Who's your favorite philosopher?

Would it be human to

say "all of the above"??

Just wanna give this

forum a test.

Gosh, I feel like I'm acting as a midwife -- or as a midwifes assistant.

"Go get some hot water

and towels, Frank."

"Why?"

"Cause we want you outta the way."

My favorite

philosopher.....

My Dad.

Now I know I'm in

the right place. I see Frank is here. I'll be back later to patch in something I read in the Wilson Quarterly.

I read this recently in the Wilson quarterly:

http://wwics.si.edu/OUTREACH/WQ/WQSELECT/KINGWELL.HTM

The lead off quote is Kant:

Human reason has this peculiar fate that in one species of its knowledge it is burdened by questions which, as prescribed by the very nature of reason itself, it is not able to ignore, but which, as transcending all its power, it is also not able to answer.

Marcel Proust

Favorite Philosopher seek and you shall find
I would like to state that I have studied many things in my life this far, and am very much an Existentialist, I voted for socraties. Since he had a very interesting way of teaching the people around him, But at the same time I would have to say that I am very into confucious,Gandhi,Nietzsche


But to be honest I believe the best Philosopher of all time to be a young child any child, because of the fact of a child has the view to define the day as merely the moment, while an adult on the other hand spends too much of his time busy worrying about or working on tommarow.

Not to seem bias, but to many adults get caught up in bullshit after they reach the point of beggining adolcsents. Where more than ever they get caught up in the peer pressure atomsphere of needing to fit in.
I could go on and on with my views butblah blah blah is usually what I get

I am basically a Cartesian Existentialist (figure that one out!) with a strong streak of Stoic fatalism inherent in my lifestyle. Cvid fit, fit (transl.: Que sera, sera).

MA, I will look forward to an exegesis of Cartesian existentialism. Hmmm. Maybe I don't want to know. But I know Decartes and I know Sartre. So I am listening.

I live day to day wondering what I will discover that is new. My hopes in a faith-based religion have long since washed up on the shore. I know and understand and believe that most human beings on this planet need something to get them through the days -- days that are totally unlike the days that most of us on this continent wake up to each morning.

I read the Science pages of the NY Times and ponder the controversy amongst different world systems in astrophysics and astononomy. Well, it all comes down to: What system of composition or creation of this planet tells us how to live our lives each day? How do we make our decisions -- yes or no -- in moral matters. Is philosophy a very practical matter, after all?

I'm rather a fan of Socrates' project which, in an uncomfortably small nutshell, began with the assumption that the assumptions we begin with are often uninvestigated, and commonly false.

In reference to Poll or Philosophy in general.....
I would like to state that it is apparently obvious that Kant made very good represention towards his beliefs and constructing philosophy in general, I do not discredit the man but at the same time believe that he soley relied on the Science and metaphysical structure that surrounded him during his time frame of the early 1800's. I would like to comment that Science is forever growing, thus continuing to contradict itself.

If I were you persay I would to get a better understanding of what we should perceive as adequate perception on Philosophy, would in turn look at the ancient Greeks, thus socrates, Homer, Plato, and of course Marcus aurelius(for his book "Meditations").

I believe that as a society or civilization in general we would benefit more from such works, and views. I have also wanted to reach out and push you towards also the Pre Christ era again to look at such things as Buddhist Philosophies, and to study things like confucius and the Dynastic Cycle which still to this day affects us no matter where you live.

I have put down a few books here that might intrigue you. The first is Albert camu's "The Myth of Sisyphus, and other essays", the second is "The Birth of Tragedy and the Geneology of Morals" originally written by Nietzshe himself, but for those of you out there that cannot
read through his writings and thus properly understand them There is a compilation of these books put together and translated by Francis Golffing. I strongly recommend that you focus on the genealogy of Morals, to point you towards my reasoning of looking at the Greeks, and Pre Christ Era.

This year it has been Antoine de Saint Exupery for Wind , Sand & Stars

Kara, I think you know me well enough from Abuzz to know that I will brook no trout. The motto on my family's ancient escutcheon (which I created myself in arts and crafts class some years ago) reads
Cogito sum, ergo sum...cogito

This translates best from the Latin if you render it into spoken English with a phony Mexican accent. [

Good old common sense is essential in living a "balanced" life. "Unexamined Life" is very subjective, and based on one's environment, genes, economic status, education, and political setting. An individual with no material goods, no education, living in a rural area like his neighbors, works hard, but has enough to eat with good health, may feel his life is worth living. Another individual living in an urban area, with many materialistic goods, with a good education, but with bad health may feel life is not worth living. Ethics is more important than metaphysics. It's how we relate to other humans that is important. Not how much we can philosophize on spirituality and/or religion. Many people in this world live by some religious teachings and upbringing, but do not understand ethics (how many politicians and leaders of industry who profess to one religion or another do things to enrich themselves or do things that are not ethical?), the value of human life (in some extremist religious believers), human sensibilities (when too involved with the self, one losses their ability to relate to other humans), and how many gods have humans created to satisfy their spiritual needs? Life can be nasty, brutish, or short, depending on where one lives or is born. An individual lucky enough to be born in one of the industrialized countries of this world has a better chance at having a relative long life with a good educational system, and a good healthcare system; whereas, an individual born in a third world country may have a life expectancy of under forty years - living most of their lives in destitute, with no healthcare system, and going hungry most of the time. Life is not fair to many. c.i.

Jespah

True:
The unexamined life is not worth living.

but equally true:

The unlived life is not worth examining.

Good 'un, Jjorge!

Cogito ergo sum, etc.
MA, I am considering adopting your family motto. Maybe I'll do a bumper sticker.

Very good, jjorge.

The discussion of philosophy needs a healthy portion of levity and humor so as not to induce yawns.

It was close, I almost voted for Hobbes . . .
Samuel Clemens[/color][/b]

You look just like Sgt. Preston of the Yukon . . .
Blatham, thanks for that about Socrates . . . i've often tried to explain to people that most beliefs are held unexamined, and that most folks blieve in a consensus of belief that simply does not exist . . . this argument of mine is most often refuted with the astute rejoinder: "Huh?"