Who Are The Best Philosophers? Why?

Respect and acceptance would be ideal, but that's asking for too much.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

Wasn't faith THE point of reason back then?

What else did they go by?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

Ayodhya:

I agree that respect is good, but not always acceptance. One should not accept evil things, for instance.

Free Matt 417:

Perhaps faith for the Jews, but philosophy (a Greek invention) has always been about reason.

The Pre-Socratics, Socrates/Plato, Aristotle, et cetera, all show the primacy of reason.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide all adverts.

Prince_James are you talking about me, ?

 

No?

 

Plato- for the Republic and Phaedo(the only ones I've read/started to read so far)
Hegel- because I had to read the book I have summarizing his work 3 times before I even understood it a little.

 

never mind then pj

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

 

Who Are The Best Philosophers? Why?
Lao Tzu.

Simple and brilliant.

 

You mean this?

No. I accept philosophy as the analysis of the ways we think about everything and the attempt to find better (more accurate?) ways to think about things. Like science.

It's not even the often rambling nature of philosophical discussions that bothers me. It's the unwillingness of some "philosophers" to admit and examine the valid points brought up by others, lest it disturb their viewpoint. This leads nowhere, fast.

 

I recall reading somewhere that Arthur Schopenhauer was profoundly inspired by the Upanishads...perhaps the first western philosopher to encounter them in english translation.

He called them 'the consolation of his life'.

 

Didn't much affect his philosophy, though.

Schopenhauer is overall, quite the embarrasment I say.

 

I usually like people who live a troublesome and interesting lives, which is why I like Voltaire. To be honest the best philosophies come from a time of trouble or societal significance. But I am fond of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. I started out with Aristotle and liked his work very much, probably my favorite.

 

Aristotle was insane.

 

How was he insane?

 

Ever read the stuff this guy wrote?!? It's pretty insane stuff!!

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

 

With only the slight problem being that he was attempting not to get at the nature of mind and/or being but rather to prove the existence of god...
That and the fact that he ran straight into the wall of solipsism and his only escape was to claim that god wouldn't make a world like that.
So, not only did he fail to prove god, he actually had to arbitrarily assume not only his existence but also his very nature in order to escape emptiness.

Descartes was a real winner.
Sure.


I have found a lot in common with Sartre. But, also much that I dislike.
Rand also had important things to say, but also made a great many mistakes.

Nietzsche has already been mentioned, he too was a bit of this and a bit of that.


The best philosopher?
In the end, there is only one choice to make. One rational and responsible choice, that is.

Yourself.

If you don't ascribe to your own supremacy in all matters of philosophy then you merely subsume your character to the shackles of another.
Nothing more disgusting that an ismist.

 

I'm just kidding

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

He's a good guy...

I still prefer Lao Tzu, though...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lao_Tzu

 

Very true...

Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!

I still wonder... If Descartes got stuck in solipcism, I wonder if that is the nature of reality after all. If you would continue his argument from the point he reaches solipcism, how would you resolve the argument to bring the whole universe back?

 

I wish he would've wrote more in his life though..

 

Simple.
Kick a rock.

Which, of course, brings up another philosopher who should be perhaps better known. At least his refutation of solipsism should.

Dr. Johnson:
"During a conversation with his biographer, Johnson became infuriated at the suggestion that Berkeley's idealism could not be refuted. In his anger, Johnson powerfully kicked a nearby stone and proclaimed, of Berkeley's theory, that "I refute it thus!" "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr_Johnson