What Is Philosophy?

Elixir said:

bilby said:

I don't imagine you live literally under an actual rock.

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I live under sheetrock. Does that count?

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Only if it gives your flights of fancy a hard ceiling.

So what is it that turns thought into philosophy. Or is thought itself a form of philosophy?

What about problem solving? Is it philosophy or nothing more than problem solving?

If I have no philosophy is that in itself a philosophy????

I must apologize to the cats for not mentioning them yesterday when I was distracted. Perhaps they are the best philosophers.

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/why-...-living-the-good-life-than-socrates-1.6013613

Why cats may have more to teach us about living the good life than Socrates​

Who says the unexamined life isn’t worth living? Not cats, according to philosopher John Gray​

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"Why are we born only to die? What is the meaning of existence? What constitutes a good life?

But according to British philosopher John Gray, cats can often teach us much more about living the good life than philosophy ever could.

In his book, Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life, Gray examines the nature of our philosophical pursuits, and finds them wanting.

"In humans, discontent with their nature seems to be natural," he writes. "With predictably tragic and farcical results, the human animal never ceases striving to be something that it is not."

Cats, according to Gray, make no such effort."

If they are doing that by their very nature, can it be defined as philosophy?

DBT said:

If they are doing that by their very nature, can it be defined as philosophy?

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Why not? We do philosophy by our very nature too - unless you believe that philosophy is somehow supernatural?

bilby said:

DBT said:

If they are doing that by their very nature, can it be defined as philosophy?

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Why not? We do philosophy by our very nature too - unless you believe that philosophy is somehow supernatural?

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Maybe biology would be a better word? They are wired to be cats.

Consequently they think and act like cats.

steve_bank said:

If I have no philosophy is that in itself a philosophy????

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If someone has given thought to it I suppose.

Ah you just did.

DBT said:

So what is it that turns thought into philosophy. Or is thought itself a form of philosophy?

What about problem solving? Is it philosophy or nothing more than problem solving?

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Sorry a rushed post,
Indeed I would say 'problem solving' is an aspect of philosophy, and also 'what if' thoughts, like for example having imaginative ideas like: 'what if' we colonised and lived on Mars (whether or not this would be likely doesn't matter).