What Is Philosophy?

[bilby]

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

I live under sheetrock. Does that count?

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

 

[DBT]

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?

 

[steve_bank]

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

 

[southernhybrid]

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​

"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."

 

[DBT]

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

 

[bilby]

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

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

 

[DBT]

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

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

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

Consequently they think and act like cats.

 

[Learner]

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

If someone has given thought to it I suppose.

Ah you just did.

 

[Learner]

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?

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).

 

[steve_bank]

There is the ancient question, how many philosophies can fit on the head of needle.

What constitutes a specific philosophy?

philosophize
verb
verb: philosophize; 3rd person present: philosophizes; past tense: philosophized; past participle: philosophized; gerund or present participle: philosophizing; verb: philosophise; 3rd person present: philosophises; past tense: philosophised; past participle: philosophised; gerund or present participle: philosophising

speculate or theorize about fundamental or serious issues, especially in a tedious or pompous way.
"he paused for a while to philosophize on racial equality"

Is philosophizing doing philosophy?

 

[pood]

Small minds don’t philosophize, but from time to time they do make up their own tedious and pompous definitions of what philosophy is.

 

[pood]

After all, how tedious and pompous is it to make a comprehensive list of all the ways the word philosophy or philosophize can be used in a sentence? Rimbaud once characterized a third-rate poet as an “inkshitter.” These days we have pixelshitters.

 

[pood]

Here is a gigantic list of philosophers from antiquity to the present. All tedious or pompous, I guess.

According to a nondescript engineer.

 

[pood]

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

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

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

Consequently they think and act like cats.

Sure. But humans aren’t cats. Hence we do philosophy automatically, because that is how we are wired. The first touch of sorrow on our faces is the start of philosophy.

 

[pood]

Dog philosophy.

 

[steve_bank]

Pood

I still do not understand what you mean by the word philosophy and what you are trying to prove. Like when you say philosophy guides science.

Yes there have been many historical philosophers, what does that mean or prove?

Id have to fact check myself, as I remember Pythagoreans were not very tolerant and had violent conflict.

There is a wide range of ethical and moral philosophies that do not agree.

Moral philosophies can be broadly categorized into consequentialism (like utilitarianism), deontology (like Kantian ethics), and virtue ethics. Other prominent moral philosophies include divine command theory, social contract theory, rights-based theories, ethical egoism, and cultural relativism.

Category:Ethical theories, a lot.

Category:Ethical theories - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Platonism vs Neo Platonism.

Platonism is a philosophical theory founded by Plato, and later developed by followers like Plotinus into Neoplatonism, that posits a realm of perfect, eternal, and abstract forms or ideas, of which the physical world is an imperfect imitation. Its core tenets include the soul's pre-existence, the identification of the person with the soul, and an ethics where virtue is a form of knowledge linked to the "Form of the Good".

Multiple theoriess of mind, knowledge, ad science.

I do not see how all that serve as any practical guide for living and doing. Philosophy as a who;e is about as consistent as Christianity.


To me what we think and what we do are based on survival. Communism failed and western liberal democracy only about 85 years old post WWII is being tested as we speak here and in Europe.

The political philosophy constructed by out founders as a balance of power to limit executive authority is in serious jeopardy.

What core philosophy is appears to be as the philosophy forum categories are defined.

Ethics
Metaphysics
Epistemology
Other

So, when you say philosophy guides science or anything else, be specific. Which one and what is the causal link. In business speak what are the deliverables of a philosophy?

As I understand it philosophy is common for those headed to law school. It makes sense. Logic, ethics, knowledge theory, debate. rhetoric and so on.

We all think and have imagination. Call it whatever you like.

With Mozart we cal it music.
With Einstein we call it a theory.
With engineering we call it a bridge or a computer.
With philosophy we call it ethics, metaphysics …

Being HEAVILY infunced by modern science not metaphysics it all comes down to how our brains are wired.

Language, writing, speech and a philosophy are not need for sconce.

Chimpanzee nutcracking anvil, hammerstone, and nuts

humanorigins.si.edu

Chimpanzees in Guinea used this stone anvil and hammerstone to crack open oil palm nuts, an energy-rich food. Nut cracking is one of the most sophisticated examples of chimpanzee tool use.


Back in the 80s there was a documentary The Snow Monkeys Of Japan. A film crew by chance happened to be around wn a troupe discoed the benefits of a hot springs in the wier.

At first they tentatively explored the waters. At the end they were swimming, splashing around, and grooming each other. Give them a glass of wine and it could be a hot tub.

Humans controlled fore and figured out metallurgy with neither our concept of science or philosophies.

 

[DBT]

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

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

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

Consequently they think and act like cats.

Sure. But humans aren’t cats. Hence we do philosophy automatically, because that is how we are wired. The first touch of sorrow on our faces is the start of philosophy.

It's still a matter of biology, just that with humans a greater range and depth of thought is enabled by the architecture of our brain.

The ability to think is not philosophy, nor is it science.