Philosophy Now Forum

one of the points of philosophy is that it isn't
anything more than a theoretical approach to the meaning
of existence...an example of this is when we study
aspects of philosophy such as existentialism...
what do we study, exactly? That Kierkegaard
thought the path of a human being was in the
Christian religion.. and what was Nietzsche thought
about existentialism? that Nietzsche thought X, Y and Z...
And what did Wittenstein think about existentialism?

and at no point, do we actually engage with existentialism
as a personal understanding of what it means to be human...
we learn the terms, the definition and we can take it or leave it,
but it doesn't impact us in any way but a superficial manner...
and it doesn't impact our thoughts or behavior or actions...
philosophy is just an intellectual engagement with what it
means to be human... with no actual impact on our day to
day lives.... we may as well be watching TV and then after
some program, just turning the TV set off and going to bed...
that is all the impact that philosophy has on people today..
just something to study while we are engaged in something else...
there is no engagement or changing of our lives in thinking or
reading or studying about philosophy... it has no impact
on who we are or what it means to us to be human....

we can't even define what it means to be human....
to be human means to be conscious of who we are...
does that mean that people who are unconscious,
are not human beings? to be human means to
be aware of our coming death? does that mean
anyone who doesn't think about death is not human?
to be human means to be rational... does that
mean anyone not capable of rational thought,
is not human?

part of the modern problem is that we have no working
definition of what it means to be human.... what is
a human being? few know and even fewer care what that means...

and what is our future path into the future without even knowing
what it means to be human? define what it means to be human?

Kropotkin

or to restate the problem, is philosophy
about the theory of life or is philosophy
about the way of life? are we going to continue on
with philosophy as being an abstract, cold blooded
theory of existence with no "feet on the ground".....
or are going to philosophize with our soul, our blood, our bodies?

read the bible, the Old Testament and see how the old Jewish
belief was in engaging with god personally... to wrestle with
god was the highest goal or achievement one could have...
today faith is a cold, heartless matter that doesn't touch
us at all.. find me a person who wrestles with god..
who engages with god on a personal level... like
Kierkegaard or Nietzsche...and I will follow that person
to the ends of the earth...

faith without wrestling with god is empty, pointless,
useless... it is the modern theme of being abstract,
unreal, hypothetical.... and it doesn't engage us personally....
it just teaches us... to be cold, emotionless, empty... that is
why the modern word transcendental is so powerful..
it keeps existence above the actual practice of living...

life should be engaged with, we need to get dirty in
the practice of living... our soul needs to get as bruised
as our bodies in living..... I have scars everywhere,
and my soul, my soul has scars too.... as it should be....
where are your soul scars?

Kropotkin

for many, philosophy is simply gaining knowledge,
think Faust, but in reality it isn't about what we know or
what we can make financially or how many houses we collect,
or our titles....... what matters is life and how we live it...

to judge life based on how many toys we collect seems to
negate the point of life....to live, honestly and with justice..
that seems to be a far better way of life than just seeking out
the vanities of life...

Kropotkin