What are the small problems of philosophy?

[FlashDangerpants]

Since I've been around these parts, I witnessed what seems like stupendous overreach among many visitors who think they have easy answers to the big problems of philosophy. Many of them become sullen and demoralised when their think thing doesn't work out as planned.

There was one guy who thought he had discovered that consciousness reduces to "making choices", some other guy had some other, yet not better, recipe. There's a bloke who thinks he can construct a universal ethics that ensures all people can make scientifically 'right' choices in all circumstances - based on a theory that extrapolates from the number of properties objects have. Somebody once used the mere rumour that he could prove God's existence beyond doubt in order to argue about the existence of Santa, which was an odd choice. *

I would direct equal snark at the staggering number of alternative descriptions of the universe and its ontological undergarments that are to be found on PN. But I don't understand a word of them, so one of them might be right for all I know.



Which leads me to think that we can help them by directing them towards some of the smaller problems of philosophy. The things that possibly could be progressed by smaller observations.

Fucked if I can remember what any of these are though. Can anyone suggest some?





* And these are from the more or less sane people. I'm excluding the guy who thinks the secret of all knowledge is spirals, and tactfully hoping we can escape discussions of cosmic Scrabble games that prove one among us is here to correct some mistakes Jesus made.

[Terrapin Station]

I probably think I have a lot of relatively easy answers to many of the "big problems" of philosophy. (I say "probably" because I don't typically think of them as "easy answers," but I suppose at least some would count as that.)

I don't expect anyone else to agree with me.

But I don't see that as my problem.

[henry quirk]

Seems to me: any small problems are just mole hills waitin' to be inflated into mountains by nimrods.

Take this one, for example: Should I enjoy coffee as much as I do knowing of the poverty and plight of the folks who grow and harvest coffee beans?

Should any take the bait, you'll see how such a minor 'problem' can be inflated, moved from the specific to the universal, from preference to 'ought' or 'ought not'.

Comes down to the this: philosophers are dicks.

[Terrapin Station]

Yeah, I don't know if there are any "small problems." If philosophers care enough about something that it becomes a philosophical issue in practice, it's something that turns into a "big problem," I'd say.

That's partially due to the two laws of philosophy:

(1) For every philosopher, there is an equal and opposite philosopher.
(2) They're both wrong.

[Wyman]

Since I've been around these parts, I witnessed what seems like stupendous overreach among many visitors who think they have easy answers to the big problems of philosophy. Many of them become sullen and demoralised when their think thing doesn't work out as planned.

There was one guy who thought he had discovered that consciousness reduces to "making choices", some other guy had some other, yet not better, recipe. There's a bloke who thinks he can construct a universal ethics that ensures all people can make scientifically 'right' choices in all circumstances - based on a theory that extrapolates from the number of properties objects have. Somebody once used the mere rumour that he could prove God's existence beyond doubt in order to argue about the existence of Santa, which was an odd choice. *

I would direct equal snark at the staggering number of alternative descriptions of the universe and its ontological undergarments that are to be found on PN. But I don't understand a word of them, so one of them might be right for all I know.



Which leads me to think that we can help them by directing them towards some of the smaller problems of philosophy. The things that possibly could be progressed by smaller observations.

Fucked if I can remember what any of these are though. Can anyone suggest some?





* And these are from the more or less sane people. I'm excluding the guy who thinks the secret of all knowledge is spirals, and tactfully hoping we can escape discussions of cosmic Scrabble games that prove one among us is here to correct some mistakes Jesus made.

I thought by the title that your OP was a funny joke. I was going to suggest 'Explaining to your parents why you are pursing a phil. degree rather than a medical degree'; 'Being taken seriously by others in academia'; 'Where to find tweed jackets with elbow patches these days', etc..

[Impenitent]

unethical dwarves...

-Imp

[Philosophy Explorer]

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