Philosophy Now Forum

Have you ever seen or heard a philosopher say he/she was happy in whatever interested him or her?

PhilX

I'm currently reading Daniel Kahneman's book Thinking Fast and Slow and there are interesting experiments that talk about how when people are happy they trust their intuitions more than when they are unhappy and that's when they rely more on the calculating system of thinking (actually there were specific negative/positive mood states). Considering this, it seems like it'd be better to be in bad mood if you want to use your reasoning ability better.

Also, can one be completely satisfied and also strive for more? Satisfaction and striving are the opposites. The extreme state of being content/satisfied would be a monk who does nothing else but meditate and does not feel negative nor positive states, just neutral ones. The extreme state of striving would perhaps be an anxious nihilistic philosopher who searches for meaning?

Risto wrote:I'm currently reading Daniel Kahneman's book Thinking Fast and Slow and there are interesting experiments that talk about how when people are happy they trust their intuitions more than when they are unhappy and that's when they rely more on the calculating system of thinking (actually there were specific negative/positive mood states). Considering this, it seems like it'd be better to be in bad mood if you want to use your reasoning ability better.

Also, can one be completely satisfied and also strive for more? Satisfaction and striving are the opposites. The extreme state of being content/satisfied would be a monk who does nothing else but meditate and does not feel negative nor positive states, just neutral ones. The extreme state of striving would perhaps be an anxious nihilistic philosopher who searches for meaning?

Nobody is completely satisfied, even those that are "self-sufficient." We always are striving for more in the basics such as food, water and air until the day we die. Some say we also always need human company although that's a question mark for me. As far as bad mood and reasoning being compatible, I disagree here from experience.

PhilX

Philosophy Explorer wrote:Have you ever seen or heard a philosopher say he/she was happy in whatever interested him or her?

Never read one who wasn't.

Who you thinking about?

Based in part on what I've seen going on in the forums. How often do you see someone say they're happy, contented or satisfied with what's happening in their life?
Normally I see complaints about war and violence and authority and other perceived negatives that disturb individuals. I've seen vent forums set up for that very purpose to act as a release valve for someone to take out his frustrations. That's the way these forums have mostly rubbed off on me.

PhilX

Philosophy Explorer wrote:
Have you ever seen or heard a philosopher say he / she was happy in whatever interested him or her

Our very own Bill is completely happy with the life he has so the answer to your question is definitely yes

He believes in peace and love and wants everyone to be happy like him even if they are not a philosopher

I somehow doubt contentment leads to much deep thinking.

Philosophy Explorer wrote:Based in part on what I've seen going on in the forums. How often do you see someone say they're happy, contented or satisfied with what's happening in their life?
Normally I see complaints about war and violence and authority and other perceived negatives that disturb individuals. I've seen vent forums set up for that very purpose to act as a release valve for someone to take out his frustrations. That's the way these forums have mostly rubbed off on me.

PhilX

What makes you think the people who visit such forums are Philosophers? As my experience is that a large percentage have never read the philosophers in their lives. At best I'd have them as pre-first year graduate 'philosophers'(this is based upon my time when you could only study Philosophy at degree level).

Arising_uk wrote:

Philosophy Explorer wrote:Based in part on what I've seen going on in the forums. How often do you see someone say they're happy, contented or satisfied with what's happening in their life?
Normally I see complaints about war and violence and authority and other perceived negatives that disturb individuals. I've seen vent forums set up for that very purpose to act as a release valve for someone to take out his frustrations. That's the way these forums have mostly rubbed off on me.

PhilX

What makes you think the people who visit such forums are Philosophers? As my experience is that a large percentage have never read the philosophers in their lives. At best I'd have them as pre-first year graduate 'philosophers'(this is based upon my time when you could only study Philosophy at degree level).

Are you a philosopher?

PhilX

Philosophy Explorer wrote:Are you a philosopher?

PhilX

No, at best a budding one. What I am tho' is someone educated and tested in the philosophical methods and one who has studied those we call the Philosophers.

Philosophy Explorer wrote:Have you ever seen or heard a philosopher say he/she was happy in whatever interested him or her?

PhilX

There's another option?

Arising_uk wrote:No, at best a budding one. What I am tho' is someone educated and tested in the philosophical methods and one who has studied those we call the Philosophers.

Has this brought you any closer to finding whatever it is you're searching for, assuming you are still looking?

Green wrote:Has this brought you any closer to finding whatever it is you're searching for, assuming you are still looking?

Wasn't really searching for anything other than a bit of paper saying I had a degree as it was a recession at the time and companies were sieving employment by this criteria so I went back as a mature student to get one. As I had little in the way of academical qualifications the only course I managed to blag myself onto was a Philosophy B.A(Hons) and wonder of wonders I found it enthralling as I'd always been a big reader and these guys works were gob-smackingly interesting and I fell in love with the subject. Brought-up in a marxist/buddhist/atheist/engineering household so never really bothered with all this searching and looking that many here appear to be concerned with, too busy living, loving, mating and partying to worry about any greater meaning to life but think Philosophy did provide a whole set of logical and analytical tools to think about things if I wished and I came away with a great appreciation of the beauty for the one thing that is Philosophy's own, Logic. It's why if you look at the science universities pretty much the only philosophers managing to get in to them are the logicians working in the computing departments. Sadly tho' Logic appears to be rarely taught in Philosophy courses now-a-days, it's pretty much all waffley metaphysics and continental phenomenology, I presume to cater for the new-agers need for bollocks to believe in. Just my opinion mind. Although having said that I think there is one area, Phenomenology, where some hope might lie for Philosophy, if you define it as an attempt to produce a plain language description of our subjective experience that is and it involves relating how language, communication, thought and thinking interrelate.

Is phenomenology Dawkins' meme, am I understanding this?

Nope, in Philosophy the idea pretty much started with Husserl.

Don't really like the idea of a "meme" as what was wrong with "idea"?