The philosophy thread general discussion

Because it's absolutely the wrong word and it's completely nonsensical as a replacement. It came off like you didn't understand the topic of the conversation.

Really? "Planning" use as a term describing a mental ability is quite widespread and not controversial:

[[https://www.cognifit.com/science/planning Planning Neuropsychology of the executive functions]]

Cognitive Planning

Planning (cognitive)

The word has been used in that way since at least 1737

"Strength is the ability to make that which you believe in a reality." by contrast, seems pretty clearly to be a metaphore. Lonecourier deserved to know that.

Then, you know, actually use the full name of the term.

I was already aware to be a metaphor based on the series' context.

Gotcha

Random musing.

For the past couple of weeks, I've been reading A History of Western Thought: From Ancient Greece to the Twentieth Century by Gunnar Skirbekk and Nils Gilje, Professors of Philosophy at Bergen University, Norway.

Currently I finished chapter 6, "The Middle Ages"...and I must say, holy crap, the more I read this (VERY detailed) book, the more I realize just how utterly out of depth I was about this field.

For example, after I finished the first chapter, titled "Pre-Socratic philoosphy, with a glance at ancient Indian and Chinese thought", I found it embarassing that I that I used to think Western philosophy pretty much didn't exist before Socrates.

Honestly, my current mindset can be summarized as - "Wow, I didn't know that...now, what else I don't know?"

I would say that knowing how little you know is the most important knowledge of all.

Socrates would agree!

SMBC presents a rather different argument in favor of utilitarianism

Together 3

That last panel reminds me of a joke about an angel offering to grant a wish to someone, with the caveat that their neighbor would get double of whatever they wish. So the person wishes to be blind in one eye.

The angel has a similar reaction to the alien in this strip.

An SMBC strip where God expresses frustration at people asking him about the nature of consciousness instead of marveling at just how incredibly complex and amazing their bodies really are:

Consciousness 4

Which is why he is looking forward to A.I. killing us all.

Edited by M84 on Mar 20th 2024 at 6:12:22 PM

I mean that incredibly complex and amazing body that he spent 4 billion years evolving can still die from as much as a falling coconut on the head or diseases transmitted via tiny mosquitoes. Does God really want that to be an advertisement of his complex thinking to be focused on instead of consciousness?

Edited by xyzt on Mar 20th 2024 at 4:50:47 PM

Our bodies being delicate in some ways doesn't make them any less incredible.

Especially when you really think about everything that had to happen to lead to humans.

I'd even argue that you can't have such a complex system without so many vulnerabilities. The more moving parts, the more potential points of failure.

Sure, but that is true of the body of many other species as well, some of whom are more complex in their own unique ways. And if we are going to talk about the complexity of our immune systems, pointing out how easily it can fail on its own is relevant as well imo. I would think our ability to develop and perfect medicine and surgeries are what would be truly remarkable rather than a complex immune system which is true of many other species and some of whom likely have immune systems more complex than ours.

The evolution of our self awareness, inquisitiveness, consciousness and general ability to question our own existence also is part of said important and critical things that led to humans, and a lot of that is still a debated mystery that for all we know is a debate only our species engages in, so why wouldn't we be more fascinated by that?

Though there is supposed to be a balance. Complexity for the sake of it is not desired, the increasing complexity has to be a net positive to our chances of survivability in changing environments (which I guess in many ways it is, but our additional ability for tool making and eventual developing of medicine was a great contribution as well)

Edited by xyzt on Mar 20th 2024 at 6:41:27 PM

Can't wait until our army of self replicating robots takes over all creation. Screw him.

Tbf I am pretty sure we would react in the same way if our machines started whining about their feelings too.

Tell them to man up and go the gym?

Or tell them to shut up and do what we built them to do instead.

"Why do I feel so sad all the time?"

"Siri, I just asked for the weather forecast."

Edited by M84 on Mar 21st 2024 at 9:47:37 PM

Oh man.

For past few months, no, almost a whole year I think I've been suffering with what can be called as "intellectual inadequacy".

Anytime I learn about subjects like history, human anatomy, physics, economics, philosophy, etc, I constantly find myself saying "Holy crap I never knew that...goddamn, what else I don't know?"

I always felt that I have to understand about how the world works to thrive in it, if not just survive...but unfortunately, the world is getting ever more vast and complicated every year.

Even to just achieve broad and basic understanding of the world, I feel like I have to learn so, so, so many things.

Or maybe it's just my ADHD constantly fueling my curiosity as a form of distraction. If nothing else, I've never been bored for the past couple of years and I don't hink I ever will.

I think I know the feeling, if perhaps not as strong one.

I get that every once I while, and particularly strongly recently. That’s just life though, it’s good that you’re trying.

I'm reminded of those old Sherlock Holmes stories where the character admits he only focuses on knowledge that he finds interesting and/or relevant to his work.

So he doesn't know that the Earth revolves around the sun. I think one can take pride that they have enough knowledge to thrive in their chosen career path but still desire to learn more to expand their horizons.

But the effort certainly is exhausting.

Speaking of knowledge and philosophy, what are some philosophical concepts/terms that you guys personally find really, really complex and difficult?

For me personally, it would epistemology. Whenever I read philosophy-related books and see that term, I find myself groaning, "Oh God, not this again."

And if that gets combined with theology, for example such as some facets of patristic philosophy...it goes straight into headache-inducing territory for me.

Edited by dRoy on Apr 10th 2024 at 12:03:17 AM

Epistemology is fairly simple. It boils down to answering the question "do we actually know anything?"

Personally, I always go with the classic cogito ergo sum. And it's a difficulty that's a bit unconventional.