has philosophy lost its way?

[phyllo]

He can't admit making a mistake.

[Belinda]

The question of why we’re here (aka the meaning of life) is just as relevant and pressing today as it was in ancient times.

I don't think I think like this. I don't wander around wondering (pressed) about THE meaning of life. At least I don't think so. I certainly mull over what has meaning to me and others. I struggle get what I want and avoid what I don't want. I do wonder what is going on, and perhaps that's what people mean by the meaning of life. But it seems a rather distanced thing.

What if you found out the meaning of life and it wasn't related to your values?

Would you go, Oh, good to know. I'll have that as the meaning. ?

#
The responsibility is ours. That is a matter of fact. Sure there are lots of mitigating circumstances such as being ill, being stupid, being a child, being indoctrinated beyond your control. Please note that ,with the exception of being a child ,the mitigating circumstances I listed are also circumstances that freedom -loving people aim to alleviate or banish whenever they can.

Determinism is not an excuse to shuffle off the responsibility on to fate, or God.

[Iwannaplato]

The question of why we’re here (aka the meaning of life) is just as relevant and pressing today as it was in ancient times.

I don't think I think like this. I don't wander around wondering (pressed) about THE meaning of life. At least I don't think so. I certainly mull over what has meaning to me and others. I struggle get what I want and avoid what I don't want. I do wonder what is going on, and perhaps that's what people mean by the meaning of life. But it seems a rather distanced thing.

What if you found out the meaning of life and it wasn't related to your values?

Would you go, Oh, good to know. I'll have that as the meaning. ?

#
The responsibility is ours. That is a matter of fact. Sure there are lots of mitigating circumstances such as being ill, being stupid, being a child, being indoctrinated beyond your control. Please note that ,with the exception of being a child ,the mitigating circumstances I listed are also circumstances that freedom -loving people aim to alleviate or banish whenever they can.

Determinism is not an excuse to shuffle off the responsibility on to fate, or God.

I'm not sure how what you wrote relates to what I wrote. What do you think I said? Which part(s) are you reacting to? I don't know what determinism has to do with what I wrote. Are you sure you quoted the correct post?

[Iwannaplato]

He can't admit making a mistake.

I think he's only responded to you and me. Not Belinda, PK, Skepdick, Atla or Gary C. I guess they're all Stooges. Perhaps even more so than we are, since he completely ignored them.

I think it's funny that actually responding on topic in relation to the title of the thread is considered Stooge activity. He responded to the post I wrote, but to the point I was making about philosophy and anyone's options.

I love that it's utterly irrelevant that he might be wrong in his generalization about philosophy.

I'm supposed to represent a philosopher on the topic of dasein, etc., which is not the topic of the thread, nor was it the topic of my post.

Perhaps his philosophy has lost its way.

[Peter Kropotkin]

As for me... I am ignored on a regular basis, so, its surprises me
when anyone answers one of my questions/posts...
which is part of the reason that I kinda do my own thing while
posting.... I never expect an answer...

and I can hear it now, but Kropotkin if you rarely expect answers,
why don't you spend more time answering people, maybe then people
will stop ignoring you....well, to be honest, I don't live for responses...
if you reply great, if you don't, that too is great... it really doesn't
matter to me if everybody or nobody replies to me...

it doesn't change what I write or how I write...

so, pardon the interruption... carry on wayward sons...

Kropotkin

[Atla]

The question of why we’re here (aka the meaning of life) is just as relevant and pressing today as it was in ancient times.

Why is it "pressing"?

You can't function unless you know "the meaning of life"? You can't live?

My theory is that he can't. To me Iam comes across as an adult high-functioning autistic (or something similar) who doesn't know he's one. He can't read people at all. Could be something like 'seeing' other people with paper bags on their heads, to him they all look and act exactly the same.

So Iam is left with general "technical" stuff: dasein, free will, meaning of life etc. to explain all human behaviour. He is super dependent on these things. But everyone else is mostly talking about psychology, personality, which he can't comprehend and he thinks we are talking about some kind of convoluted technical clouds gibberish.

[Belinda]

I don't think I think like this. I don't wander around wondering (pressed) about THE meaning of life. At least I don't think so. I certainly mull over what has meaning to me and others. I struggle get what I want and avoid what I don't want. I do wonder what is going on, and perhaps that's what people mean by the meaning of life. But it seems a rather distanced thing.

What if you found out the meaning of life and it wasn't related to your values?

Would you go, Oh, good to know. I'll have that as the meaning. ?

#
The responsibility is ours. That is a matter of fact. Sure there are lots of mitigating circumstances such as being ill, being stupid, being a child, being indoctrinated beyond your control. Please note that ,with the exception of being a child ,the mitigating circumstances I listed are also circumstances that freedom -loving people aim to alleviate or banish whenever they can.

Determinism is not an excuse to shuffle off the responsibility on to fate, or God.

I'm not sure how what you wrote relates to what I wrote. What do you think I said? Which part(s) are you reacting to? I don't know what determinism has to do with what I wrote. Are you sure you quoted the correct post?

Sorry. I'm reacting mainly to the phrase "the meaning of life". A meaning is not a thing but is a lazy way of referring to what somebody means; we do have a tendency, in English anyway, to make nouns out of verbs. Making verbs out of nouns does not get us into problems of thinking e.g.'I am hoovering the lawn'. Whereas 'life is something that has a meaning if only I knew what it is' will cause problems not least of which could be expecting a religious doctrine to provide a credible answer.

Simply, that some people mean something does not ensure there is a meaning to be found.
However men are animals that seek to understand and if possible to foretell. So men come to conclusions which we rather are forced to do if we want to live. There is no eternal meaning to be gathered .

I take as much responsibility for my actions and foresight as I can given that my biology and other circumstances determine what exactly is possible. I am a determinist not a fatalist.

[Gary Childress]

He can't admit making a mistake.

I think he's only responded to you and me. Not Belinda, PK, Skepdick, Atla or Gary C. I guess they're all Stooges. Perhaps even more so than we are, since he completely ignored them.

I think it's funny that actually responding on topic in relation to the title of the thread is considered Stooge activity. He responded to the post I wrote, but to the point I was making about philosophy and anyone's options.

I love that it's utterly irrelevant that he might be wrong in his generalization about philosophy.

I'm supposed to represent a philosopher on the topic of dasein, etc., which is not the topic of the thread, nor was it the topic of my post.

Perhaps his philosophy has lost its way.

Well, that's a sobering development. I didn't realize he thought that little of me. I suppose I ought to clean up my act in that case.

[phyllo]

Has Philosophy Lost its Way?
Massimo Pigliucci

https://www.philosophersmag.com/footnot ... st-its-way

Philosophy Has Lost Its Way
By Lawrence Yeo

https://moretothat.com/philosophy-has-lost-its-way/

These are actually two different articles by two different people.

My mistake in saying Iambiguous made a mistake.

[Iwannaplato]

Sorry. I'm reacting mainly to the phrase "the meaning of life".

Which was the other person's phrase. I was reacting to it also. The externalness of it.

A meaning is not a thing but is a lazy way of referring to what somebody means; we do have a tendency, in English anyway, to make nouns out of verbs. Making verbs out of nouns does not get us into problems of thinking e.g.'I am hoovering the lawn'. Whereas 'life is something that has a meaning if only I knew what it is' will cause problems not least of which could be expecting a religious doctrine to provide a credible answer.

Simply, that some people mean something does not ensure there is a meaning to be found.

I think that people often take the phrase to mean something like purpose/goal of life. What are we here for?

Philosophy might help one think one's way to the implied to be objective meaning this way, but I'm not sure what the use is. I suppose it you somehow discover this and it's what you wanted all along, then it would feel go to have confirmation.

But if you somehow manage to find out what the point of the universe is or why we are here and it doesn't match your own values and desires, then what do you do?

However men are animals that seek to understand and if possible to foretell. So men come to conclusions which we rather are forced to do if we want to live. There is no eternal meaning to be gathered .

I wouldn't go so far as to rule it out, but I have a similar reaction, mainly out of practicality.

I take as much responsibility for my actions and foresight as I can given that my biology and other circumstances determine what exactly is possible. I am a determinist not a fatalist.

This seems like a different topic, unless someone is saying that the objective meaning, whatever it is, determines our own goals and purpose. But then if it does, there's not much to think about. You'll do what you're determined to do, so you need not think about it. Again, you can focus on your own values and desires. If they are determined by the universe's objective meaning, well then it will show up when you focus on those things (and even if you don't). Free will or determinism, might as well look into your own values. I mean, I certain engage with others on what their goals/purposes are. I'm curious about what religions and various philosophies have as ideas. And listening/reading such things could help me understand. Something might click.

[Iwannaplato]

Well, that's a sobering development. I didn't realize he thought that little of me. I suppose I ought to clean up my act in that case.

I have no idea if that's what his silence in relation to others means. He's implied it, but I don't think he quite thought through his ignoring most people in the thread...a thread that begins with a question no less.

I think some people are bloggers at heart, but too lazy to make their own websites/blogsites.

[Gary Childress]

Well, that's a sobering development. I didn't realize he thought that little of me. I suppose I ought to clean up my act in that case.

I have no idea if that's what his silence in relation to others means. He's implied it, but I don't think he quite thought through his ignoring most people in the thread...a thread that begins with a question no less.

I think some people are bloggers at heart, but too lazy to make their own websites/blogsites.

Maybe that's it. He almost never answered anything I posted in reply to his musings. I never understood why. Maybe AJ can chime in and tell me how I deserve to be ignored?

[Iwannaplato]

Well, that's a sobering development. I didn't realize he thought that little of me. I suppose I ought to clean up my act in that case.

I have no idea if that's what his silence in relation to others means. He's implied it, but I don't think he quite thought through his ignoring most people in the thread...a thread that begins with a question no less.

I think some people are bloggers at heart, but too lazy to make their own websites/blogsites.

Maybe that's it. He almost never answered anything I posted in reply to his musings. I never understood why. Maybe AJ can chime in and tell me how I deserve to be ignored?

Perhaps a better, more specific topic is Has Philosophy Now lost its way and how? (but for me it's been partly lost since I joined. I don't know if it had a way before that or what it was)

[Atla]

I have no idea if that's what his silence in relation to others means. He's implied it, but I don't think he quite thought through his ignoring most people in the thread...a thread that begins with a question no less.

I think some people are bloggers at heart, but too lazy to make their own websites/blogsites.

Maybe that's it. He almost never answered anything I posted in reply to his musings. I never understood why. Maybe AJ can chime in and tell me how I deserve to be ignored?

Perhaps a better, more specific topic is Has Philosophy Now lost its way and how? (but for me it's been partly lost since I joined. I don't know if it had a way before that or what it was)

Philosophy Now forum died in 2019 or so, maybe earlier. Since then it's merely for entertainment but not for philosophy.

[Gary Childress]

Maybe that's it. He almost never answered anything I posted in reply to his musings. I never understood why. Maybe AJ can chime in and tell me how I deserve to be ignored?

Perhaps a better, more specific topic is Has Philosophy Now lost its way and how? (but for me it's been partly lost since I joined. I don't know if it had a way before that or what it was)

Philosophy Now forum died in 2019 or so, maybe earlier. Since then it's merely for entertainment but not for philosophy.

Why do you pick 2019? It seems like it's been pretty much the same for the most part at least since I joined. I haven't seen anything remarkably different. People come and go and some stay. I mean, maybe it was different before I joined and I'm the one who killed Philoosphy Now. I suppose we'll have to ask Iwannaplato since he's been here the longest between the three of us.