The Off Topic Philosophy Club - Intellectual Conversations

[Apexnexius]

Philosophy

Every human being ponders. Many of us have favorite philosophers.
Some like Schopenhauer others prefer Kant.
Some enjoy Aristotle others enjoy Kierkegaard.

What are your favorite philosophers and what philosophy do you yourself adhere to?

Feel free to contribute and ask interesting questions or perhaps try to answer them.

Keep it civil and enjoy the conversation. :)



EDIT: It took a few pages of replies, but finally we got the discussions going. Thank you to every scholar and like minded individual who are sharing from their thoughts and wisdom.

Very interesting and provocative indeed. Truthfully, many quality users in Off Topic responding and discussing.

[Grynn]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Buck Jacobs:

Początkowo opublikowane przez 🐬 Dwolfin 🐺:

Nietzsche LETS GO

Nietzsche wasn't a nihilist and criticized it.

He was an active nihilist, rather than the stereotypical passive nihilist we usually see associated with nihilism.

An interesting read if you're interested:
https://reasonandmeaning.com/2020/03/25/nietzsche-active-and-passive-nihilism/

[Holografix]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Grynn:

Philosophers: Schopenhauer, Camus, Emil Cioran, Calvin and Hobbes, Charlie Brown.
I'm half-joking about those last three, but they actually touched on some interesting topics about why humans persist and the measurement of worth.

Philosophy: Nihilism... I guess.
Call me edge, I don't care, but I'm more of a realist than a nihilist. To me nihilism makes logical sense as it rejects all the cope created by philosophy and religion in general and shows you reality in it's purest form. It's neither optimistic or pessimistic, it just shows you what is.

what is the pure form of reality that Nihilism shows you?

[Felonious Punk]

Walter Kaufman, the preeminent English translator of Nietzsche wrote this about Section 346 of Book Five in The Gay Science:
"A few interpreters of Nietzsche have claimed that he was, by his out lights, a nihilist; but they have generally failed to specify the meaning of this term. Here two forms of nihilism are mentioned, and it is clear that Nietzsche is not a nihilist in either sense."

[Holografix]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Buck Jacobs:

Walter Kaufman, the preeminent English translator of Nietzsche wrote this about Section 346 of Book Five in The Gay Science:
"A few interpreters of Nietzsche have claimed that he was, by his out lights, a nihilist; but they have generally failed to specify the meaning of this term. Here two forms of nihilism are mentioned, and it is clear that Nietzsche is not a nihilist in either sense."

Very good. Your's is a scholar's comment. Kaufman is one of the best translators of Nietzsche.

[Grynn]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Holografix:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Grynn:

Philosophers: Schopenhauer, Camus, Emil Cioran, Calvin and Hobbes, Charlie Brown.
I'm half-joking about those last three, but they actually touched on some interesting topics about why humans persist and the measurement of worth.

Philosophy: Nihilism... I guess.
Call me edge, I don't care, but I'm more of a realist than a nihilist. To me nihilism makes logical sense as it rejects all the cope created by philosophy and religion in general and shows you reality in it's purest form. It's neither optimistic or pessimistic, it just shows you what is.

what is the pure form of reality that Nihilism shows you?

Things are the way they are because thats the way they are.
People are obsessed with the idea that there must be more, some hidden esoteric meaning behind things, and without finding any they despair and make up lies as a defence mechanism.

People often see nihilism as being a pessimistic outlook, but it merely reflects reality without all the nonsense people have made up. And if you see nihilism as pessimistic, then you also see reality as pessimistic, then maybe you are the pessimist.

Since humans started to question ourselves and the world around us we've perverted reality into what we think it ought to be, not what it is. We seek to complicate things endlessly.
Over the years we've added so many views, religions, creeds, philosophies and so on into the pot, stirred it around until it's nothing but ♥♥♥♥. We don't know whats real anymore. Well nihilism rejects all that. It's like a spring-cleaning of the mind. You'll never be burdened with things like meaning, purpose, ideals, morality, value, philosophy, religion, etc again.

Nihilism is freedom.

[Holografix]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Grynn:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Holografix:

what is the pure form of reality that Nihilism shows you?

Things are the way they are because thats the way they are.
People are obsessed with the idea that there must be more, some hidden esoteric meaning behind things, and without finding any they despair and make up lies as a defence mechanism.

People often see nihilism as being a pessimistic outlook, but it merely reflects reality without all the nonsense people have made up. And if you see nihilism as pessimistic, then you also see reality as pessimistic, then maybe you are the pessimist.

Since humans started to question ourselves and the world around us we've perverted reality into what we think it ought to be, not what it is. We seek to complicate things endlessly.
Over the years we've added so many views, religions, creeds, philosophies and so on into the pot, stirred it around until it's nothing but ♥♥♥♥. We don't know whats real anymore. Well nihilism rejects all that. It's like a spring-cleaning of the mind. You'll never be burdened with things like meaning, purpose, morality, value, philosophy, religion, etc again.

Nihilism is freedom.

What a burdensome thought. I disagree with the spirit of your argument. Particularly, with your assertion that human creation is perversion and that a spring-cleaned empty mind is a boon. Life is complex. Humans are complex. To eschew that notion in favor of simple empiricism, e.g., a rock is a rock, is dead boring and pointless.

[Holografix]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Mattmoo:

I use Oriental philosophy

Problematic, as the term 'oriental' is a slur.

Read Edward Said's, 'Orientalism,' to understand how your use of that term is a vestigial remnant of colonialism.

[Saarath]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Holografix:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Grynn:

Things are the way they are because thats the way they are.
People are obsessed with the idea that there must be more, some hidden esoteric meaning behind things, and without finding any they despair and make up lies as a defence mechanism.

People often see nihilism as being a pessimistic outlook, but it merely reflects reality without all the nonsense people have made up. And if you see nihilism as pessimistic, then you also see reality as pessimistic, then maybe you are the pessimist.

Since humans started to question ourselves and the world around us we've perverted reality into what we think it ought to be, not what it is. We seek to complicate things endlessly.
Over the years we've added so many views, religions, creeds, philosophies and so on into the pot, stirred it around until it's nothing but ♥♥♥♥. We don't know whats real anymore. Well nihilism rejects all that. It's like a spring-cleaning of the mind. You'll never be burdened with things like meaning, purpose, morality, value, philosophy, religion, etc again.

Nihilism is freedom.

What a burdensome thought. I disagree with the spirit of your argument. Particularly, with your assertion that human creation is perversion and that a spring-cleaned empty mind is a boon. Life is complex. Humans are complex. To eschew that notion in favor of simple empiricism, e.g., a rock is a rock, is dead boring and pointless.

'Dead boring and pointless'

Not very philosophical, if all you are looking for is excitement. It would Seem as if you was only looking for confirmation to a concept you already adhered to and not an answer to a question.

[Grynn]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Holografix:

...a rock is a rock, is dead boring and pointless.

You see? Humans will never be satisfied with reality, so we look for something that isn't there.

At the end of the day we're just animals howling in the dark because it's better than silence. And despite how hard you imagine different you'll never be more than what you are.

[Holografix]

Początkowo opublikowane przez K3-27:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Holografix:

What a burdensome thought. I disagree with the spirit of your argument. Particularly, with your assertion that human creation is perversion and that a spring-cleaned empty mind is a boon. Life is complex. Humans are complex. To eschew that notion in favor of simple empiricism, e.g., a rock is a rock, is dead boring and pointless.

'Dead boring and pointless'

Not very philosophical, if all you are looking for is excitement. seems as if you was only looking for confirmation to a concept you already adhered to and not an answer to a question.

Seems to me that you're looking for 'philosophical style' than for actual thought.

I actually toned down my response to Gryn, as my initial reply was far more acerbic and biting. I really did not appreciate their comment.

[Holografix]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Grynn:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Holografix:

...a rock is a rock, is dead boring and pointless.

You see? Humans will never be satisfied with reality, so we look for something that isn't there.

At the end of the day we're just animals howling in the dark because it's better than silence. And despite how hard you imagine different you'll never be more than what you are.

Reads like a cope.

You may gain agreement here, among others, who applaud your viewpoint. But know that your viewpoint is myopic, and frankly, terrible.

[Holografix]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Mattmoo:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Holografix:

Problematic, as the term 'oriental' is a slur.

Read Edward Said's, 'Orientalism,' to understand how your use of that term is a vestigial remnant of colonialism.

Well, I disagree.

I’ve never heard anyone in the last ten years or maybe my whole life say: “the oriental people are these way” or anything, it’s always Asian. Books I read were much older too.

If that’s all you have to say your comment was unnecessary.

You disagree; that's rich. Read the book.

"The term orientalism denotes the exaggeration of difference, the presumption of Western superiority, and the application of clichéd analytical models for perceiving the "Oriental world". This intellectual tradition is the background for Said's presentation of Orientalism as a European viewpoint reflecting a contrived Manichean duality."
-- from the wiki
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orientalism_(book)

[Grynn]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Holografix:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Grynn:

You see? Humans will never be satisfied with reality, so we look for something that isn't there.

At the end of the day we're just animals howling in the dark because it's better than silence. And despite how hard you imagine different you'll never be more than what you are.

Reads like a cope.

You may gain agreement here, among others, who applaud your viewpoint. But know that your viewpoint is myopic, and frankly terrible.

Thats cool. I was never trying to change your mind, just explain myself.

It works for me but it's not for everyone

[Saarath]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Holografix:

Początkowo opublikowane przez K3-27:

'Dead boring and pointless'

Not very philosophical, if all you are looking for is excitement. seems as if you was only looking for confirmation to a concept you already adhered to and not an answer to a question.

Seems to me that you're looking for 'philosophical style' than for actual thought.

I actually toned down my response to Gryn, as my initial reply was far more acerbic and biting. I really did not appreciate their comment.

You lower yourself to others, what purpose does this serve.

Is it to entertain, inform or something else? That being said, why even attempt to have an intelligent conversation if one is pulling their punches?

[Holografix]

Początkowo opublikowane przez K3-27:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Holografix:

Seems to me that you're looking for 'philosophical style' than for actual thought.

I actually toned down my response to Gryn, as my initial reply was far more acerbic and biting. I really did not appreciate their comment.

You lower yourself to others, what purpose does this serve.

Is it to entertain, inform or something else? That being said, why even attempt to have an intelligent conversation if one is pulling their punches?

I don't lower myself, as I am not in a higher position. I'm literally post #172 in this thread.

I merely express my sentiments, and expose others to opinions and ideas they may not be familiar with. This is the great project of cosmopolitanism, which I am a proponent of.

I'm not pulling punches, I simply think a modicum of civility in these forums is important.