should philosophy even exist?

[NEW]

I came across this peculiar person (Osho) and a video around philosophy. And if I'm not mistaken, there are others around the same subject.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK4aVB1uPOg

Although I don't mind philosophy myself (quite the contrary), he certainly has a point around experience, and continuous restless mind contemplation around things, that never really go anywhere.

[Atla]

I think Osho really nailed it with Western philosophy:

In the West, the philosopher has become a totally different phenomenon. Due to the Greek influence, the philosopher lost his roots in existence and became more and more rational, became more and more speculative. And Western philosophy has grown out of the Greek experiment. Hence, Western philosophy has gone in almost the opposite direction from Sufism. It has become logic-chopping, great arguments about nothing, just hair-splitting.

And slowly, slowly Western philosophy has come to a dead end. Now it is nothing but linguistic analysis. It no longer thinks of great things, it is no longer concerned with God or truth or freedom or love, no, not at all. Its whole concern has become the meaning of words. When the Western philosopher thinks about God, he means that he will think about what the word God means. He is not concerned with the reality of God, he is concerned only with the word God – as if by analyzing the word fire you will come to know fire, or by analyzing the word bread your hunger will be satisfied. Western philosophy goes on thinking about the word – bread, God, love – and has completely forgotten that love is only a word, it is not the reality. It is only a symbol, it is a finger pointing to the moon.

Western philosophy goes on thinking about the finger – how long it is, how beautiful or not beautiful it is, black or white, and has completely forgotten that it simply points to the moon. You need not be concerned with the finger, you can forget about it. Look at the moon and forget the finger. But Western philosophy has become greatly skilled in thinking about the finger.

If you read the works of the greatest philosophers in the West – Bertrand Russell, Ludwig Wittgenstein, G. E. Moore – you will be surprised: just linguistic analysis. The reality is no longer any concern of philosophy.

But nondualism doesn't have all the answers either, far from it. It's called the end of seeking for a reason, but I think it's also where "real" philosophy begins. Now we are properly equipped to try to address the most difficult questions in philosophy.

[uwot]

In essence philosophy is two things:
1. Story telling. There is a bunch of shit going on that it would be cool to explain.
2. Challenging stories. Any idiot who thinks their story is the only one can explain all the stuff that's happening deserves ridicule.
It is because of 2 that idiots whinge about philosophy.

[Dontaskme]

In essence philosophy is two things:
1. Story telling. There is a bunch of shit going on that it would be cool to explain.
2. Challenging stories. Any idiot who thinks their story is the only one can explain all the stuff that's happening deserves ridicule.
It is because of 2 that idiots whinge about philosophy.

Idiots are part of the story...stories are Borg ideas that only reflect physicality which is not actually real, nor is it here nor there.
Who or where is the story teller?

The Philosopher doesn’t exist.

.

[commonsense]

The Philosopher doesn’t exist.

You heard it here, everybody: DAM doesn’t exist.

[NEW]

The Philosopher doesn’t exist.

You heard it here, everybody: DAM doesn’t exist.

I'm afraid he has a point, commonsense,
except if you are someone that has invested so much in the definition, that you are molded into it, with your personality entangled with it ...ready to defend it, although it might be wrong, or perhaps even irrelevant.

There is indeed something else, something more,

it's called life

[NEW]

I think Osho really nailed it with Western philosophy:

In the West, the philosopher has become a totally different phenomenon. Due to the Greek influence, the philosopher lost his roots in existence and became more and more rational, became more and more speculative. And Western philosophy has grown out of the Greek experiment. Hence, Western philosophy has gone in almost the opposite direction from Sufism. It has become logic-chopping, great arguments about nothing, just hair-splitting.

And slowly, slowly Western philosophy has come to a dead end. Now it is nothing but linguistic analysis. It no longer thinks of great things, it is no longer concerned with God or truth or freedom or love, no, not at all. Its whole concern has become the meaning of words. When the Western philosopher thinks about God, he means that he will think about what the word God means. He is not concerned with the reality of God, he is concerned only with the word God – as if by analyzing the word fire you will come to know fire, or by analyzing the word bread your hunger will be satisfied. Western philosophy goes on thinking about the word – bread, God, love – and has completely forgotten that love is only a word, it is not the reality. It is only a symbol, it is a finger pointing to the moon.

Western philosophy goes on thinking about the finger – how long it is, how beautiful or not beautiful it is, black or white, and has completely forgotten that it simply points to the moon. You need not be concerned with the finger, you can forget about it. Look at the moon and forget the finger. But Western philosophy has become greatly skilled in thinking about the finger.

If you read the works of the greatest philosophers in the West – Bertrand Russell, Ludwig Wittgenstein, G. E. Moore – you will be surprised: just linguistic analysis. The reality is no longer any concern of philosophy.

But nondualism doesn't have all the answers either, far from it. It's called the end of seeking for a reason, but I think it's also where "real" philosophy begins. Now we are properly equipped to try to address the most difficult questions in philosophy.

Well, I'm curious about that one as well, since every definition seems to be a struggle to try and fit into,
while it always turns out to be more then that,

it's just there, to experiencing it, with every pound of my heart, breath,
and yet not catch-able, just like that very butterfly, going from flower to flower it seems,
with every tool given to me.
only art comes close

[Lacewing]

Based on my experience...

Philosophy simultaneously inspires and challenges: it inspires us to look beyond what we are/think, and it challenges us to question our definitions of what we are/think.

Anyone's philosophy that tries to nail it all down in a particular way reveals insights into the one with the hammer: how does such a construction serve and shield THEM? If not building a structure to house and identify themselves with, then they would put down the hammer and continue exploring -- NOT to find something specific/imagined, but to discover the unimaginable and keep going.

This isn't scary when you recognize/remember that you are already naturally part of all that is. You're already "home" -- as we all are. It doesn't make sense to pretend to build a separate home/structure and claim that it is the supreme temple of all.

Embracing philosophy as a way to inspire and challenge, we can keep broadening our own (and collective) scope and capability, to enhance our brief time in these extraordinary lives.

[Nick_A]

Of course philosophy as the love of wisdom doesn't exist. It has been replaced by one of humanities greatest joys: the battle over opinions. The greater the battle.the greater the joy.

Only relative few are concerned with the wisdom that reconciles opinions and for the sake of our greatest joy, they should be eliminated as quickly as possible to preserve and intensify the dominant war over opinions.

[surreptitious57]

The primary function of philosophy is to make sure that the right type of questions are being asked
So then to deny its existence is to say that those questions no longer apply which is simply not true

Also if there was no philosophy then there would be no philosophy forums and this place would not exist anymore
But the fact that it does exist must mean we think philosophy has a purpose otherwise what are we all doing here

[NEW]

many thanks all

Based on my experience...

Philosophy simultaneously inspires and challenges: it inspires us to look beyond what we are/think, and it challenges us to question our definitions of what we are/think.

Anyone's philosophy that tries to nail it all down in a particular way reveals insights into the one with the hammer: how does such a construction serve and shield THEM? If not building a structure to house and identify themselves with, then they would put down the hammer and continue exploring -- NOT to find something specific/imagined, but to discover the unimaginable and keep going.

This isn't scary when you recognize/remember that you are already naturally part of all that is. You're already "home" -- as we all are. It doesn't make sense to pretend to build a separate home/structure and claim that it is the supreme temple of all.

Embracing philosophy as a way to inspire and challenge, we can keep broadening our own (and collective) scope and capability, to enhance our brief time in these extraordinary lives.

my thoughts as well contemplation, questioning, self/reflecting, and therefore continuously challenging and broadening one's perspective

Of course philosophy as the love of wisdom doesn't exist. It has been replaced by one of humanities greatest joys: the battle over opinions. The greater the battle.the greater the joy.

Only relative few are concerned with the wisdom that reconciles opinions and for the sake of our greatest joy, they should be eliminated as quickly as possible to preserve and intensify the dominant war over opinions.

phoe, a tough one, cause pointless arguing over each other's ego's being more right, just seems silly.
We are witness of that every day:



This doesn't mean of course you have to agree, and reconcile just for the joy of it.
But trying to understand the other trough discussion, instead of just a blind debate seems to be worth it. Even if you disagree, you can still celebrate each other's diversity of thinking, and enrich one another.

cause without diversity in thinking, there could not be anything to discuss in the first place...

The primary function of philosophy is to make sure that the right type of questions are being asked
So then to deny its existence is to say that those questions no longer apply which is simply not true

Also if there was no philosophy then there would be no philosophy forums and this place would not exist anymore
But the fact that it does exist must mean we think philosophy has a purpose otherwise what are we all doing here

yeah, what are we all doing here? ...

[Sculptor]

I came across this peculiar person (Osho) and a video around philosophy. And if I'm not mistaken, there are others around the same subject.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kK4aVB1uPOg

Although I don't mind philosophy myself (quite the contrary), he certainly has a point around experience, and continuous restless mind contemplation around things, that never really go anywhere.

It's all about the journey, not the destination. The destination is always death. Life is about travelling, be that on the earth or through the mind or both.

There is no knowledge without this journey.

Osho knows nothing, Osho has stopped his journey and lies at the side of the road panhandling, but essentially dead brained. He might as well be dead, because as far as life and the journey of life is concerned he already is dead and gathering dust.

[Arising_uk]

Seems to like a gaudy watch tho'.

[Impenitent]

Seems to like a gaudy watch tho'.

-Imp

[Nick_A]

New

cause without diversity in thinking, there could not be anything to discuss in the first place...

You do not seem aware of qualities of reconciliation. Discussion you describe is psychology. Its intent is to bring people together by reconciling their differences. However philosophy is the love of wisdom; the love of truth without compromise.

There is time in a person's life when they can become disappointed. They sense there is something more valuable than just exploring diversity so are willing to sacrifice opinions to experience in a new way..

Is there a way the concepts of light and dark for example could be reconciled as one? If it can, all the diverse opinions could be reconciled as well into one truth. Socrates said "I know nothing". He was aware of many opinions but was incapable of reconciling them so in reality knew nothing in terms of the goal of philosophy which is the conscious quality of truth in which wisdom Abides.

Can a person transcend the domain of partial truths, the world of opinions, and enter the domain of truth made possible through a higher quality of reconciliation we have the conscious potential to experience? Without it, pick your opinion and have at it.