motivational speakers.

Best answer:

Answer by Woosie
Of course you haven’t heard of any they are too busy and living their lives and being happy. They know the meaning of their life and they don’t need to waste time philosophizing about things missed or lost etc. As they are happy and living life the way it should be lived!

Edit- Happy people aren’t afraid of learning something because they have already looked into themselves to find the answer they seek, therefore they do not need to philosophize. Has it ever occurred to you that these ‘happy people’ too have had bad times and have just chosen a different exit from these problems than philosophers, channeling that energy into being happier rather than, booze, drugs, alcohol etc!

Give your answer to this question below!

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Question by Anonymous: Ancient Greece Philosophers?
How did Ancient Greek Philosophers (Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle) influenced the modern world we live today?

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Answer by Julia
check this link – http://www.livius.org/gi-gr/greeks/philosophers.html

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Bryan Magee talks with Hilary Putnam about the philosophy of science. Section 1: www.youtube.com Section 2: www.youtube.com Section 3: www.youtube.com Section 4: www.youtube.com Section 5: www.youtube.com
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Question by ღ♥ღ latoya: SIMPLE GUIDE TO (greek) PHILOSOPHERS?
Hi. Im 15 years of age, but I am quite interested in Philosophy. I’ve never really taken a keen interest in ancient philosophers, such as Aristotle and Socrates, nor to say I have read anything into more modern ones like Hume.

But does anyone have a website that could introduce me to these philosophers IN A NUTSHELL. There’s tons of info out there, but most of it is jargon – I just want something that explains them to a very beginner to even the simplest of philosophy. Any other sites, with simple stuff on ethics e.g. abortion, or any sites that look into an array of such topics whilst can be understood easily would also be appreciated.

Thanks

Best answer:

Answer by Kerbachard! aKa MoonRider
well, if you want a book, get Philosophy for Dummies. No puns,but it does get at what your looking for.

Which creates a point. You must read, even if it is just a comic book.

Louis L”Amour is a perfect example of a writer (philosopher) who relayed his philosophies through his characters.

Read history, wars. You will be able to assess the for yourself. Study Sun Tzu!
Congratulations btw, for choosing the journey of innovative thought.

Add your own answer in the comments!

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Question by Mischa P: Should philosophers rule the world?
It is often said that philosophers whilst great thinkers, would make lousy politicians. I wish to argue that in fact precisely the opposite is true – that clarity of thought and philosophical wisdom, although severely lacking among today’s leaders, should be absolutely central to politics.

In my view a character trait which nearly all modern politicians share is dogmatism. In order to be a successful politician you must first have an unwavering certainty in your convictions. What is not necessary, however, is that these convictions bear any evidence to support them (so long as they do not insult the electorate.) Let us take as an example the belief held by many that capital punishment is an effective deterrent for murder. That there is little evidence to support this claim is not important, for it appeals to ones common sense. Surely a punishment as severe as death will deter people from committing murder – yet on closer inspection we see that the issue is more complex than it would first appear. The state of Texas, which executes more inmates than any other American state, also has the highest murder rate in the land. I do not wish to argue here that capital punishment can not be a deterrent for murder but rather that a strong conviction that this is the case should rest on hard evidence. In the case of politicians, it rarely if ever does.

When decisions affect the lives of millions of people it must surely be important for politicians to base their beliefs on more than mere common sense. Yet so often we find that they don’t. The British prime minister Margaret Thatcher based much of her politics on a certainty in the proposition that the poor have a burden of responsibility for their poverty, that everyone living in a free democracy has the opportunity to overcome poverty. It is likely that in her case her belief was not merely founded on common sense but on personal experience having come from a poor background and subsequently risen to the top. Yet personal experience is just as problematic as common sense and by no means sufficient to answer definitely the complex social questions which arise out of the idea that every man has the opportunity to overcome poverty. To what degree is this the case? How if at all can we improve equality of opportunities for those born into poverty? I think it is fair to question the degree to which Thatcher took these questions seriously preferring instead to naively buy into a principle upon which she based her political career. It is this kind of unreflective dogmatism which is rife in modern politics and dangerous.

Let us compare the unreflective attitude of modern politicians to that of philosophers. Philosophers are trained to be skeptical about all sources of belief, in particular common sense which is always seen as potentially misleading. The great thinker Bertrand Russell once wrote “The man who has no tincture of philosophy goes through life imprisoned in the prejudices derived from common sense, from the habitual beliefs of his age or his nation, and from convictions which have grown up in his mind without the co-operation or consent of his deliberate reason.” Russell’s description of the unphilosophical man depicts almost perfectly the average politician. Yet although there exist few examples of political leaders who have been influenced by philosophy there is no shortage of philosophically minded political commentators. The professor of Linguistics and political activist Noam Chomsky is a good example and the way his philosophical background influences his political thinking becomes obvious when comparing his style of argument to that of a leader such as George Bush.

During his time as president, Bush’s foreign policy incurred mass criticism from many political commentators. Yet the man himself appeared undeterred, apparently absolutely convinced in the good of his actions. His main defence was that he was fighting a war on terror, eradicating the world of terrorism and Muslim extremism. Yet serious critical reflection of the situation raises questions that are unlikely to have ever occurred to the former president and do not appear to feature in the media as part of mainstream political debate. Both Bush and Chomsky would admit to believing firmly in the principle that loss of innocent civilian life is a tragedy and to be avoided. Yet whilst Chomsky takes seriously the idea that there is no moral difference between deaths at the hands of Islamic terrorists and lives taken as a result of American foreign policy, Bush, like the western media regards such an idea as barbaric and unworthy of debate. This difference in attitude highlights an inability or unwillingness to think critically which is as prevalent in modern politics as it is in the mainstream media. On the other hand Chomsky, like all good philosophers comes to his conclusions not by merely appealing to his common sense but rather, in the words of Russell, with the co-operation or consent
Absolutely retarded answers. Every last one.

Best answer:

Answer by ercinc74
I myself am a heavy thinker, and say NO- they should not run the world, but they should be consultants.
Philosophers do what youve done above. throw alot of words around, but aside from your fingers on the keyboard- there was no ACTION to your words. we need men who DO actions the thinkers think up.

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Question by oscar c: In logic, which Philosopher’s method of logical reasoning is solidly adapted onwards to modern Philosophy?
Method which was never modified, disputed or made changes to as compared to Socratic/dialectic method which many consider it erroneous?
What is this method called?
Aristotle carried this line of reasoning further by holding that although the world of experience is our real world, genuine knowledge consists of knowing the reasons or causes of things. To reach these basic causes, man must follow certain laws of logic or true processes of thought. The pattern of true thought is, he argued, ‘Syllogism’ in which we move from a generally accepted principle to a particular.
ex.
All men are infidels
Ben is a man
George is another man
Ben and George are infidels.

Aristotle worked out the science of deductive logic completely that little or nothing has been added to it even to the present. He laid down all the laws and gave examples which men have been able to follow with success ever since.

Best answer:

Answer by bunbananabun
thinking without the influence of others

Give your answer to this question below!

First single from The Bedroom Philosopher’s album ‘Brown & Orange.’ Video by David Blumenstein. www.myspace.com/thebedroomphilosopher

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