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MarkostheGnostic
Elder
Registered: 12/09/99
Posts: 14,279
Loc: South Florida
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Re: What is philosophy? / Have you studied academic philosophy? [Re: Lakefingers]
#4928433 - 11/13/05 09:48 AM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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No thesis with a B.A. degree in 1976. I didn't have one with my M.T.S. either, but my Doctoral dissertation was expected to have a lengthy title (it was originally 6 words): 'A Phenomenological Adaptation of the Tibetan Buddhist Doctrine of Psychic Centers to a Metatheoretical Hierarchy of Human Motivation.' Whew.
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Lakefingers
Registered: 08/26/05
Posts: 6,440
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Re: What is philosophy? / Have you studied academic philosophy? *DELETED* [Re: MarkostheGnostic]
#4929137 - 11/13/05 02:46 PM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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Post deleted by Lakefingers
Reason for deletion: No reason.
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Lakefingers
Registered: 08/26/05
Posts: 6,440
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Re: What is philosophy? / Have you studied academic philosophy? *DELETED* [Re: Amber_Glow]
#4929217 - 11/13/05 03:14 PM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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Post deleted by Lakefingers
Reason for deletion: v
Edited by Lakefingers (11/13/05 03:15 PM)
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moog
Stranger
Registered: 02/15/05
Posts: 1,296
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Re: What is philosophy? / Have you studied academic philosophy? [Re: Lakefingers]
#4929645 - 11/13/05 05:58 PM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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I took 4 or 5 courses in different philosophy while at college. Most of the discussion (i kid you not) was the same stuff rehashed here at this forum and other internet forums over and over. So it was very boring for me. Most of the classic philosophical issues that "academic" philosophy studies, i had already answered on my own through logic and intuition.
I don't have any need or care for Plato, Descartes, Sartre, Nietzsche, Locke, or whoever. Their writings, to me, are mostly trivial, shallow inqueries into an infinitely vast and complex universe. Their thinking, to me, is too geocentric, too anthropocentric, to be of any use in serious philosophical contemplation, especially when trying to extract life's ultimate meanings or truths. I can see, however, how they may be eye-opening to the casual, shallow thinker (and if that sounds pompous then so be it). While other kids were playing baseball with their friends in the park, i spent most of my childhood pondering the same things the great philosophers did, except i was doing it before i'd even heard of any of them. I'd spend hours just sitting staring at a wall. You'd think i was autistic (hell, maybe i was?). I was actually lost in my mind thinking about stuff. I found that my mind was an incredible endless world of potential. When i discovered mainstream philosophy in my teens i found the greatest revelations of recognized philosophers to be so obvious as to be useless.
Despite my big head, i have learned to keep my thoughts to myself. I don't proselytize (at least not anymore). I do believe that philosphy is a personal endeavor much the same as spirituality. Philosophy, though, has a sense of logic at its core. So it's inherently objective. That's why you can "learn" philosophy, but what you learn won't "click" unless you have personally observed the idea in action, either directly or indirectly.
"Tell us what you think philosophy is." Love of knowledge? [/smartass]
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Amber_Glow
Sat Chit Anand
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Re: What is philosophy? / Have you studied academic philosophy? [Re: Lakefingers]
#4930742 - 11/13/05 10:51 PM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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I am a buddhist I think everything is an illusion. I realize how even our attempts to point at objective truth can never truly transcend our own illusory prison.
Also I read through Merleau Ponty's Perception book tonight and I really liked it. He is not a douchebag like Heidegger.
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Silversoul
Rhizome
Registered: 01/01/05
Posts: 23,576
Loc: The Barricades
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Re: What is philosophy? / Have you studied academic philosophy? [Re: Amber_Glow]
#4930748 - 11/13/05 10:52 PM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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How is Heidegger a douchebag(other than his support for the Nazi party)?
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Icelander
The Minstrel in the Gallery
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Posts: 95,368
Loc: underbelly
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Re: What is philosophy? / Have you studied academic philosophy? [Re: Amber_Glow]
#4930785 - 11/13/05 11:04 PM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
I am a buddhist I think everything is an illusion
I am an alcoholic and I agree.
Sorry, couldn't resist.
-------------------- "Don't believe everything you think". -Anom. " All that lives was born to die"-Anom. With much wisdom comes much sorrow, The more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes circa 350 BC
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Lakefingers
Registered: 08/26/05
Posts: 6,440
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Re: What is philosophy? / Have you studied academic philosophy? *DELETED* [Re: Amber_Glow]
#4931673 - 11/14/05 09:13 AM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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Post deleted by Lakefingers
Reason for deletion: No reason.
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Amber_Glow
Sat Chit Anand
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Re: What is philosophy? / Have you studied academic philosophy? [Re: Lakefingers]
#4932788 - 11/14/05 02:46 PM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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Heidegger's writing is bad. He wants to be so deep and poetic. Just say what you mean jerkoff! Merleau Ponty has a clearer writing style.
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it stars saddam
Satan
Registered: 05/19/05
Posts: 15,571
Loc: Spahn Ranch
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Re: What is philosophy? / Have you studied academic philosophy? [Re: Amber_Glow]
#4933090 - 11/14/05 03:56 PM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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I'm currently reading a collection of Heidegger's lectures on Nietzsche revolving around nihilism. Besides excerpts of Being and Time, this is his only work I have read thus far, and while I agree that at times he becomes unnecessarilly "wordy," I wouldn't go as far as to call him a "douchebag." He seems quite brilliant actually.
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Silversoul
Rhizome
Registered: 01/01/05
Posts: 23,576
Loc: The Barricades
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Re: What is philosophy? / Have you studied academic philosophy? [Re: Amber_Glow]
#4933132 - 11/14/05 04:07 PM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Amber_Glow said: Heidegger's writing is bad. He wants to be so deep and poetic. Just say what you mean jerkoff! Merleau Ponty has a clearer writing style.
I read(or rather skimmed) Being and Time for a class I took on existentialism and phenomenology, and while the writing is certainly confusing, I would not describe it as poetic. He uses complex terminology and even sometimes Greek symbols because his point is a complex one, which cannot be conveyed in layman's terms.
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RandalFlagg
Stranger
Registered: 06/15/02
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Re: What is philosophy? / Have you studied academic philosophy? [Re: Silversoul]
#4933993 - 11/14/05 07:18 PM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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Sartre is better.
For a real good psychological exploration of alienation, nihilism, and existentialism check out "Notes from Underground" by Dostoyevksy.
Edited by RandalFlagg (11/14/05 07:38 PM)
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MarkostheGnostic
Elder
Registered: 12/09/99
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Loc: South Florida
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Re: What is philosophy? / Have you studied academic philosophy? [Re: Lakefingers]
#4934116 - 11/14/05 07:44 PM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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Actually, that does sound interesting. Merleau-Ponty was the first medern philosopher (after the Pre-Socratics) that I read in my freshman year of college. Currently however, I am reading Israel Regardie, Symond's "Confessions of Aleister Crowley' and 'The Laughing Jesus.'
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LiQuidSlim
Chillin
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Loc: Houston, TX
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Re: What is philosophy? / Have you studied academic philosophy? [Re: MarkostheGnostic]
#4935375 - 11/14/05 11:52 PM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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I am in Philosophy this semester and it is really interesting. You don't have to be enrolled in a philosophy to actually grasp it, but with the interaction of a "supposedly" profession and classmates that all have different perspectives on everything, it is a good way to step back and look at everything/understand with others intent.
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CosmicJoke
happy mutant
Registered: 04/05/00
Posts: 10,848
Loc: Portland, OR
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Re: What is philosophy? / Have you studied academic philosophy? [Re: Lakefingers]
#4936218 - 11/15/05 07:29 AM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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well, i waltzed out of college with philosophy and psychology B.A.s a few years ago. i'll tell what any i remember of it, as the circumfrance of my world back in that comfy, safe academic trip in relation to where i'm at now but only 3 years after that artsy sciencey safety net was pulled out me has been so sizable, it's more the catalyst that came from losing my identity as a college student and spiraling out into that great wide whirrrrled that made the bigger splash on my consciousness. seems like academic philosophy and psychedelics and all that college life was more of a cacoon of sorts where a sanctuary of fascination came into place deep in my psyche. if religion is the opium of the masses as ol' Marx would say, it was philosophy
at my university, philosophy was by far the easiest undergrad degree to ascertain if one was so inclined. by that i mean, other than the tiers, aka general education requirements, the requirements were a meager 40 hrs of philosophy, including introduction to philosophy, modern philosophy, political philosophy, symbolic logic and i believe it was at least 3 courses over the 400 level.
occupationally, it was suggested that a philosophy BA
-------------------- Everything is better than it was the last time. I'm good. If we could look into each others hearts, and understand the unique challenges each of us faces, I think we would treat each other much more gently, with more love, patience, tolerance, and care. It takes a lot of courage to go out there and radiate your essence. I know you scared, you should ask us if we scared too. If you was there, and we just knew you cared too.
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CosmicJoke
happy mutant
Registered: 04/05/00
Posts: 10,848
Loc: Portland, OR
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Re: What is philosophy? / Have you studied academic philosophy? [Re: Lakefingers]
#4936722 - 11/15/05 11:01 AM (18 years, 5 months ago) |
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well, i waltzed out of college with philosophy and psychology B.A.s a few years ago. i'll tell what any i remember of it, as the circumfrance of my world back in that comfy, safe academic trip in relation to where i'm at now but only 3 years after that artsy sciencey safety net was pulled out me has been so sizable, it's more the catalyst that came from losing my identity as a college student and spiraling out into that great wide whirrrrled that made the bigger splash on my consciousness. seems like academic philosophy and psychedelics and all that college life was more of a cacoon of sorts where a sanctuary of fascination came into place deep in my psyche. if religion is the opium of the masses as ol' Marx would say, it was those endless nights of philosophy readings abd writings and meditating and psychedelics were the buddings of the opium of me. that is, when the "real world" gets down right painful from time to time, i got a real strong pain reliever close to me as my own skin n' i go down that rabbit hole and land in a treasure of knowledge.
heheh, but yeah, there has to be sumpin' concrete i could offer you... hnmmmm
at my university, philosophy was by far the easiest undergrad degree to ascertain if one was so inclined. by that i mean, other than the tiers, aka general education requirements, the requirements were a meager 40 hrs of philosophy, including introduction to philosophy, modern philosophy, political philosophy, symbolic logic and i believe it was at least 3 courses over the 400 level.
occupationally, it was suggested that a philosophy BA held some merrit if one intended to enter law school, a seminary school, or continuing philosophy studies in grad school.
at ohio university, it seemed at any given time it averaged that there were only 5 philosophy majors in the whole damned department, yet there were at least a good 20 or more classes being offered a quarter. combine this with the fact that unlike psychology for example, there were seldomly ever a prerequisite to a class except perhaps for some of the 400 level classes, philosophy studentts there ended up gypsy rogues amongst a sea of kids enrolled in your class often with the most dubious motives. after all, con artistry BS skills shine on a philosophy essay when getting those pesky humanities courses out of the way... can't escape it in a history course, no room for interpretation when it comes to plugging in the date of the great schism n' such... thus, the philosophy student holds a greater burden than merely making the grade if he strives to be anything more than a twerp at my ol' school. i never sat through more than a day of class for philosophy if i didn't bond with the professor - there real value revealed itself in one on one appointments out of class, where you could really pick their brain and get let in to some of the inside dope gems of information they have to offer. --- The head of my philosophy department, who I did an independent study of Mysticism with, wound up being a student of Mircea Eliade
man was that an awesome yet at other times hellish nightmare of an experience - i foolishly asked one very intelligent Gnostic member for some suggestions on some challenging readings for my study and on one of my off days from the acid and dmt and what not charmed a philosophy professor into endorsing my undertakings. when two totally uncompromising, pigheaded men (seemed like a personality flaw that drew us to this field or something) are stuck with each other one on one a few hours a week - the head of the philosophy department, a man grounded in a lifetime of scholarly sensabilities and an acidhead hanging on to the desk in his office as to not float away on astral vibes was quite the comedy, but i wound up forming this totally unhealthy mania towards those texts of Otto and James etc., where the normal frustration/achievement model towards accomplishing a complete understanding of a material didn't jive at all with how my psychedelic experiences were informing me to digest the material and sometimes it seemed like this OCD masochism wracking my brain exhausting myself in ways that would have provided results had it been a Calculus class - meanwhile my friends took art classes and had f'n righteous art galleries at the bars etc, there hearts and passions weren't tied up in the whole success/failure frustration/achievement models of motivation i was wrapped up in, and it painfully obvious to me but that understanding doesn't necessarily free one from its effects.
so, philosophical undertakings require readiness, and mistakenly identifying myself as a whiz kid aiming to produce a philosophical masterpiece is a pretty awful existential limbo to burden oneself with, as is trying to beat the system and retain the deep consciousness revealed through psychedelics while shrugging off disciplines like pranayam exercises.
that indepedent study took me 3 quarters to procure my 5 credits, one of which i totally avoided my prof to the point of ducking out of rooms in Ellis if i heard his voice. he didn't fail me though, part of what was so maddening about it all was that he would throw my papers back in my face until they earned an A, and would break the ice when we'd run into each other a month later saying "there's my prodigal son!"
the best experience i had in the philosophy department came the following year with my Taoism professor. he was actually a student of Alan Watts when he was a Chaplin at Berkeley. our class was real small, about 9 or 10 of us, and our desks were in a circle and we'd take turns reading passages Chaung Tsu n' wrap about it. after my buddy and i made him dinner and got blazed (was my friend's audacity to pull out a J) he told me to write my final paper on Huxley's Perrenial Philosophy and then confessed he wouldn't be teaching next year.... i asked him "awwwh, why?" and he said his wife was expecting and being that he was definately in his 70's and being stoned to the bone i said "expecting what???" his wife was having twins!
annnnnnnyways, for better or worse, i've chronicled ya some of my academic philosophy misadventures. oy.... lol.
peace,
CJ
-------------------- Everything is better than it was the last time. I'm good. If we could look into each others hearts, and understand the unique challenges each of us faces, I think we would treat each other much more gently, with more love, patience, tolerance, and care. It takes a lot of courage to go out there and radiate your essence. I know you scared, you should ask us if we scared too. If you was there, and we just knew you cared too.
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