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Why does the public look at philosophy with disdain?

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 9:59 pm
by commonsense
What is it about us that makes others tune us out? Why is it that what inspires our passions invokes boredom in others? How did we become irrelevant in the eyes of the public?

Re: Why does the public look at philosophy with disdain?

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 10:22 pm
by Judaka
Has philosophy ever been mainstream? Personally, while I find some aspects of philosophy interesting, 90% of the threads here aren't interesting to me at all. Even topics which are interesting, some people often have very odd views which lack any utility or sense, meaning I won't be that interested in talking about it with them.

I think philosophy, so far as it has utility, is often talked about but within a specific context like morality, religion, obligations and so on. When you talk about philosophy without context, I generally assume the topic doesn't have much utility and we're talking recreationally or we're talking about something rather complicated and esoteric like ontology, epistemology and existentialism.

So if you're not interested in that kind of stuff and you think it's a waste of time then you might look at it with disdain, I think compared to other hobbies, someone being very interested in philosophy leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Just look at this forum and see how differently people approach philosophy, some are just normal people while others I would say have some very strange ideas. So it's easy to see how those strange ideas can come to make philosophy like in this forum looks weird and useless, compare to its application in life which is mostly useful and normal.

Re: Why does the public look at philosophy with disdain?

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 10:36 pm
by Impenitent
maybe corrupting the youth and drinking hemlock or something...

I don't know...

-Imp

Re: Why does the public look at philosophy with disdain?

Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2018 11:57 pm
by -1-
I think it's a case of "different strokes for different folks."

I get googly-eyed and incredibly bored when the conversation turns to food nutrition, or to make up and its advantages, or to designing dresses, or knitting. (My major squeeze is a knitter.)

I've seen people get angry at the sheer sight of jokers... they are not serious enough for them, while to me humour is not only the best medicine, but it's also the best food for mental well-being.

Some people like to watch action movies where a quasi-intelligent viewer knows not only the outcome, but also which characters will survive of the "good guys", and who will die... and the viewer also can identify the good guys from the bad, without thinking.

Some people like chicklflicks, some don't.

Some follow celeb news, some don't.

Some don't eat mushrooms, others do.

Some do drugs, others don't.

ETC.

Philosophy is just one of these things.

Once you are into anything, you come to realize how few people are into it. In a city of millions, the model railway club will count 1000 members,of which 50 are active. The chess club will have 38 active members, the math club, 3, the "Bella Lakinger mutual admiration Club", 1 member.

Whatever turns X number of persons' cranks, it will bore one million times X people, and leave four billion times X people completely indifferent to it.

Re: Why does the public look at philosophy with disdain?

Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 1:02 am
by Greta
It's complicated and impractical. Thus people find it boring and irrelevant, fussing about things that can safely be taken for granted.

However, their innocent bravado is exposed when they are lying on the deathbeds, and then suddenly those boring and irrelevant existential and moral philosophical notions become incredibly interesting and important.

Re: Why does the public look at philosophy with disdain?

Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 1:30 am
by -1-
Greta wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 1:02 am It's complicated and impractical. Thus people find it boring and irrelevant, fussing about things that can safely be taken for granted.

However, their innocent bravado is exposed when they are lying on the deathbeds, and then suddenly those boring and irrelevant existential and moral philosophical notions become incredibly interesting and important.
According to this, I've been lying on my deathbed for 64 years.

It's a long way... to Tipperary...

Re: Why does the public look at philosophy with disdain?

Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 1:43 am
by Greta
-1- wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 1:30 am
Greta wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 1:02 am It's complicated and impractical. Thus people find it boring and irrelevant, fussing about things that can safely be taken for granted.

However, their innocent bravado is exposed when they are lying on the deathbeds, and then suddenly those boring and irrelevant existential and moral philosophical notions become incredibly interesting and important.
According to this, I've been lying on my deathbed for 64 years.

It's a long way... to Tipperary...
Perhaps so, aside from the dying and deathbed, of course.

Re: Why does the public look at philosophy with disdain?

Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 2:40 am
by HexHammer
commonsense wrote: Sun Aug 26, 2018 9:59 pmWhat is it about us that makes others tune us out? Why is it that what inspires our passions invokes boredom in others? How did we become irrelevant in the eyes of the public?
Philosophy was the predecessor to science, and are largely irrelevant, only a very few aspects still holds true, to ask why, how, there must be more, don't jump to conclusions, etc.

Philosophy are left with navel gazing half wits that has tragically mental aptitude an can only cozy chat all day and night, without getting anywhere, like a dog chasing its own tail! ..why no serious business demands philosophers, because they can't produce any results, philosophy in itself can't give any answers, only as a supplement to other educations will it have some use.

Re: Why does the public look at philosophy with disdain?

Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 2:48 am
by -1-
HexHammer wrote: Mon Aug 27, 2018 2:40 am
commonsense wrote: Sun Aug 26, 2018 9:59 pmWhat is it about us that makes others tune us out? Why is it that what inspires our passions invokes boredom in others? How did we become irrelevant in the eyes of the public?
Philosophy was the predecessor to science, and are largely irrelevant, only a very few aspects still holds true, to ask why, how, there must be more, don't jump to conclusions, etc.

Philosophy are left with navel gazing half wits that has tragically mental aptitude an can only cozy chat all day and night, without getting anywhere, like a dog chasing its own tail! ..why no serious business demands philosophers, because they can't produce any results, philosophy in itself can't give any answers, only as a supplement to other educations will it have some use.
You are saying these as if they were bad things.

And by the way: if science replaced philosophy, then why are people apathetic to science? there is a public interest, but that's waning fast. Science is for the scientists, the public reasons. If they discover something interesting,fine,like arable land on Mars, or blow jobs on Pluto, or viagra, we are all for it, but basically most people don't even know the chemical formula or diagram for it.

Re: Why does the public look at philosophy with disdain?

Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 6:10 am
by A_Seagull
Because so much of what has been written about philosophy is false or irrelevant or both.
But demonstrating , let alone proving, that it is irrelevant or false is a hard task.

Re: Why does the public look at philosophy with disdain?

Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 1:35 pm
by Dalek Prime
commonsense wrote: Sun Aug 26, 2018 9:59 pm What is it about us that makes others tune us out? Why is it that what inspires our passions invokes boredom in others? How did we become irrelevant in the eyes of the public?
Because we aren't money makers. Philosophy has never been that sort of pursuit.And, no one wants to know the underbelly of the world and their lives. They spend most of it trying to avoid the muck they live and crawl through. But some of us like the muck, squeeze it through our fingers, and exult in it.

But most? They want stability. Security. Certainty. You don't get that in philosophy.

Why does the public look at philosophy with disdain?

Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 2:21 pm
by henry quirk
Mostly, I think, cuz philosopher-types are jackasses.

Most folks get their backs up when know-it-all jerk offs lecture them.

Most obvious example that comes to mind: the whole 'free will' thing.

Most, probably all, people have the sense of choosing, directing.

Along comes a philosopher who not only sez 'no, you choose nuthin' but also sez 'you're an idiot for thinkin' you do'.

And folks are supposed to just love up on such a person?

Yeah.

You want some love from the general population?

First excise the congential jackasses, then 'be nice'.

Re: Why does the public look at philosophy with disdain?

Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 2:41 pm
by commonsense
Judaka wrote: Sun Aug 26, 2018 10:22 pm Has philosophy ever been mainstream? Personally, while I find some aspects of philosophy interesting, 90% of the threads here aren't interesting to me at all. Even topics which are interesting, some people often have very odd views which lack any utility or sense, meaning I won't be that interested in talking about it with them.

I think philosophy, so far as it has utility, is often talked about but within a specific context like morality, religion, obligations and so on. When you talk about philosophy without context, I generally assume the topic doesn't have much utility and we're talking recreationally or we're talking about something rather complicated and esoteric like ontology, epistemology and existentialism.

So if you're not interested in that kind of stuff and you think it's a waste of time then you might look at it with disdain, I think compared to other hobbies, someone being very interested in philosophy leaves a lot of questions unanswered. Just look at this forum and see how differently people approach philosophy, some are just normal people while others I would say have some very strange ideas. So it's easy to see how those strange ideas can come to make philosophy like in this forum looks weird and useless, compare to its application in life which is mostly useful and normal.
Spot on, Judaka (Judaica?). Your points are valid. Though I know that you were talking about someone being interested in philosophy, I decided to hone in on the emphasized phrase: are the questions in philosophy unanswered or unresolved?

Re: Why does the public look at philosophy with disdain?

Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 2:43 pm
by commonsense
Impenitent wrote: Sun Aug 26, 2018 10:36 pm maybe corrupting the youth and drinking hemlock or something...

I don't know...

-Imp
Yes, we mustn’t corrupt the youth away from their social media .

Re: Why does the public look at philosophy with disdain?

Posted: Mon Aug 27, 2018 2:48 pm
by commonsense
-1- wrote: Sun Aug 26, 2018 11:57 pm I think it's a case of "different strokes for different folks."

I get googly-eyed and incredibly bored when the conversation turns to food nutrition, or to make up and its advantages, or to designing dresses, or knitting. (My major squeeze is a knitter.)

I've seen people get angry at the sheer sight of jokers... they are not serious enough for them, while to me humour is not only the best medicine, but it's also the best food for mental well-being.

Some people like to watch action movies where a quasi-intelligent viewer knows not only the outcome, but also which characters will survive of the "good guys", and who will die... and the viewer also can identify the good guys from the bad, without thinking.

Some people like chicklflicks, some don't.

Some follow celeb news, some don't.

Some don't eat mushrooms, others do.

Some do drugs, others don't.

ETC.

Philosophy is just one of these things.

Once you are into anything, you come to realize how few people are into it. In a city of millions, the model railway club will count 1000 members,of which 50 are active. The chess club will have 38 active members, the math club, 3, the "Bella Lakinger mutual admiration Club", 1 member.

Whatever turns X number of persons' cranks, it will bore one million times X people, and leave four billion times X people completely indifferent to it.
Humor is the bread of life.