Motoring1 min ago
Philosophy Anybody?
59 Answers
I am particularly interested in replies from Naomi, Jim, Mibs, and anybody else of a cerebral persuasion to my questions.
Are there any philosophers who have influenced your thinking?
Any relevant to today?
Are there any philosophers who have influenced your thinking?
Any relevant to today?
Answers
Best Answer
No best answer has yet been selected by Theland. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
Chris; //Geniocracy is the only valid way forward for mankind.//
The idea of only the super-intelligent running the world makes me laugh. I have known many people much smarter than I am (not difficult do I hear?) who shouldn't be allowed to organise anything more complicated than a barbeque - and that would probably be a disaster!
Intelligence comes in so many forms, analytical, social, artistic, musical, skill-based etc. and is tested usually by an IQ test which looks at only a limited aspect of the whole person.
The thought of the proverbial 'rocket scientist' or a chess grand-master running the country makes me cringe, after all - we have Teresa May ....... errr, hang on!
The idea of only the super-intelligent running the world makes me laugh. I have known many people much smarter than I am (not difficult do I hear?) who shouldn't be allowed to organise anything more complicated than a barbeque - and that would probably be a disaster!
Intelligence comes in so many forms, analytical, social, artistic, musical, skill-based etc. and is tested usually by an IQ test which looks at only a limited aspect of the whole person.
The thought of the proverbial 'rocket scientist' or a chess grand-master running the country makes me cringe, after all - we have Teresa May ....... errr, hang on!
// that set out to remodel society, politics, and policies. //
is not the work of a philsopher
more like sociologist or that old phrase social engineer ...
did Plato ever say - I think you should vote for Brexit?
no he did not - not the job of a philosopher
Plato did think ideas existed outside of people minds
So that for example - theorems in maff exist independently and sort of wait crouching on the ground to be discovered - rather than be made up and then only exist in a scientists mind
god you should have heard the philosophers and thinker whoop over that one !
is not the work of a philsopher
more like sociologist or that old phrase social engineer ...
did Plato ever say - I think you should vote for Brexit?
no he did not - not the job of a philosopher
Plato did think ideas existed outside of people minds
So that for example - theorems in maff exist independently and sort of wait crouching on the ground to be discovered - rather than be made up and then only exist in a scientists mind
god you should have heard the philosophers and thinker whoop over that one !
//did Plato ever say - I think you should vote for Brexit?
no he did not - not the job of a philosopher//
He did think, however, that the governance of a state should be in the hands of the "wise". The principle is enunciated at length in a work called the "Republic".
PP is is on surer ground when he comments on Plato's theory of previous existence. αναμνησις, or some such?
VE A-Level set book (can't remember its name - Theo something?) was the dialogue when Socrates demonstrates that the slave always knew the truth of Pythagoras' famous theorem. Stick, sand, triangle and square. God knows the Greek for any of those now.
Ah, in answer to the OP, Popper did a "me no Leika" to smart-ass-bullyboyism in his work "The Open Society and its Enemies". Read by a young VE only a few years after reading the "Republic".
The eponymous "enemies" were Plato and Marx.
no he did not - not the job of a philosopher//
He did think, however, that the governance of a state should be in the hands of the "wise". The principle is enunciated at length in a work called the "Republic".
PP is is on surer ground when he comments on Plato's theory of previous existence. αναμνησις, or some such?
VE A-Level set book (can't remember its name - Theo something?) was the dialogue when Socrates demonstrates that the slave always knew the truth of Pythagoras' famous theorem. Stick, sand, triangle and square. God knows the Greek for any of those now.
Ah, in answer to the OP, Popper did a "me no Leika" to smart-ass-bullyboyism in his work "The Open Society and its Enemies". Read by a young VE only a few years after reading the "Republic".
The eponymous "enemies" were Plato and Marx.
Philosophical 'proofs' (or strong arguments) for the existence of God;
The modal ontological argument, The Kaläm (that umlaut should be a line) cosmological argument, The argument from moral truths, The argument for mathematical truths (see PP above), The argument for fine tuning and the argument for consciousness.
None of these are alone logically coercive, but that does not render them redundant.
Philosophy can draw a person to at least the threshold of belief.
"A little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion." Francis Bacon
The modal ontological argument, The Kaläm (that umlaut should be a line) cosmological argument, The argument from moral truths, The argument for mathematical truths (see PP above), The argument for fine tuning and the argument for consciousness.
None of these are alone logically coercive, but that does not render them redundant.
Philosophy can draw a person to at least the threshold of belief.
"A little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to religion." Francis Bacon
Khandro is spot on at 18:02. I said that on here quite recently, and it is proven on AB every day... there are some very intelligent people on here- but everyone clearly has their blind spots too.
If you wanted to start a government from scratch, you would go with as varied personalities and people as you could find.
You seem to be going into Psychology more than Philosophy, theland. What are you actually asking about?
If you wanted to start a government from scratch, you would go with as varied personalities and people as you could find.
You seem to be going into Psychology more than Philosophy, theland. What are you actually asking about?
It depends on what you mean by "the super-intelligent". For my part I always assume it means m̶a̶t̶h̶e̶m̶a̶t̶i̶c̶a̶l̶ p̶h̶y̶s̶i̶c̶i̶s̶t̶s̶ a broad range of the well-educated, so that all bases are covered and the "blind spots" pixie quite rightly mentions are (as far as possible) covered. I don't agree with the premise of Khandro's comment that "intelligent" people are, generally, inept in other important areas. At the very least, even if you accept that political decisions should be guided by instinct as well as by evidence, I fear the latter is playing a far smaller role than it should do at the moment.
Just to add, in case there were any doubt, that saying "I prefer to think for myself" naturally exposes me to being wrong, perhaps fairly often.
Just to add, in case there were any doubt, that saying "I prefer to think for myself" naturally exposes me to being wrong, perhaps fairly often.
Latest Posts
Crosswords2 mins ago
Body & Soul3 mins ago
Well At Least Sir Kier Is Topping One...
News8 mins ago
ChatterBank9 mins ago
Quizzes & Puzzles11 mins ago
