NationStates Jolt Archive

To those interested in philosophy, formally educated or otherwise, I wish to know what you hope, or hoped to attain from it. For the past year I’ve been studying philosophy at my university, it has been highly rewarding and most humbling experience. I came in hoping to establish a firm moral foundation for myself, also I hope to understand the limits of the human mind, and attain some level of philosophical certainty. In due time I hope I can attain this philosophical certainty, but for the mean I’ll stick to being modest and non-dogmatic in my belief.

So I ask what do you hope to achieve in your philosophical enquiries?

Also what do you think the role of the contemporary philosopher is?

Personally I think the philosopher is growing in importance as often (as I’ve experienced) they can cut out the political and cultural bullshit/sophistries and give a clear and rational account of contemporary society.

I want to understand everything (yes, I know I cannot).

I'm also a philosophy major (the few, the proud, the unemployed). I'm doing it because I want to be able to refute arguments against how Christianity is stupid. Along those lines, I'm trying to come up with some decent Christian outlooks on various philosophical ideas.

I am studying philosophy at the moment, actually. I'm not sure how others study it, but my class goes in depth with different worldviews and opinions, while we form our own with concrete facts to back it up. It's really interesting... I find I take myself more seriously now.

So I ask what do you hope to achieve in your philosophical enquiries?

A strong understanding of my own philosophy, as well as many others. I don't want to say everyone else is wrong, but I want to know exactly where they stand. Know your enemies before defeating them, you could say. *chuckle* Not really.

Also what do you think the role of the contemporary philosopher is?

HA! This world doesn't know what a true philosopher is! We're all so stupid and lazy...it's disgusting. They real philosophers died out ages ago. Now we have computers and Ask Jeeves.

:sniper:

I view Philosophy as a lense with which to see the world through, or any number of induvidual aspects of life.

As a philosopher, I stive to reconcile the civil with the martial, to stress the aspects of the martial that can be applied to improve the civil and vice versa. To seperate and study ideals of virtuous and meritorious behavior from cultures and see how best to apply them to my own behaviors and ideals.

Generally speaking, I stay away from the more exsistential forms of Philosophy, and strive for pragamitism to be balanced with Idealism within human affiars. Something of a moral-materialist I guess.

The greatest thing philosophy will teach you is how little you know.

Philosophy as such has little relevance to reality, except in the field of ethics. Describing the world is the realm of science, the realm of philosophy is describing the opinions about the world. It won't help you understand the world, but it might help you understand yourself and your fellow human beings somewhat.

The greatest thing philosophy will teach you is how little you know.

Heh. Philosophy can help with that, but for me it was women that taught me how little I know. ;)

I'm a philosophy major, and anyone who claims they're not in it for the chicks are liars (or chicks themselves). Seriously, hot little bourgeois chicks who rebel against their parents by choosing a major that will lead them nowhere and getting funky with male philosophy majors. Awesome.

:fluffle:

In all seriousness (not that the above was 100% jest), philosophy has allowed me to think better and straighter, to have a more efficient critical mind. Philosophy is also the best lense to look through at other human activities, such as science, politics or art.

And I think this is the job of the philosopher, kind of like Plato's guy in that cave: to see things which the others can't, and to tell them what's going on. To act as a sort of moral guide: this is the archetype of the French intellectuel, with the likes of Sartre and Aron.

i want to get some kind of insight into life. i want to understand life & the world. its a tall order :p

i also like what Niccolo Medici said, Philosophy is a lense with which to see the world through

I contemplated studying Philosophy properly, but moved into more number based subjects. I am still interested in the subject though and read up on things occasionally.

I don't really hope to achieve anything with it. I don't think it is possible to. The way I see it is the role of philosophy is to raise questions, not answer them. I suppose it might give me a deeper understanding of my lack of understanding. Or something.

Heh. Philosophy can help with that, but for me it was women that taught me how little I know. ;)
For me, sadly, it was replacing a fuel pump. But then, I humble easy...


I want to achieve the D.E., the Do Easy.

For me, sadly, it was replacing a fuel pump. But then, I humble easy...


I want to achieve the D.E., the Do Easy.

Good luck with that, man. :)

The greatest thing philosophy will teach you is how little you know.

Yes i've had this experence, I have found is that my former beliefs, assumptions, and justifications concerning many things including politics, morality, etc are unsatisfactory. Even with my limited understanding of philosophy, I have been forced to be modest in my claims of knowledge. For the most part I’ve suspended my belief.

So I ask what do you hope to achieve in your philosophical enquiries?

A deeper understanding of things, I guess.

Also what do you think the role of the contemporary philosopher is?

Not really sure.