What is sought in Philosophy?

a reply to: 1Learner

"What is sought in Philosophy?"

That would be enlightenment, but like Hamlet said "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy".

Try not to post such large body's of text. LoL

Is nothing sought in philosophy? Is that what you are implying by leaving an empty thread? Or was it an accident?

Either way, what is sought through philosophy is the connection of knowledge to create a cloud of wisdom above it to know oneself, the whole of the cosmos, the beginning/end and beyond. But that will be for nothing if one does not have Care/Love and compassion, true belief/faith and hope.

Must be what quantum mechanics tells us .

a reply to: 1Learner

What is sought in Philosophy?

Philosophy translation is Philo = love and sophy = wisdom, or "love of wisdom". We can't really study wisdom, its a gift. And wisdoms gift is the sureness of knowing what to do in the moment.

Thats what wise men know, right? What to do in any given moment? So wisdom is like a light that shines on our path illuminating it so we know which steps to take during our lives.

Since we can't study wisdom and we can't earn it (its a gift) all we can really do is love it. Love of wisdom.

That probably doesn't make any sense at all to some.

What is sought in Philosophy?

What is sought in any type of intellectual masturbation? The "ah ha" moment....

a reply to: Sump3

I posted this thread by accident - I'm sorry folks!

The question had popped into my head while I was browsing the philosophy threads on the site. In order to come up with my own answers, I started a new thread and I typed the question as its title; I ended up clicking something by mistake and so here we have it: an empty OP. I tried to find a way to delete it but opted with writing something to make up for the emptiness...I then had errands to do so I left without a thing to say.

Good answers, but this is an accidental thread.

Philosophy is the study of reality.

It has 5 sections,

Metaphysics -- what is the ultimate nature of reality

Logic -- the techniques of correct thinking and reasoning

Ethics -- the best ways to behave or get the most out of your time. Law and politics ( as in the types of governments) derive from this.

Aesthetics -- The nature of beauty and motivation or pleasure.

Epistemology -- the nature of knowledge and truth in the mind.

These divisions were established by the Ancient Greeks, the first culture to have written records of philosophical work. Modern philosophy might have a new set of divisions. The last I read, most of modern philosophy is epistemology. Hence the ubiquitous deconstructionism.

The Greeks were the first culture to look at the world as a machine that could be explained or understood. The Babylonians did scrupulous and accurate scientific observation, but still believed that gods were involved in moving most things around.

The first scientists were philosophers. Science continues what philosophy discovers, usually.

a reply to: Semicollegiate

I would argue science and philosophy are rather different beasts. Science has more to do with logical consistency, essentially being able to repeat an experiment and achieve the same results time and time again. Where as philosophical interpretation relies more on the individuals perspective and can have various results or outcomes.

Essentially science follows the boolean concept(True/false, 1/0) where as philosophy is rather more open to differing interpretations.

originally posted by: 1Learner
a reply to: Sump3

I posted this thread by accident - I'm sorry folks!

The question had popped into my head while I was browsing the philosophy threads on the site. In order to come up with my own answers, I started a new thread and I typed the question as its title; I ended up clicking something by mistake and so here we have it: an empty OP. I tried to find a way to delete it but opted with writing something to make up for the emptiness...I then had errands to do so I left without a thing to say.

Good answers, but this is an accidental thread.

What are you seeking within these philosophy threads?

a reply to: andy06shake

Will Durant sums up philosophy in the intro to The Story of Philosophy a two volume survey of the history of philosophy. The Story of Philosophy was a best seller in 1926.

Durant says Philosophy is like the explorer and Science is like the colonist. or Philosophy is like the Panzer Breakthrough and Science is like the Follow Up Pacification.

A person an think logically, or close to logically, in very long and complex chains of reason. The chains can't always be explained, but a resultant idea could be seen as self-evident. or at least plausible.

Then logic can test the idea.

a reply to: InTheLight
I'm seeking a theory for the body and mind, a general listing of their faculties, and the purpose of those faculties; i.e., proposing an origin of the body, its gradual evolution into self-awareness so that it could actively use a will in order to discover its faculties, to use those faculties in relation to large numbers of similarly intelligent creatures, to become so well acquainted with its instincts, emotions, the spectrum of personality, and with others beings that eventually a society of these beings is formed. This society then masters the communication of concepts; a mastery which may have happened as an understanding amongst the beings developed when experiences were shared, recreated or vividly & correctly imagined, then utilized to their fullest within the bounds of body/mind. As for the next step of their development...well anything could happen next. It's all just a fantasy without any evidence from the beginning of the supposed proposition. I figured someone here might have proposed it after having investigating the nature of reality long enough.

All of these things I sought for in a logical thread understood even by the average person and therefore fruitfully discussed by the people here. Maybe some of the "spiritual" people could have proposed their own theories in a gracious manner - possibly contributing lost pieces of knowledge to the puzzle. It would've been interesting to see something like that.

But does this which I seek have anything to do with philosophy? Maybe I'm in the wrong forum.

a reply to: 1Learner

Your path seems more congruent with psychology than with philosophy specifically.

Philosophy would be best if starting from scratch.

However, the study of human and prehumen capabilities has been covered by psychological research. I suspect much of it is biased in a collectivist manner. That said, there is probably a total of millions of doctoral dissertations in all of the disciplines close to your interests at the universities. Some of them would probably be exactly where you would start or at least have something that would help. In the past, anyone could read them at the library. The libraries were becoming way more restrictive, moving stuff off of the shelves and requiring specific requests for specific works, the last time I was there.

Philosophy is always a good idea. Will Durant said philosophy is about the synthesis of all knowledge into your own view of the world. Philosophy is the most important when trying to make the knowledge of science or history useful.

a reply to: 1Learner

IMO, Philosophy attempts to answer the question "why?" It's the reason all kids are philosophers, until their minds are hardened by trauma and comfort.

a reply to: 1Learner

A better question.

Not answers. Good questions.

The process of learning to learn.

a reply to: InTheLight

When I first looked at your question I honestly had no answer. That was embarrassing and scary. I also laughed because I sort of expected your question. I have already answered it, though, with something that I thought might be purposeful. Even though it would be nice to see what I claim to seek, it's probably not what I really seek.

originally posted by: Semicollegiate
Will Durant said philosophy is about the synthesis of all knowledge into your own view of the world. Philosophy is the most important when trying to make the knowledge of science or history useful.

What is meant be the synthesis of all knowledge? Does it (or do you) mean all knowledge gained by one until the creation of a philosophy?
And what constitutes aview of the world? Would it just be the thoughts which are formed when one examines their perceptions?

originally posted by: 1Learner

exactly whats in your OP, nothing or a will to understand anothers understanding.

Does that understanding of anothers understanding cancel each other out and you understand that nothing is everything and everything is nothing and only the experience matters and not how we interpret it or attempt to explain it?

a reply to: JaspersCheese

a reply to: tadaman

These answers are interesting, not what I would've immediately come up with if I had written an OP.
Apparently I've posed a simple question, yet each of you has had a different answer. This only further attracts me to questions, but I shouldn't post them here. This thread is for just one topic, and itself was made public by mistake.
So go ahead and type your answers, I probably won't do more than acknowledge or learn from them.

a reply to: 1Learner

This only further attracts me to questions,

Yes, it means your way through the maze is becoming more and more interesting instead of seeing the same old dead ends.

I probably won't do more than acknowledge or learn from them. - See more at: www.abovetopsecret.com...

I really enjoyed reading this post I am replying to, it seems as though you get it, what it is, is for another thread,

Just with these two sentences I have quoted I see you as closer to a state of being than many come on here to claim of themselves.

enjoy your journey, its a great lesson with much pleasure and pain.

In the end you will find balance or more so than you already have.

I look forward to reading more of your words in future