the real value of philosophy

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Peter Kropotkin
Posts: 1499
Joined: Wed Jun 22, 2022 5:11 am

the real value of philosophy

Post by Peter Kropotkin »

as I have returned to work after a 5 month lay off because of
ankle surgery, I have been missing of late.. going forward, my writings
shall be more along the line of when I can fit it in...

The traditional categories of philosophy is usually listed
as such: Epistemology, Metaphysics, ethics, logic, aesthetics,
political philosophy, language (which was strong in the last century)

These categories, I believe, have led us astray...
In our philosophical thinking, we hold to categories
that should be of limited value, at best....
by this I mean that we hold epistemology as having great value
in philosophy... but in reality, epistemology should be a minor
philosophical insight... in other words, we place far, far too much
emphasis on epistemology and not enough on where philosophy should
be...

Philosophy to be of use to us, should engage in our lives less about
epistemology, logic, language games, metaphysics,... and more about
questions about ethics/morality and closer to the existentialist's questions
of existence...

"What does it mean to be human" is not a logic game or about language
or epistemology... philosophy needs to be about our possibilities..
what is possibly for us to achieve, not what can we know...
Philosophy is facing us in the wrong direction by the emphasis on
the aspects of philosophy......the right question should be "how are we to live"
not "how do we know"....

Philosophy is lost and going in the wrong direction because it isn't engaging
in the right questions...

and on way we can turn philosophy around is by asking ourselves,
which philosophy can we use as a way of life? And that is the real
value of philosophy... using philosophy to perceive what should be
our way of life? To inform us, to educate us, to enlighten us...

Philosophy isn't a tool we use to gain knowledge, but a mean of
understanding for ourselves, a way of life.. that is the value
of philosophy and we have lost that essential and crucial meaning
of philosophy..... it is a means for us to find a way of life for ourselves...

we can use, as a way of life, Stoicism, or pragmatism, Hedonism,
existentialism, Aristotelianism, cynicism, epicureanism, Kantianism,
Objectivism.... just to name a few possibilities as a way of life...

or we can work out a modern way of life, Marxism for example..
or we can seek out other examples of "a way of life"
for example, as a way of life, we can adapt transhumanism, for example
or post-modernism.... we can go many different ways in seeking out
a "way of life" in our modern world... and that is the value of philosophy..
by giving us examples of previous "ways of life" or by giving us
a way to work out new examples that can be adapted into
"way of life"

This seeking a "new way of life" really ought to be what modern
philosophy is about... not about epistemological questions that
tell us nothing about what it means to be human... or language
games theory that is nothing more than mental masturbation...


Kropotkin
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Lacewing
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Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2015 2:25 am

Re: the real value of philosophy

Post by Lacewing »

Peter Kropotkin wrote: Sat Sep 24, 2022 12:56 am Philosophy is lost and going in the wrong direction because it isn't engaging
in the right questions...

This seeking a "new way of life" really ought to be what modern
philosophy is about...
I agree with those statements.

Reinforcing and polishing past temples and rites of philosophy rather than exploring further seems very odd to me. As if we humans can go no further, so let's all argue about who has a more accurate interpretation of the past! What?!

Philosophy is an opportunity to question what we think we know... right now. It's also an opportunity to recognize and acknowledge how many different viewpoints there are. That should give us some insights. Many, many, many people choose what serves them...for whatever reasons. Many different viewpoints work. Lots of people are good beings regardless of their varying ideas or perspectives.

Do we really think we already know and see all that there is? Surely our potential can expand beyond the writings and thoughts of earlier men? What more might they realize if they were here now? Don't we care to be bold explorers during our time on Earth? Or do we only want to soothe and bolster ourselves based on the conclusions of others?

The philosophy of the present moment is my favorite kind of philosophy, and always has been. It's so rich! I don't need anyone to give me a certain game plan or script. I don't imagine that the Universe is that small.
bobmax
Posts: 596
Joined: Fri Jun 03, 2022 7:38 am

Re: the real value of philosophy

Post by bobmax »

In my opinion, looking for a way to live is important.
But finding a good way of life can be an effect of philosophizing, not its motivation nor its goal.

The aim of philosophy is always the same: the Truth.

By seeking the Truth, it can happen that we change ourselves, our way of life.
But we don't philosophize to bring about this change.

Therefore it is not so important what subjects we engage in, what matters is our faith in the Truth.
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