Philosophy Now Forum

JasonPalmer wrote:philosophy...it ruins lives


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 1461103528#

Maybe you fell asleep during the film or lost your attention.
There is nothing in the story of Nietzsche that would support your contention that Philosophy ruined lives.
On the contrary, philosophy gave him the tools of his own liberation from the church.

chaz wyman wrote:

JasonPalmer wrote:philosophy...it ruins lives


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 1461103528#

Maybe you fell asleep during the film or lost your attention.
There is nothing in the story of Nietzsche that would support your contention that Philosophy ruined lives.
On the contrary, philosophy gave him the tools of his own liberation from the church.

not only church, you could say philosophy gave him life where he was else crippled. In our days crippled people have lots of opportunities in life. The same could not be said for 19-century Germany.

chaz wyman wrote:

SpheresOfBalance wrote:
It's still opaque,
No, your understanding is dense!
and you seem unable to bring yourself to repeat the point,
I did and still you missed it!
maybe you are admitting to yourself you do not really have one in the first place.
And maybe your comprehension has been dulled with age.
So tell me why did you ask me if I were to "care to sit face to face"?
Take it in context to see if you are capable, it's quite simple. What were we talking about, can you even remember?
It's as simple enough question you have failed to answer.
You place the burden on me to reiterate due to your density in initial comprehension, ha!
It is satisfies you to pretend me stupid then so be it.
I never said you were stupid. I don't believe anyone is stupid! I only see that people are at differing quantities of ignorant.

Either way you are suffering from a failure to communicate.
You forget that communication is a two way venture, who is failing, the sender, or the receiver. I know that you are the type, that when ever there is miss communication, you 'always' see it as the others fault, and you wonder why I call you a Megalomaniac, ha!

Words, words , words, signifying nothing. You are a bore.
Can answer a simple question. What good are you?

That's all this place affords, S.F.B's!
There's that Comprehension problem, again.
I answer to whom I choose.
And finally, whatever I deem!

Sometimes "worthless" comes to mind when reading "Chaz!"

SpheresOfBalance wrote:
Words, words , words, signifying nothing. You are a bore.
Can answer a simple question. What good are you?

That's all this place affords, S.F.B's!
There's that Comprehension problem, again.
I answer to whom I choose.
And finally, whatever I deem!

Sometimes "worthless" comes to mind when reading "Chaz!"[/quote]

When you are finished with your childish bickering let me know.

chaz wyman wrote:

SpheresOfBalance wrote:
Words, words , words, signifying nothing. You are a bore.
Can answer a simple question. What good are you?

That's all this place affords, S.F.B's!
There's that Comprehension problem, again.
I answer to whom I choose.
And finally, whatever I deem!

Sometimes "worthless" comes to mind when reading "Chaz!"

When you are finished with your childish bickering let me know.[/quote]
Ditto, sire of the realm of childish bickering!

Philosophy saves lives.
An animal only wants to eat and procreate. A human being needs to think things over. Language used for thinking nourishes a human soul.

i was talking to someone who works in a shelter for homeless people, she told me they often see philosophy graduates who are homeless, she says they wander around mumbling, reading books and staring at the sky a lot

JasonPalmer wrote:i was talking to someone who works in a shelter for homeless people, she told me they often see philosophy graduates who are homeless, she says they wander around mumbling, reading books and staring at the sky a lot

I bet they see a lot of other people too. Do you think that a single anecdote is in any sense significant?

JasonPalmer wrote:i was talking to someone who works in a shelter for homeless people, she told me they often see philosophy graduates who are homeless, she says they wander around mumbling, reading books and staring at the sky a lot

They might be following the example of Diogenes ...

duszek wrote:

JasonPalmer wrote:i was talking to someone who works in a shelter for homeless people, she told me they often see philosophy graduates who are homeless, she says they wander around mumbling, reading books and staring at the sky a lot

They might be following the example of Diogenes ...

To which Diogenes do you refer?

JasonPalmer wrote:i was talking to someone who works in a shelter for homeless people, she told me they often see philosophy graduates who are homeless, she says they wander around mumbling, reading books and staring at the sky a lot

Awesome, some that actually know, it's great to hear of those that are truly successful.

Edit: Typo

Michel Butor studied philosophy and became, among other things, a novelist.
At the moment I read "La modification" and "Der Zeitplan" (= "L`Emploi du temps", in English it might be perhaps: "The Time Schedule").

"The Time Schedule" is about a young Frenchman who goes to England for a year to work in a company as an employee and he feels alienated and miserable most of the time, although the English are rather nice and some are even kind to him. He is going to become paranoic later on, says the summery on the cover. I have just started the second part.
What puzzled me were some names of streets and bridges in Bleston (does this city exist in real England ?), for example
"Brandy Bridge" and "Continent Street".
Does this street name mean that if you go far enough southwards you will arrive at the European continent ?
But there is still southern England and the Channel "La Manche" to cross.
Or does England appear like a continent when compared to the Isle of Wight or the Isle of Man ?

I am dynamite !

JasonPalmer wrote:I am dynamite !

Stick a match up your bum and go off!

JasonPalmer wrote: ↑Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:05 am i was talking to someone who works in a shelter for homeless people, she told me they often see philosophy graduates who are homeless, she says they wander around mumbling, reading books and staring at the sky a lot

This story is admittedly pathetic, however it lacks key information: how many occurrences are meant by “often”? how many graduates were seen? how many people were seen who were not philosophy graduates?

The OP underscores the difficulties encountered by philosophy graduates in attempting to earn a decent living. That is to say that a philosophy degree is not conducive to lucrative employment. None disagree with this.

Philosophy enhances critical thinking skills, which are arguably highly desirable assets for solving all sorts of problems in life. In this sense, philosophy improves life by bringing with it a joy for thinking.

However, inasmuch as it can be said that ignorance is bliss, thinking skills interfere with happiness. This would certainly result in diminished satisfaction with life.

Furthermore, (faulty) thinking is a necessary ingredient for many mental health issues. This, too, can make for a decreased level of functionality and a miserable existence.

On balance, philosophy is harmful.