Philosophy Now Forum

Even handed moderation.

"There are only two kinds of scholars those who love ideas and those who hate them." Emile Chartier

The hardest thing about promoting a successful site worthy of the name philosophy is to juggle between those who love ideas and the joy of the contradictions they bring from those who hate them and the annoying contradictions they bring. A worthy challenge

1. Please put at least a limit on how many THREAD topics people can post - perhaps per month. Way too many morons R starting self-obsessed threads.
2. What happened to the Environment topic suggestion - pull yer finger out!

attofishpi wrote: ↑Sun Nov 22, 2020 1:10 pm 1. Please put at least a limit on how many THREAD topics people can post - perhaps per month. Way too many morons R starting self-obsessed threads.
2. What happened to the Environment topic suggestion - pull yer finger out!

I think an environmental philosophy forum would be a good idea for a philosophy forum. It seems to be an elephant in the room for us humans right now and of seemingly existential importance--sadly enough.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Jan 23, 2021 12:11 pm

attofishpi wrote: ↑Sun Nov 22, 2020 1:10 pm 1. Please put at least a limit on how many THREAD topics people can post - perhaps per month. Way too many morons R starting self-obsessed threads.
2. What happened to the Environment topic suggestion - pull yer finger out!

I think an environmental philosophy forum would be a good idea for a philosophy forum. It seems to be an elephant in the room for us humans right now and of seemingly existential importance--sadly enough.

If only there WAS an elephant in the room, I'd be slightly less worried about them going extinct.

Yes, good point about the environmental forum. I'll get onto it.

RickLewis wrote: ↑Sat Feb 27, 2021 1:17 am

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sat Jan 23, 2021 12:11 pm

attofishpi wrote: ↑Sun Nov 22, 2020 1:10 pm 1. Please put at least a limit on how many THREAD topics people can post - perhaps per month. Way too many morons R starting self-obsessed threads.
2. What happened to the Environment topic suggestion - pull yer finger out!

I think an environmental philosophy forum would be a good idea for a philosophy forum. It seems to be an elephant in the room for us humans right now and of seemingly existential importance--sadly enough.

If only there WAS an elephant in the room, I'd be slightly less worried about them going extinct.

Yes, good point about the environmental forum. I'll get onto it.

Thank you, Mr. Lewis. Appreciate the forum and all you do for philosophy.

You are very welcome! I blush. Most of the hard work on the forum is done my AMod and iMod.

I don't know what the magazine's circulation is now, but ten years ago, it was 8,000.

Why can't we get more than a handful of people to post on the board regularly?

Terrapin Station wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 9:34 pm I don't know what the magazine's circulation is now, but ten years ago, it was 8,000.

Why can't we get more than a handful of people to post on the board regularly?

Philosophy and the essence of religion which is directed at the human need for meaning are sensitive topics. Anyone who takes them seriously is turned off by negativity which unfortunately permeates secular dominated sites. We proved that with the Secular Intolerance thread. The more sensitive ones who are also intelligent will leave. It is hard to find good people who are willing to discuss the essence of philosophy and religion in an atmosphere lacking respect. Who wants to take their mother to a whore house?

Plato defined Man as a being in search of meaning. That need should be respected. In these times it is ridiculed in favor of following the whims of the Great Beast.

Nick_A wrote: ↑Sat Mar 20, 2021 1:20 am

Terrapin Station wrote: ↑Wed Mar 10, 2021 9:34 pm I don't know what the magazine's circulation is now, but ten years ago, it was 8,000.

Why can't we get more than a handful of people to post on the board regularly?

Philosophy and the essence of religion which is directed at the human need for meaning are sensitive topics. Anyone who takes them seriously is turned off by negativity which unfortunately permeates secular dominated sites. We proved that with the Secular Intolerance thread. The more sensitive ones who are also intelligent will leave. It is hard to find good people who are willing to discuss the essence of philosophy and religion in an atmosphere lacking respect. Who wants to take their mother to a whore house?

Plato defined Man as a being in search of meaning. That need should be respected. In these times it is ridiculed in favor of following the whims of the Great Beast.

That's true. Adapt, leave, or die. To adapt in the sense of the respect you mention as an ideal, means to reconcile conditions with an innate sense of right and wrong.

Objectively adapting the ideal to conditions can be like hitting a major league fastball, or hitting a slow-pitch softball, or ignoring with style the pitches that come dribbling up to the plate.

Proper philosophical inquiries are fast balls, maybe a curve ball, or a major-league change-up that at first looks like a fast ball. The insults are just slow pitch softball, but don't knock softball. There's a variety of intellectual pleasures in batting insulting, rampaging ignorance with objective kindness, as long as one doesn't get all sadistic with the masochistic needy that keep asking for more.

Walker, you are describing modern secular philosophy with its need for prestige decided by the ones who can be the most obnoxious. Philosophy defined by Plato is not the struggle for prestige and might makes right, instead it is the mutual aim to understand the need for meaning.

The point is that those who need philosophy need to find outlets that promote this aim rather than enjoying the struggle for dominance obtained through intolerance.

Would a person enjoying modern philosophy have the same attitude if they entered a Buddhist sangha? Why not? Buddhists have gathered in the mutual aim to experience the essence of Buddhism so they respect their mutual aim. The need for objective meaning isn't admitted so devolves into the struggle for prestige

Following the golden rule is not a sign of weakness. It is actually a sign of strength for those capable of it. If Man is a being in search of meaning, it means that it is essentially a quality a person through philosophy can observe that they lack as Socrates pointed out" "I Know Nothing."

Some enjoy the fight and there are many sites which support it. A minority need to meet others with the mutual need to experience objective meaning and how to verify it rather than fighting over subjective conceptions of meaning. They are not that easy to find.

I agree with your pov, Nick, and thanks for expanding the inquiry in your usual clear manner, which is appreciated. I think of it as learning the necessary dance steps for the party instead of hoping for the day when the world changes.

Would a person enjoying modern philosophy have the same attitude if they entered a Buddhist sangha? Why not?

No, different attitude. Because ...

Buddhist sangha is one of the three jewels that are refuge from the world, where precepts are learned and followed with mindfulness. In time the view that practices generate will generate spontaneously, and this spontaneity merges seamlessly with all facets of the world, without conflict although there will be struggle.

An open philosophy forum is not a refuge. It is a facet of the world from which a Buddhist seeks refuge.

What needs the protection of refuge? The precious. As you say, mothers are precious and thus to be protected, and although the truth is self-protected it is also precious, not to be dragged through the mud for that needlessly weakens teachings.

But, Buddha taught many paths according to capacity, and enlightenment is not bound by limitations. Take Chögyam Trunga Rinpoche for instance, one of the “bad boys” of Buddhism.

Following the golden rule is not a sign of weakness. It is actually a sign of strength for those capable of it.

I'm confident that even though folks might not let on, deep down this is known by all and tremendously respected.

Walker

Buddhist sangha is one of the three jewels that are refuge from the world, where precepts are learned and followed with mindfulness. In time the view that practices generate will generate spontaneously, and this spontaneity merges seamlessly with all facets of the world, without conflict although there will be struggle.

An open philosophy forum is not a refuge. It is a facet of the world from which a Buddhist seeks refuge.

If the need for the depths of philosophy were known, it would be respected in the same way as the sangha. Buddhism escapes the world while true philosophy seeks escape from Plato's Cave. Jacob Needleman wrote in his book: "The Heart of Philosophy:"

Chapter 1

Introduction

Man cannot live without philosophy. This is not a figure of speech but a literal fact that will be demonstrated in this book. There is a yearning in the heart that is nourished only by real philosophy and without this nourishment man dies as surely as if he were deprived of food and air. But this part of the human psyche is not known or honored in our culture. When it does breakthrough to our awareness it is either ignored or treated as something else. It is given wrong names; it is not cared for; it is crushed. And eventually, it may withdraw altogether, never again to appear. When this happens man becomes a thing. No matter what he accomplishes or experiences, no matter what happiness he experiences or what service he performs, he has in fact lost his real possibility. He is dead.

……………………….The function of philosophy in human life is to help Man remember. It has no other task. And anything that calls itself philosophy which does not serve this function is simply not philosophy……………………………….

We are living in a time in which the majority need to glorify Cave life. Buddhism doesn't want to but modern secular philosophy does. How can anyone seriously ponder philosophy without mindfulness? You can't so the result is what we've witnessed.

But if philosophy serves a psychological awakening need, and not a means for self glorification, it is up to individuals to find others who share this aim especially now when the world is against valuing the great ideas of the past.

Buddhism escapes the world …

Actually, I’ve noticed that, as I’ve already pointed out, Buddhism sangha (your topic of stated interest) seeks for spontaneity to merge seamlessly with all facets of the world, without conflict although there will be struggle.

So I’ll give it to you straight. I had no need to read further than your quote there, because there was no need to read an exposition of a premise contrary to the information I offered, information based on your expressed interest, perhaps ostensible, in sangha.

Nick old chap, by your own words ‘tis you who seek escape from the rough and tumbly insults of PN, that is unless I misread your view of philosophy utopia.

Rather than mistakenly asserting that Buddhism is escapism, I’d invite you to consider this.

For the sake of discussion and since the term has already been used, let’s call the “Golden Rule” of Christianity, a precept of Christianity. Like, Buddhism has precepts.

Christians practice the Golden Rule for the view that the practice generates. In time the view that the practice generates will generate spontaneously in the Christian, and you will be a good Christian in the living of daily life, and this spontaneity merges seamlessly with all facets of the world, without conflict although there will be struggle.

You know, like Buddhism, which means that through dialogue we’ve exposed the underlying principle that connects the two. All that’s left is debate over the perfect wording, fame, glory and fortune.

The real topic here is if the need for meaning addressed by the great traditions. Is the aim of philosophy, valued or abused in the modern world and on philosophy sites?

Walker, you are describing modern secular philosophy with its need for prestige decided by the ones who can be the most obnoxious. Philosophy defined by Plato is not the struggle for prestige and might makes right, instead it is the mutual aim to understand the need for meaning.

It is obvious that the intent of philosophy is abused so it is up to the minority who still value the necessity of philosophy to open other paths. Of course the cancel culture will do its best to cancel philosophy but there are ways to get around it.