Is philosophy important?

For philosophical reflections on the COVID-19 pandemic. How can philosophy help us to understand it, to combat it and to survive it?

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bahman
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Is philosophy important?

Post by bahman »

What we lose if we forget it. Life keeps going. I think it is very important to know philosophy too. It is as important as science and art.
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Terrapin Station
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by Terrapin Station »

Importance is subjective. It's important to me. Most family members and friends of mine couldn't care less about it.
Skepdick
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by Skepdick »

bahman wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 9:26 pm What we lose if we forget it. Life keeps going. I think it is very important to know philosophy too. It is as important as science and art.
Philosophy has no impact on society - philosophising does and I don't think it's possible to lose it or forget it. It's what comes most intuitively.

We could lose the narrow notion of Philosophy in the form of faculties and academic philosophy but that won't be a great loss. It's all just regurgitation, re-description and re-stylisation of the same old ideas.

Philosophy is just what humans do. In any problem-solving it's step 1 (of many). It's intuitive to any problem-solved. The important ideas of Philosophy have long permeated through society, science, engineering, business, culture - anyone can re-discover them with a little introspection and reflection.

Anyone can Philosophise despite the objections of the ivory tower.
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bahman
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by bahman »

Terrapin Station wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 9:34 pm Importance is subjective. It's important to me. Most family members and friends of mine couldn't care less about it.
Why it is important to you?
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bahman
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by bahman »

Skepdick wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 9:46 pm
bahman wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 9:26 pm What we lose if we forget it. Life keeps going. I think it is very important to know philosophy too. It is as important as science and art.
Philosophy has no impact on society - philosophising does and I don't think it's possible to lose it or forget it. It's what comes most intuitively.

We could lose the narrow notion of Philosophy in the form of faculties and academic philosophy but that won't be a great loss. It's all just regurgitation, re-description and re-stylisation of the same old ideas.

Philosophy is just what humans do. In any problem-solving it's step 1 (of many). It's intuitive to any problem-solved. The important ideas of Philosophy have long permeated through society, science, engineering, business, culture - anyone can re-discover them with a little introspection and reflection.

Anyone can Philosophise despite the objections of the ivory tower.
It could be the door to Devine Thoughts if there is anything like that. I think it worth trying.
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bahman
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by bahman »

Sorry, wrong sub-forum.
Skepdick
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Re: Is philosophy important?

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bahman wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:03 pm It could be the door to Devine Thoughts if there is anything like that. I think it worth trying.
Sure. To find God is to find your power. To trust in God is to abdicate your power.

Because we are never in touch with a power other than ourselves.
Last edited by Skepdick on Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:12 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Terrapin Station
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by Terrapin Station »

bahman wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:02 pm
Terrapin Station wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 9:34 pm Importance is subjective. It's important to me. Most family members and friends of mine couldn't care less about it.
Why it is important to you?
I enjoy it/it's entertaining to me, at one point I was pursuing it as a possible career, and it's had a lot of influence on the way I think, the way I analyze things, where that's been useful to me.
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bahman
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by bahman »

Skepdick wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:08 pm
bahman wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:03 pm It could be the door to Devine Thoughts if there is anything like that. I think it worth trying.
Sure. To find God is to find your power. To trust in God is to abdicate your power.

Because we are never in touch with a power other than ourselves.
Very true. By ourselves, I think you mean the whole.
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bahman
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by bahman »

Terrapin Station wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:09 pm
bahman wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:02 pm
Terrapin Station wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 9:34 pm Importance is subjective. It's important to me. Most family members and friends of mine couldn't care less about it.
Why it is important to you?
I enjoy it/it's entertaining to me, at one point I was pursuing it as a possible career, and it's had a lot of influence on the way I think, the way I analyze things, where that's been useful to me.
So, it affects your life? Can you explain more and give an example that philosophy affects your life?
Skepdick
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by Skepdick »

bahman wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:11 pm Very true. By ourselves, I think you mean the whole.
I don't really give a crap about "the whole" - it's a big, unfriendly place beyond this rock we live on. It's of instrumental import to understand it so that we can exploit it, but I do not "love the universe" in any way.

To dissolve all the philosophical questions that pester you, to dissolve any existential or foundational angst It is like a puzzle that nobody else can solve for you.
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bahman
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by bahman »

Skepdick wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:13 pm
bahman wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:11 pm Very true. By ourselves, I think you mean the whole.
I don't really give a crap about "the whole" - it's a big, unfriendly place beyond this rock we live on. It's of instrumental import to understand it so that we can exploit it, but I do not "love the universe" in any way.

To dissolve all the philosophical questions that pester you, to dissolve any existential or foundational angst It is like a puzzle that nobody else can solve for you.
I see. I am trying my best to solve this puzzle.
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Terrapin Station
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by Terrapin Station »

bahman wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:12 pm
Terrapin Station wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:09 pm
bahman wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:02 pm
Why it is important to you?
I enjoy it/it's entertaining to me, at one point I was pursuing it as a possible career, and it's had a lot of influence on the way I think, the way I analyze things, where that's been useful to me.
So, it affects your life? Can you explain more and give an example that philosophy affects your life?
Sure, an example is that I'm probably far more tolerant of different ethical behavior than I would have been otherwise, via realizing through philosophy that ethics is subjective/noncognitive/that no ethical stances are true or false.
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bahman
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by bahman »

Terrapin Station wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:37 pm
bahman wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:12 pm
Terrapin Station wrote: Sun Jan 24, 2021 10:09 pm
I enjoy it/it's entertaining to me, at one point I was pursuing it as a possible career, and it's had a lot of influence on the way I think, the way I analyze things, where that's been useful to me.
So, it affects your life? Can you explain more and give an example that philosophy affects your life?
Sure, an example is that I'm probably far more tolerant of different ethical behavior than I would have been otherwise, via realizing through philosophy that ethics is subjective/noncognitive/that no ethical stances are true or false.
Nice to hear that.
Veritas Aequitas
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Re: Is philosophy important?

Post by Veritas Aequitas »

Philosophy comprised of two perspectives, i.e.
1. in the narrower [philosophy as a subject] and
2. wider sense [philosophy-proper].

In the past, whatever [higher knowledge, wisdom and skills] human relied upon to enable humanity to survive and progress was in a way philosophy.
Then where knowledge is identified as specific, they are separated from philosophy, e.g. mathematics, morality, physics, geometry and others.

Whatever higher knowledge, wisdom and skills humans are still practicing and not categorized as a specific subject is thus philosophy-proper.

In this sense Philosopher-proper is very important because to be ignorant and to discard whatever is philosophy-proper would hinder humanity to maintain rationality and progress at the finer levels.

Here is one of the purpose of philosophy-proper which is not covered within any specific subject;
Bertrand Russell wrote:Thus, to sum up our discussion of the value of philosophy;
Philosophy is to be studied, not for the sake of any definite answers to its questions since no definite answers can, as a rule, be known to be true,
but rather for the sake of the questions themselves;
because these questions enlarge our conception of what is possible, enrich our intellectual imagination and diminish the dogmatic assurance which closes the mind against speculation;


There are other purposes of philosophy-proper besides the above.
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