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I create this thread in hopes that it will provide us with a stimulating philosophical discussion.
Philosophy - "Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems concerning matters such as existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. It is distinguished from other ways of addressing fundamental questions (such as mysticism, myth, or the arts) by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational argument."
What is the point of life ?
What can bring you lasting happiness ?
What are your most important values ?
What is good and what is evil ?
What is Wisdom ?
What is your personal answer to these questions ?
What philosphers or philosphical doctrines do you especially like and why ?
I`m especially interested in your own philosophical cogitation but any quotations of famous philosphers or ones you like are very welcome.
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The answer to all these questions are......... Subjective!
Haha, I dont believe these questions have objective truths.
If you adhere to a religious/philosophical doctrine however there are.
To continue to discuss this, isnt it in our interest to discuss the concept of truth?
Personal answers.
Meaning of life - To enjoy it
Lasting happiness - Small problems, great friends.
Most important - Honesty, Integrity, Tolerance.
Good and evil - World is grey, but hurting someone for personal reasons can be considered to be a darker shade of grey.
Wisdom - Ability to simplify the complicated.
"To be without doubt is to be stupid" - Tage Danielsson.
Not the best translation of this epic quote, but its one of my favorites.
Im not that knowledgeable in this subject in general, so take my opinions with a shovel of salt.
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On July 14 2010 05:29 Neobick wrote:
The answer to all these questions are......... Subjective!
Haha, I dont believe these questions have objective truths.
If you adhere to a religious/philosophical doctrine however there are.
To continue to discuss this, isnt it in our interest to discuss the concept of truth?
To overcome the contradiction you've presented (and perhaps personally believe?), it would seem that a discussion of truth is in our best interest.
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I sense incoming walls of text being typed
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What is the point of life ?
To progress. At least, that's the point of human life. When simple molecules that could reproduce got more complex and became life, their point was the reproduce... well because that's what they do. That's why they exist.
But to progress is just what I think the point of life should be. It'd be great if everyone else thought the same as I did (actually after thinking a moment on that, I don't think it would be great lol).
What can bring you lasting happiness ?
Me? Or humans?
For me, working in a job I love, having a family I love, enjoying what life has to offer, know that my family and friends are also happy, and leaving something behind in this world.
What are your most important values ?
Respect (asiannnn!), positive attitude (and I mean this one, not just saying "oh more homework, let's get this stuff done!" Applying a positive attitude and outlook to everything in life makes life something that's VERY enjoyable ALL the time.). I could probably think of more...
What is good and what is evil ?
Two ends on a spectrum that is not mutually exclusive (lol that didn't make sense but it's the best way I can put it).
What is Wisdom ?
Whatever anyone wants to define it as.
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uh oh... EVERYONE RUN
User was warned for this post
edit: after 12pages, i still stand by my point made here =D
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I generally agree with anything Buddhist (I mean this in the way where being a 'Buddhist' is meant to describe the absence of any idea of what 'Buddhism' means). Usually any philosophy that has the idea of having to go beyond thoughts and ideas in order to actually know what 'reality' and 'life' are about I like.
My beliefs are 100 % on the spiritual side.
Other then that I've recently come across the idea of scientific materialism and because of that and all the things I had been thinking of and questioning before I no longer believe in science as being able to give us anything that we can call 'real'.
I will answer your questions but as with all things words and ideas are can never touch reality because of this my answers really don't mean a thing...
1 - The point to life is to realize what the point of life is.
2. Nothing outside of yourself can bring you happiness. Furthermore, nothing that is within can bring you happiness either. That is because within and without are opposites and by searching in either place you affirm your idea of separation with everything. Happiness is in unity, not separation.
3. My most important value is - "The crystal truth of compassion" - Jack Kerouac
4. Good and evil are opposites. From my point of view neither are true. Good and evil are illusions created by the mind based on the idea of separation. The root of all good and evil is this thought. What is truly 'good' is love. And love has no opposite. I use love in the sense of 'God' and I use 'God' in the sense of wholeness, consciousness, and knowing (that is the ability of the mind to be 'luminous' and know).
5. Wisdom ultimately has nothing to do with ideas and all that to do with what is beyond ideas and conceptualization. Because the root cause of conceptualization is judgement and the root of that is the belief in the separation of everything (the universe into discrete forms). Therefore, wisdom is intrinsic to all 'forms' in the universe because all 'forms' are actually not forms because there is no separation.
So it goes like this. Your belief in separation causes you to judge and see others as separate from you. Because you judge you must necessarily eventually judge as 'good' or 'evil'. Judgement's in 'good' and 'evil' eventually lead to violence which reaffirms your belief in separation because you react and recoil from that violence from others and to yourself.
Wisdom on the other hand which is beyond conceptualizations, that is to say beyond judgement. Wisdom knows no separation and as such cannot make judgement's and because of this it is truly wise and knows not other then itself. No fear.
Let me know what you think.
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On July 14 2010 05:42 Gnosis wrote:Show nested quote +On July 14 2010 05:29 Neobick wrote:
The answer to all these questions are......... Subjective!
Haha, I dont believe these questions have objective truths.
If you adhere to a religious/philosophical doctrine however there are.
To continue to discuss this, isnt it in our interest to discuss the concept of truth?
To overcome the contradiction you've presented (and perhaps personally believe?), it would seem that a discussion of truth is in our best interest.
I believe questions of personal morality is subjective in nature, however Im aware of the contradiction of believing in subjectivity. And if the truths are subjective the concept of truth are subjective. But statements that arent empirically falsifiable I think can be seen as subjective.
I heard quote somewhere. Maybe totally invalid and useless but it went something like
"Objective truth is an infinitely small number of subjective ones."
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I am a philosophy major, and I have found that the theory of evolution answers most of these questions
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meaning of life - to survive, i'd like to experience as much as possible, to do this i need to live longer xD
lasting happiness - competition, life gets boring other wise, and i despise boredom
what is good and what is evil - i don't believe either exist in the literal sense that they are normally presented
what is wisdom? - pretty subjective  personally i feel its the ability to use your intelligence. and using it to simplify the complicated is very useful xD
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On July 14 2010 05:49 zizou21 wrote:I am a philosophy major, and I have found that the theory of evolution answers most of these questions
This... initially, although now we have time to muse about other things, since we're no longer fighting for survival
Does that kill this thread? :-/
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On July 14 2010 05:49 zizou21 wrote:I am a philosophy major, and I have found that the theory of evolution answers most of these questions
Heh
It does make sense. Life has no point. It just happens and whatever happens happens and is why things are the way they are now.
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What is the point of life ?
The assimilation of all living species
What can bring you lasting happiness ?
"To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of their SCVs"
What are your most important values ?
"Survival of the fittest"
What is good and what is evil ?
"There is no good or evil only the swarm"
What is Wisdom ?
To follow the will of the Queen
Favorite Quote
"I hope you're prepared for the next encounter. The zerg are coming. The zerg are nature in all her fury.
Nature doesn't just adapt. Nature cheats, changes the rules, and slips out the back door with your wallet while you're still trying to figure out what the hell happened."
- Maren Ayers
+ Show Spoiler +
Sorry if this was inappropriate, I don't want to hijack a serious thread but it was my first thought.
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If you know it, you don't need to be told it.
If you don't know it, you wouldn't understand anyway.
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Zerg.
To respond succinctly:
What is the point of life ?
There is no fundamental purpose.
What can bring you lasting happiness ?
This is a function of biology, and therefore ultimately inconsequential.
What are your most important values ?
Truth*, beauty.
What is good and what is evil ?
There is no such thing.
What is Wisdom ?
Just a word. Words have meaning.
*I think the only potentially contentious thing in my answers is this, and the subsequent discussion of "is there one truth, one reality, among individuals with different perceptions?". Questioning the uniqueness of existence just leads to irrationality, which is at odds with any sort of knowledge, especially mutual knowledge. So I discount it as irrelevant in an interaction among intelligent agents.
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On July 14 2010 05:49 zizou21 wrote:I am a philosophy major, and I have found that the theory of evolution answers most of these questions
I am also a philosophy major and I have found that the theory of evolution answers none of these questions.
I find people who think this are generally trading on a confusion between explaining people's opinions or tendencies of belief about X (say, morality) with explaining the facts about X. Finding an evolutionary story of our moral beliefs doesn't tell us the moral facts anymore than finding an evolutionary story of our mathematical beliefs tells us the mathematical facts.
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On July 14 2010 06:05 Usyless wrote:Show nested quote +On July 14 2010 05:49 zizou21 wrote:I am a philosophy major, and I have found that the theory of evolution answers most of these questions I am also a philosophy major and I have found that the theory of evolution answers none of these questions. I find people who think this are generally trading on a confusion between explaining people's opinions or tendencies of belief about X (say, morality) with explaining the facts about X. Finding an evolutionary story of our moral beliefs doesn't tell us the moral facts anymore than finding an evolutionary story of our mathematical beliefs tells us the mathematical facts.
Except morality evolves as our community evolves (equal rights, anti-slavery, etc.), and our behavior is shaped by what best suits ourselves and our survival.
On the other hand, mathematical facts really have no dependency on evolution... so I don't really understand your analogy.
Can you elaborate please? Thank you.
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On July 14 2010 06:05 Usyless wrote:Show nested quote +On July 14 2010 05:49 zizou21 wrote:I am a philosophy major, and I have found that the theory of evolution answers most of these questions I am also a philosophy major and I have found that the theory of evolution answers none of these questions. I find people who think this are generally trading on a confusion between explaining people's opinions or tendencies of belief about X (say, morality) with explaining the facts about X. Finding an evolutionary story of our moral beliefs doesn't tell us the moral facts anymore than finding an evolutionary story of our mathematical beliefs tells us the mathematical facts.
This. Also, need to stop doing philosophy threads on a gaming forum.
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On July 14 2010 06:14 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:Show nested quote +On July 14 2010 06:05 Usyless wrote:On July 14 2010 05:49 zizou21 wrote:I am a philosophy major, and I have found that the theory of evolution answers most of these questions I am also a philosophy major and I have found that the theory of evolution answers none of these questions. I find people who think this are generally trading on a confusion between explaining people's opinions or tendencies of belief about X (say, morality) with explaining the facts about X. Finding an evolutionary story of our moral beliefs doesn't tell us the moral facts anymore than finding an evolutionary story of our mathematical beliefs tells us the mathematical facts. Except morality evolves as our community evolves (equal rights, anti-slavery, etc.), and our behavior is shaped by what best suits ourselves and our survival. On the other hand, mathematical facts really have no dependency on evolution... so I don't really understand your analogy. Can you elaborate please? Thank you.
Your understanding of an objective morality "evolves" as you reason and derive knowledgeably. Just because we abolished the slave trade (in some places) in the last century, doesn't mean it hasn't been wrong since the inception of the human species until it has been abolished.
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On July 14 2010 06:17 oceanblack wrote:Show nested quote +On July 14 2010 06:14 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:On July 14 2010 06:05 Usyless wrote:On July 14 2010 05:49 zizou21 wrote:I am a philosophy major, and I have found that the theory of evolution answers most of these questions I am also a philosophy major and I have found that the theory of evolution answers none of these questions. I find people who think this are generally trading on a confusion between explaining people's opinions or tendencies of belief about X (say, morality) with explaining the facts about X. Finding an evolutionary story of our moral beliefs doesn't tell us the moral facts anymore than finding an evolutionary story of our mathematical beliefs tells us the mathematical facts. Except morality evolves as our community evolves (equal rights, anti-slavery, etc.), and our behavior is shaped by what best suits ourselves and our survival. On the other hand, mathematical facts really have no dependency on evolution... so I don't really understand your analogy. Can you elaborate please? Thank you. Your understanding of an objective morality "evolves" as you reason and derive knowledgeably. Just because we abolished the slave trade (in some places) in the last century, doesn't mean it hasn't been wrong since the inception of the human species until it has been abolished.
Morality isn't objective. It's subjective.
Mathematics is objective.
I don't see how the two are comparable, nor how the latter could be part of that evolutionary analogy.
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EPT![[image loading]](http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif)
