Philosophy Now Forum

Dubious wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 7:09 pm

Dontaskme wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 4:52 pm
What are we even here for if we are not interested in seeking resonance and connection, like connecting all the dots (ideas) in an attempt to form the whole picture.

Take it in reverse. If there were a whole Humpty Dumpty picture to contemplate, all the commentary on it would soon turn it into a smorgasbord of detached and missing pieces never to be put back together again. We don't synthesize, we disorganize. Harmony is less argued about than its opposite. We are here not to create resonance but dissonance which is the reason there are endless tit-for-tat posts. Philosophy and opinion forums are war zones.

Dubious wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 7:09 pm

Dontaskme wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 4:52 pm
What are we even here for if we are not interested in seeking resonance and connection, like connecting all the dots (ideas) in an attempt to form the whole picture.

Take it in reverse. If there were a whole Humpty Dumpty picture to contemplate, all the commentary on it would soon turn it into a smorgasbord of detached and missing pieces never to be put back together again. We don't synthesize, we disorganize. Harmony is less argued about than its opposite. We are here not to create resonance but dissonance which is the reason there are endless tit-for-tat posts. Philosophy and opinion forums are war zones more of dismemberment than forging new ideas.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 7:34 pm

Dubious wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 7:09 pm

Dontaskme wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 4:52 pm
What are we even here for if we are not interested in seeking resonance and connection, like connecting all the dots (ideas) in an attempt to form the whole picture.

Take it in reverse. If there were a whole Humpty Dumpty picture to contemplate, all the commentary on it would soon turn it into a smorgasbord of detached and missing pieces never to be put back together again. We don't synthesize, we disorganize. Harmony is less argued about than its opposite. We are here not to create resonance but dissonance which is the reason there are endless tit-for-tat posts. Philosophy and opinion forums are war zones more of dismemberment than forging new ideas.

Disagreement, argument, etc, found in forums of people conversing is not "war" until it becomes insults, eventually followed by or precipitating physical attack.

Dubious wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 8:03 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 7:34 pm

Dubious wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 7:09 pm

Take it in reverse. If there were a whole Humpty Dumpty picture to contemplate, all the commentary on it would soon turn it into a smorgasbord of detached and missing pieces never to be put back together again. We don't synthesize, we disorganize. Harmony is less argued about than its opposite. We are here not to create resonance but dissonance which is the reason there are endless tit-for-tat posts. Philosophy and opinion forums are war zones more of dismemberment than forging new ideas.

Disagreement, argument, etc, found in forums of people conversing is not "war" until it becomes insults, eventually followed by or precipitating physical attack.

If physical attacks could be precipitated on a philosophy forum, I'd almost certainly be dead by now!

Alexis Jacobi wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 2:50 pm

phyllo wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 2:34 pm Here's an idea ... stop talking about each other and simply discuss issues, impersonally.

The problem with what you suggest, though I agree it is possible, and desirable, is this: many who write here do not have strongly concretized idea-structures, but rather sentimental ‘feelings’ about things to which their personality is bound. Attack the ‘idea’ amounts to ‘attacking the very person’. And that is intolerable.

My view (and I am working on explaining this better since I use this forum for my own purposes) is that with all this, all this inanity, and in fact all this mental unbalance, is an “outcome” of destructive processes begun generations back.

In order to even begin to “arrest” this on-going process of degeneracy, one has first to see it. Thus ‘the untuned string’ that has produced ‘discord’ must be harkened to.

Intellectual, anti-ideational termites — the tremendously over-active mass-man of today — can only do what termites do: consume and undermine.

Drunk (in a manner of speaking) on their ‘power’ they revolt against structures in ideas (and my reference points are both Harbal and his side-kick DontAskMe).

Impersonally, I refer to them, not by personal attack. In my view we must all achieve distance from ourselves so to be able to see ourselves.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 6:36 pmMy view is that, like me, you lack meaningful employment in the physical world.

phyllo wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 8:33 pm

Alexis Jacobi wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 2:50 pm

phyllo wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 2:34 pm Here's an idea ... stop talking about each other and simply discuss issues, impersonally.

The problem with what you suggest, though I agree it is possible, and desirable, is this: many who write here do not have strongly concretized idea-structures, but rather sentimental ‘feelings’ about things to which their personality is bound. Attack the ‘idea’ amounts to ‘attacking the very person’. And that is intolerable.

My view (and I am working on explaining this better since I use this forum for my own purposes) is that with all this, all this inanity, and in fact all this mental unbalance, is an “outcome” of destructive processes begun generations back.

In order to even begin to “arrest” this on-going process of degeneracy, one has first to see it. Thus ‘the untuned string’ that has produced ‘discord’ must be harkened to.

Intellectual, anti-ideational termites — the tremendously over-active mass-man of today — can only do what termites do: consume and undermine.

Drunk (in a manner of speaking) on their ‘power’ they revolt against structures in ideas (and my reference points are both Harbal and his side-kick DontAskMe).

Impersonally, I refer to them, not by personal attack. In my view we must all achieve distance from ourselves so to be able to see ourselves.

I think there is a lot of truth in that.

henry quirk wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 8:43 pm

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 6:36 pmMy view is that, like me, you lack meaningful employment in the physical world.

Oh my. Your evidence?

Harbal wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 8:51 pm When you post here you are addressing a bunch of misfits, not a gathering of world leaders.

Dubious wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 9:12 pm

Harbal wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 8:51 pm When you post here you are addressing a bunch of misfits, not a gathering of world leaders.

You may be right in what you say but when it comes to a gathering of world leaders you're referring to the biggest bunch of misfits on the planet.

phyllo wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 9:26 pm Well, one can learn something, one can gain some understanding, one can clarify one's thinking, ...

Harbal wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 8:51 pm When you post here you are addressing a bunch of misfits, not a gathering of world leaders.

Dubious wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 9:12 pmYou may be right in what you say but when it comes to a gathering of world leaders you're referring to the biggest bunch of misfits on the planet.

Harbal wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 8:51 pm Perhaps they are, but at least they are in a position to do something about something.

Harbal wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 8:51 pm I mean, what sort of idiot thinks he's going to change the world from here?

Dubious wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 9:39 pm

Harbal wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 8:51 pm When you post here you are addressing a bunch of misfits, not a gathering of world leaders.

Dubious wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 9:12 pmYou may be right in what you say but when it comes to a gathering of world leaders you're referring to the biggest bunch of misfits on the planet.

Harbal wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 8:51 pm Perhaps they are, but at least they are in a position to do something about something.

It's precisely the "something about something" one worries about.

Harbal wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 8:51 pm I mean, what sort of idiot thinks he's going to change the world from here?

Hopefully there are some, though they may be morons, haven't yet arrived at the idiot stage where such assumptions may be made.

One can only hope!

Harbal wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 9:44 pm

Dubious wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 9:39 pm

Harbal wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 8:51 pm When you post here you are addressing a bunch of misfits, not a gathering of world leaders.

Harbal wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 8:51 pm Perhaps they are, but at least they are in a position to do something about something.

It's precisely the "something about something" one worries about.

Harbal wrote: ↑Sun Apr 16, 2023 8:51 pm I mean, what sort of idiot thinks he's going to change the world from here?

Hopefully there are some, though they may be morons, haven't yet arrived at the idiot stage where such assumptions may be made.

One can only hope!

I wouldn't have the place any other way.