What do people want from philosophy?

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Age
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Re: What do people want from philosophy?

Post by Age »

Walker wrote: Thu Oct 18, 2018 3:49 am
Human beings have been let down so many times previously and have become so fearful of being "taken for a ride" again by others that they do not trust others and will not listen to them.
Expect the worst and at worst you'll never be disappointed, otherwise often pleasantly surprised.
That is exactly what I tell someone continually, but not with the exact same words. I will try to remember to use your words, as the message within appears far sweeter.
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A_Seagull
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Re: What do people want from philosophy?

Post by A_Seagull »

Age wrote: Wed Oct 17, 2018 12:01 pm facts that can not be disputed.
What facts about the world do you know that cannot be disputed?
Age
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Re: What do people want from philosophy?

Post by Age »

A_Seagull wrote: Sat Oct 20, 2018 3:28 am
Age wrote: Wed Oct 17, 2018 12:01 pm facts that can not be disputed.
What facts about the world do you know that cannot be disputed?
Human beings do not need money to live.
Every adult, human being, is greedy.
Greedy adults are the major cause of pollution.
Pollution leads to the demise of the livable planet earth.
In current times without earth human beings can not continually exist.

Greed helps in causing wars.
Wars cost uncountable horror and terror in some human beings.
Numerous humans are killed in wars.
Human beings murdered in wars have relatives, who mostly want to take revenge, causing more wars, death, or destruction.
Wars cost billions upon billions of dollars. Peace costs nothing.

All human beings are born, relatively, with no thought at all.
All thought comes from a previous experience.
All human behavior comes from a thought.
All human behavior is learned.

Living in peace and harmony is an extremely simple and easy thing to do.
Discovering and learning how to do it can be very easy or very hard.
If, and when, human beings are brought up in a peaceful and harmonious world, then they will just accept that as being the norm/reality.
Most human beings accept that 'the world', the time and era, that they live in is the norm/reality.
The Mind is always open and able to learn any thing. Thoughts, however, can get in the way of the Mind.

Every adult abuses children
All children have been abused.
Dishonesty leads to wrong doing.
Honestly leads to doing what is right.
Dishonesty, child abuse, and greed are wrong and are the three main causes of all wrong doing by all adult human beings.
ALL adult human beings behave wrongly.

There are no world problems.
Human beings are the only ones who create problems.
There is a solution, and an answer, to all problems.
The answers to all meaningful questions in life are very simple, quick, and easy to find.

To name but just a minute few.
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A_Seagull
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Re: What do people want from philosophy?

Post by A_Seagull »

Age wrote: Sat Oct 20, 2018 10:54 am
A_Seagull wrote: Sat Oct 20, 2018 3:28 am
Age wrote: Wed Oct 17, 2018 12:01 pm facts that can not be disputed.
What facts about the world do you know that cannot be disputed?
Human beings do not need money to live.
Every adult, human being, is greedy.
Greedy adults are the major cause of pollution.
Pollution leads to the demise of the livable planet earth.
In current times without earth human beings can not continually exist.

Greed helps in causing wars.
Wars cost uncountable horror and terror in some human beings.
Numerous humans are killed in wars.
Human beings murdered in wars have relatives, who mostly want to take revenge, causing more wars, death, or destruction.
Wars cost billions upon billions of dollars. Peace costs nothing.

All human beings are born, relatively, with no thought at all.
All thought comes from a previous experience.
All human behavior comes from a thought.
All human behavior is learned.

Living in peace and harmony is an extremely simple and easy thing to do.
Discovering and learning how to do it can be very easy or very hard.
If, and when, human beings are brought up in a peaceful and harmonious world, then they will just accept that as being the norm/reality.
Most human beings accept that 'the world', the time and era, that they live in is the norm/reality.
The Mind is always open and able to learn any thing. Thoughts, however, can get in the way of the Mind.

Every adult abuses children
All children have been abused.
Dishonesty leads to wrong doing.
Honestly leads to doing what is right.
Dishonesty, child abuse, and greed are wrong and are the three main causes of all wrong doing by all adult human beings.
ALL adult human beings behave wrongly.

There are no world problems.
Human beings are the only ones who create problems.
There is a solution, and an answer, to all problems.
The answers to all meaningful questions in life are very simple, quick, and easy to find.

To name but just a minute few.
While appreciating your passion and concern for these issues, they can hardly be claimed to be indisputable facts but rather they are personal opinions.
Age
Posts: 20295
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2018 8:17 am

Re: What do people want from philosophy?

Post by Age »

A_Seagull wrote: Sat Oct 20, 2018 9:07 pm
Age wrote: Sat Oct 20, 2018 10:54 am
A_Seagull wrote: Sat Oct 20, 2018 3:28 am

What facts about the world do you know that cannot be disputed?
Human beings do not need money to live.
Every adult, human being, is greedy.
Greedy adults are the major cause of pollution.
Pollution leads to the demise of the livable planet earth.
In current times without earth human beings can not continually exist.

Greed helps in causing wars.
Wars cost uncountable horror and terror in some human beings.
Numerous humans are killed in wars.
Human beings murdered in wars have relatives, who mostly want to take revenge, causing more wars, death, or destruction.
Wars cost billions upon billions of dollars. Peace costs nothing.

All human beings are born, relatively, with no thought at all.
All thought comes from a previous experience.
All human behavior comes from a thought.
All human behavior is learned.

Living in peace and harmony is an extremely simple and easy thing to do.
Discovering and learning how to do it can be very easy or very hard.
If, and when, human beings are brought up in a peaceful and harmonious world, then they will just accept that as being the norm/reality.
Most human beings accept that 'the world', the time and era, that they live in is the norm/reality.
The Mind is always open and able to learn any thing. Thoughts, however, can get in the way of the Mind.

Every adult abuses children
All children have been abused.
Dishonesty leads to wrong doing.
Honestly leads to doing what is right.
Dishonesty, child abuse, and greed are wrong and are the three main causes of all wrong doing by all adult human beings.
ALL adult human beings behave wrongly.

There are no world problems.
Human beings are the only ones who create problems.
There is a solution, and an answer, to all problems.
The answers to all meaningful questions in life are very simple, quick, and easy to find.

To name but just a minute few.
While appreciating your passion and concern for these issues, they can hardly be claimed to be indisputable facts but rather they are personal opinions.
Call them what you want.

You asked me for facts that I know cannot be disputed. Admittedly you asked me for facts ABOUT THE WORLD that I know cannot be disputed. Maybe you were thinking of other kinds of facts that you were wanting me to present? If you were, then just be more precise so I KNOW what you are actually looking for. I can only successfully provide what I KNOW you are looking for. I NEED help to KNOW what you really are seeking here.

Although you call these indisputable facts, which I presented here, personal opinions, they are still indisputable facts as I seem them. That is, unless of course there is evidence to prove me otherwise. I am completely and fully OPEN to other perspectives.

However, maybe you were seeking facts more along the lines of;

The Universe IS eternal and infinite.
Space and matter are the most basic fundamental things that make up the Universe.
Time is not an actual thing that exists.
Although I just wrote space is one of the two most basic fundamental things that make up the Universe; space, like time, is not an actual thing that exists. (This is a purposely written 'paradox').
By being able to bring ALL things together as One, a Grand Unified Theory evolves, allowing the Theory of Everything to be fully seen and understood. That is; EVERY thing has an opposite, with Equilibrium.
Two things are needed for any thing to be created. But there is really only ONE actual thing, evolving, in equilibrium.

There are many more indisputable facts, but we could just start here if you like to look further into these first.

Are these 'paradoxes' more along the lines of the facts that I know can not be disputed, which is what you were seeking? Or, is it still something else that you are looking for?

These 'paradoxes' are not just facts that can not be disputed by the way, but they are also unambiguous facts that can not be disputed.
That it, of course depending on which way you want to look at them.
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A_Seagull
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Re: What do people want from philosophy?

Post by A_Seagull »

Age wrote: Sun Oct 21, 2018 3:06 am
A_Seagull wrote: Sat Oct 20, 2018 9:07 pm
Age wrote: Sat Oct 20, 2018 10:54 am

Human beings do not need money to live.
Every adult, human being, is greedy.
Greedy adults are the major cause of pollution.
Pollution leads to the demise of the livable planet earth.
In current times without earth human beings can not continually exist.

Greed helps in causing wars.
Wars cost uncountable horror and terror in some human beings.
Numerous humans are killed in wars.
Human beings murdered in wars have relatives, who mostly want to take revenge, causing more wars, death, or destruction.
Wars cost billions upon billions of dollars. Peace costs nothing.

All human beings are born, relatively, with no thought at all.
All thought comes from a previous experience.
All human behavior comes from a thought.
All human behavior is learned.

Living in peace and harmony is an extremely simple and easy thing to do.
Discovering and learning how to do it can be very easy or very hard.
If, and when, human beings are brought up in a peaceful and harmonious world, then they will just accept that as being the norm/reality.
Most human beings accept that 'the world', the time and era, that they live in is the norm/reality.
The Mind is always open and able to learn any thing. Thoughts, however, can get in the way of the Mind.

Every adult abuses children
All children have been abused.
Dishonesty leads to wrong doing.
Honestly leads to doing what is right.
Dishonesty, child abuse, and greed are wrong and are the three main causes of all wrong doing by all adult human beings.
ALL adult human beings behave wrongly.

There are no world problems.
Human beings are the only ones who create problems.
There is a solution, and an answer, to all problems.
The answers to all meaningful questions in life are very simple, quick, and easy to find.

To name but just a minute few.
While appreciating your passion and concern for these issues, they can hardly be claimed to be indisputable facts but rather they are personal opinions.
Call them what you want.

You asked me for facts that I know cannot be disputed. Admittedly you asked me for facts ABOUT THE WORLD that I know cannot be disputed. Maybe you were thinking of other kinds of facts that you were wanting me to present? If you were, then just be more precise so I KNOW what you are actually looking for. I can only successfully provide what I KNOW you are looking for. I NEED help to KNOW what you really are seeking here.

Although you call these indisputable facts, which I presented here, personal opinions, they are still indisputable facts as I seem them. That is, unless of course there is evidence to prove me otherwise. I am completely and fully OPEN to other perspectives.

However, maybe you were seeking facts more along the lines of;

The Universe IS eternal and infinite.
Space and matter are the most basic fundamental things that make up the Universe.
Time is not an actual thing that exists.
Although I just wrote space is one of the two most basic fundamental things that make up the Universe; space, like time, is not an actual thing that exists. (This is a purposely written 'paradox').
By being able to bring ALL things together as One, a Grand Unified Theory evolves, allowing the Theory of Everything to be fully seen and understood. That is; EVERY thing has an opposite, with Equilibrium.
Two things are needed for any thing to be created. But there is really only ONE actual thing, evolving, in equilibrium.

There are many more indisputable facts, but we could just start here if you like to look further into these first.

Are these 'paradoxes' more along the lines of the facts that I know can not be disputed, which is what you were seeking? Or, is it still something else that you are looking for?

These 'paradoxes' are not just facts that can not be disputed by the way, but they are also unambiguous facts that can not be disputed.
That it, of course depending on which way you want to look at them.
For me an 'indisputable' fact is one that is incapable of being disputed by any rational person anywhere in the world. It would mean that such a fact was so grounded in rigorous logical inference that there was no rational means of doubting it.

I do not believe that any of your suggested facts meet this criteria.

In fact I think there are very few, if any, facts of the world that cannot be disputed.

Even the existence of time and space can be disputed, particularly if it is asserted that there are 3 dimensions of space and 1 of time; for it would be hard to exclude the possibility that there are 4 dimensions of space and 2 of time.
Age
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Re: What do people want from philosophy?

Post by Age »

A_Seagull wrote: Sun Oct 21, 2018 3:35 am
Age wrote: Sun Oct 21, 2018 3:06 am
A_Seagull wrote: Sat Oct 20, 2018 9:07 pm

While appreciating your passion and concern for these issues, they can hardly be claimed to be indisputable facts but rather they are personal opinions.
Call them what you want.

You asked me for facts that I know cannot be disputed. Admittedly you asked me for facts ABOUT THE WORLD that I know cannot be disputed. Maybe you were thinking of other kinds of facts that you were wanting me to present? If you were, then just be more precise so I KNOW what you are actually looking for. I can only successfully provide what I KNOW you are looking for. I NEED help to KNOW what you really are seeking here.

Although you call these indisputable facts, which I presented here, personal opinions, they are still indisputable facts as I seem them. That is, unless of course there is evidence to prove me otherwise. I am completely and fully OPEN to other perspectives.

However, maybe you were seeking facts more along the lines of;

The Universe IS eternal and infinite.
Space and matter are the most basic fundamental things that make up the Universe.
Time is not an actual thing that exists.
Although I just wrote space is one of the two most basic fundamental things that make up the Universe; space, like time, is not an actual thing that exists. (This is a purposely written 'paradox').
By being able to bring ALL things together as One, a Grand Unified Theory evolves, allowing the Theory of Everything to be fully seen and understood. That is; EVERY thing has an opposite, with Equilibrium.
Two things are needed for any thing to be created. But there is really only ONE actual thing, evolving, in equilibrium.

There are many more indisputable facts, but we could just start here if you like to look further into these first.

Are these 'paradoxes' more along the lines of the facts that I know can not be disputed, which is what you were seeking? Or, is it still something else that you are looking for?

These 'paradoxes' are not just facts that can not be disputed by the way, but they are also unambiguous facts that can not be disputed.
That it, of course depending on which way you want to look at them.
For me an 'indisputable' fact is one that is incapable of being disputed by any rational person anywhere in the world.
Sort of self-explanatory is it not?
A_Seagull wrote: Sun Oct 21, 2018 3:35 am It would mean that such a fact was so grounded in rigorous logical inference that there was no rational means of doubting it.
Sounds fair enough description to me and just about the one I was thinking when I wrote the above.

If within a statement there was no rational means of doubting it, by ANY ONE, then on just about ALL accounts it would be a self-explained unambiguous fact that could NOT be disputed.
A_Seagull wrote: Sun Oct 21, 2018 3:35 amI do not believe that any of your suggested facts meet this criteria.
Is that the reason WHY you will not even bother looking at nor discussing any of them?
A_Seagull wrote: Sun Oct 21, 2018 3:35 amIn fact I think there are very few, if any, facts of the world that cannot be disputed.
Either you think there are, very, few, OR, you think there are none.

If you KNOW of any, why would you think there are none?

If you KNOW of any, then why do you not provide them?

If you do NOT KNOW of any, then WHY do you think there are very few?

WHAT would those few necessarily look like?
A_Seagull wrote: Sun Oct 21, 2018 3:35 amEven the existence of time and space can be disputed, particularly if it is asserted that there are 3 dimensions of space and 1 of time; for it would be hard to exclude the possibility that there are 4 dimensions of space and 2 of time.
WHY would any person try to ASSERT some thing if it could be disputed any way?

You have already proven, by your own words, that at the moment you are unable to look at this properly.

I have already ASSERTED what are, to me, unambiguous facts that are incapable of being disputed by any rational person anywhere in the world, at the moment this is written.

If you, or absolutely any other person, would like to have a go at disputing any of the above feel free. The harder you attempt to the more you will be teaching me in how to communicate more succinctly. The more you, any person, is OPEN, then the MORE both of us will learn, and also the MORE we will discover "NEW" things.
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Greta
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Re: What do people want from philosophy?

Post by Greta »

What do I want from philosophy? EVERYTHING!

But I'm not a philosopher, just another retiree random thinker ... no training, qualifications or work experience. So that's the point of philosophy for me - everything of interest is potential grist for the mill without worrying about categories or the kinds of limits of focus imposed on professionals. Other fields feel restrictive by comparison to philosophy.

Philosophy is a field that will happily stick its nose into any other - any of the sciences, hard or soft, or politics, religion, the arts, sports - dismissive of other fields' complaints about dilettantism, aware that dabbling is essential to gain the overviews we seek. Philosophers and other generalist thinkers understand that the world needs its specialists - those who excel at doing one thing superbly - but we also understand that that is not us, neither by aptitude nor inclination.
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Re: What do people want from philosophy?

Post by TimeSeeker »

Greta wrote: Sun Oct 21, 2018 5:08 am Philosophy is a field that will happily stick its nose into any other...

Philosophers and other generalist thinkers understand that the world needs its specialists - those who excel at doing one thing superbly - but we also understand that that is not us, neither by aptitude nor inclination.
Wait till I tell you that we have invented a specialist discipline that does one thing superbly. Being a generalist e.g sticking its nose into everything!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_theory

And as a systems theorist I love sticking my nose in philosophy. Mostly to point out that it's irrelevant in 2018. A historical artefact ;)
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A_Seagull
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Re: What do people want from philosophy?

Post by A_Seagull »

Age wrote: Wed Oct 17, 2018 3:18 pm There is a huge difference between some thing BEING true, right, and correct, from some thing only being ASSUMED to be true, right, and correct.

I suggest that it is impossible to distinguish one from the other and hence it is pointless to assert that there is a difference.
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Re: What do people want from philosophy?

Post by TimeSeeker »

A_Seagull wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 4:06 am I suggest that it is impossible to distinguish one from the other and hence it is pointless to assert that there is a difference.
If there is a distinction to be made - empiricism/science comes handy.
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Re: What do people want from philosophy?

Post by A_Seagull »

TimeSeeker wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 6:14 am
A_Seagull wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 4:06 am I suggest that it is impossible to distinguish one from the other and hence it is pointless to assert that there is a difference.
If there is a distinction to be made - empiricism/science comes handy.
Really? Do go on......
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Re: What do people want from philosophy?

Post by TimeSeeker »

A_Seagull wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 6:31 am Really? Do go on......
I reasonably ASSUME there is an American flag on the Moon left there by the Apollo missions. However certain, there is always a chance that I am wrong - maybe the missions really were a hoax?

I can empirically verify/confirm my ASSUMPTION with a powerful enough telescope. Having VERIFIED the claim for myself it is no longer an assumption. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verificationism
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A_Seagull
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Re: What do people want from philosophy?

Post by A_Seagull »

TimeSeeker wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:02 am
A_Seagull wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 6:31 am Really? Do go on......
I reasonably ASSUME there is an American flag on the Moon left there by the Apollo missions. However certain, there is always a chance that I am wrong - maybe the missions really were a hoax?

I can empirically verify/confirm my ASSUMPTION with a powerful enough telescope. Having VERIFIED the claim for myself it is no longer an assumption. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verificationism
I don't think any Earth based telescope could have the resolving power through the Earth's atmosphere to identify the existence of any flag on the Moon's surface, let alone discern the stars and stripes of the an American flag.

In order to get confirmation you would have to go there yourself, assuming that the Moon would still be there when you got there.
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Re: What do people want from philosophy?

Post by TimeSeeker »

A_Seagull wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 10:41 am I don't think any Earth based telescope could have the resolving power through the Earth's atmosphere to identify the existence of any flag on the Moon's surface, let alone discern the stars and stripes of the an American flag.
You are right. That is a terrible experiment.
A_Seagull wrote: Mon Oct 22, 2018 10:41 am In order to get confirmation you would have to go there yourself, assuming that the Moon would still be there when you got there.
No. I think this is a hasty conclusion. I can always point a laser at the exact coordinates of the reflective devise that was left on the Moon by the apollo missions. Exactly like the Chinese did: https://gbtimes.com/china-just-bounced- ... 15-mission
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