Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 2 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
#111619 09/08/03 08:24 AM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,055
B
old hand
Offline
old hand
B
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,055
> the Archimedean point

Are you not getting the cart before the horse? Surely this is a fairly new product of philosophical thought despite it's grounding in old Greek philosophical imagery. If one wants to know what 'philosophy' is, then one best learn who came up with the word and why though, praps that's what you were getting at. Is 'philosophy' an attempt to reflect on an overall coherence and sense of purpose we feel in life (see 'God'), despite the man-made factioning (and thus corrupting) of it? Maybe so. It's odd, for example, that a Westerner's standard way of examining and understanding an animal is to first kill it and dissect it - so as to see what it is made of. I don't think many secular thinkers are very comfortable with the notion that in attempting to explain things you will perpetually retreat from, or 'kill' direct truth, but this notion is, or should be, self-evident to those who are religious, for to question the 'totality' becomes redundant when you evoke the notion of God. But isn't God then too totally redundant? For distilled into a word it becomes a corruption of 'true' God so-to-speak. What a funny quandary!
Clearly to argue that our theoretical thinking is in any way neutal or absolute would be a dificult task, as the Archimedean Point, erm, points out. But doesn't this therefore defeat the whole purpose of philosophy? No, it just gives thinkers more to talk about.


#111620 09/08/03 09:44 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,027
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,027
But doesn't this therefore defeat the whole purpose of philosophy? By no means! We just should be aware of the distinction between the purpose of philosophy and the purpose of defining it. There is always a latent risk (as with "science") of using such a definition to devalue a disliked variant of the endeavour.


#111621 09/08/03 10:17 AM
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
The worthless maunderings of those who believe that if it works in practice but not in theory something must be wrong with the practice.


#111622 09/08/03 10:29 AM
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
The worthless maunderings of those who believe that if it works in practice but not in theory something must be wrong with the practice.

Perfick!


#111623 09/08/03 11:09 AM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
The quote in today's Word is apt for this thread:
To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, nor even to
found a school, but so to love wisdom as to live according to its dictates,
a life of simplicity, independence, magnanimity, and trust. -Henry David
Thoreau, naturalist and author (1817-1862)



#111624 09/08/03 11:40 AM
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 25
D
dasrex Offline OP
newbie
OP Offline
newbie
D
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 25
The greek word for philosopher (philosophos) connotes a distinction from sophos. It signifies the lover of wisdom (knowledge)as distinguished from him who considers himself wise in the possession of knowledge.This meaning of the word still endures:the essence of philosophy is not the possession of truth but the search for truth,regardless how many philosophers may belie it with their dogmatism, that is, with a body of didactic principles purporting to be definitive and complete. Philosophy means to be on the way. Its questions are more essential than its answers,and every answer becomes a new question. (karl jaspers)


#111625 09/08/03 11:45 AM
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
.This meaning of the word still endures:the essence of philosophy is not the possession of truth but the search for truth. . . Its questions are more essential than its answers,and every answer becomes a new question.

"You just let the machines get on with the adding up," warned Majikthise, "and we'll take care of the eternal verities thank you very much. You want to check your legal position you do mate. Under law the Quest for Ultimate Truth is quite clearly the inalienable prerogative of your working thinkers. Any bloody machine goes and actually finds it and we're straight out of a job aren't we? I mean what's the use of our sitting up half the night arguing that there may or may not be a God if this machine only goes and gives us his bleeding phone number the next morning?"

RIP DNA.


#111626 09/08/03 12:16 PM
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 25
D
dasrex Offline OP
newbie
OP Offline
newbie
D
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 25
Nietzsche warns us in philosophy:"whoever fights with monsters should see to it the he in the process does not become a monster.and when looking to the an abyss ,the abyss also looks into you."


#111627 09/08/03 12:23 PM
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
Offline
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
>Nietzsche said

A whole lot of things this untermensch can't be bothered trying to wrap his head around. The quote you supplied however, is so well-known that even I understand it. I don't understand its relevance as a reply to my post, but.


#111628 09/08/03 12:25 PM
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,027
old hand
Offline
old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,027
regardless how many philosophers may belie it with their dogmatism - yet he still calls them philosophers: that's what I meant with the difficulty of definition.


Page 2 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,283
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 435 guests, and 3 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,510
LukeJavan8 9,916
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5