Beginner Question!

anything would be cool

Title should be beginner asking question apperently

Here's a link to some answers:

http://able2know.org/topic/166956-1#post-4488887

Watts has Utube videos, too.

Hey there Kid A, you could try these:

"Philosophy-the basics"-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philosophy-Basics-Routledge-Paperback/dp/0415327733/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299245375&sr=1-1

"Understanding philosophy for AS level-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Understanding-Philosophy-AS-Level-AQA/dp/0748765603/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1299246200&sr=1-1

both good introductory books.

Take an intro philosophy course.

Tsk, tsk. Philosophy may be the most overrated thing in history.

Just find an opinion you believe strongly in, then add embellished adjectives randomly along the way.

"I believe most flourescently in the apocalyptic failure of that (foolish, dillywad, turnip-truck) George Bush, Jr., and his dabbling in the fiddlies of Iraq."

I have read philosophy; but instead of starting where I did, with thus spake Zarathustra; I wish I had read some good histories of the subject; and there seem to be many.... Nietzsche is a lousy place to start; and Plato is not much better but both make compelling arguments which I disagree with... And each in their own way have supporters yet today... Perhaps philosophy has developed like the human brain, keeping even its most primitive aspects while new was superimposed.... If you are a kid; and presuming you are smart, perhaps even intelligent, then consider that philosophy can only be understood within the context of life, and that no addition can be made, and no understanding can be complete without the addition of age which makes life seem more like it is, both prize and sentence, the crime and the punishment all rolled into one...

Is it worth it to you to piss away part of your actual life, the living of it, the relationships which philosophers suffer more than enjoy to have your nose glued to a book??? Because it will not make sense until death in nearer than birth and you realize that life is the price we pay for life...And that we all pay the same price, are all inevitably equal, with the most intelligent only more burdened with human responsibility than the least...

Im intrested in clearing up and clarifying what's around me and see all sides and opinions. And then make use of it in everyday choices that are truly what I like. And of course not make them convictions.

I'd say choose a subject matter that interests you, and then look how it breaks down philosophically. Personally, my interest in the validity of certain religous views pushed me into metaphysics, epistemology and ethics/meta ethics.

By "choices" I'd guess ethics and meta ethics is probably up your alley. I personally enjoy epistemology- no one seems to dig that when I was taking classes though.

I can tell you everything you need to know about philosophy and life to be successful enough in either in about ten sentences, if not less... And no... Don't get stuck on convictions, ideals, or principals... See them all for what they are... Become their master and not their servant... Forms/ideals/ concepts are the stuff of thought which everyone uses to think... Philosophy attempts to view these forms/ideals/and concepts in an objective manor in order to judge their quality, and to reflect a little light back on to the subject of what we are as human beings...

The topics you mentioned sound like a good direction. I have intrest in metaphysics and also other "out there" concepts but I don't think im prepared.

Ill keep that in mind Fido. I noticed how evil convictions can be recently. In history class we went over civil rights movement and showed white mothers yelling that integration was communism. It opened my eyes to how important it is to see what's around you

You can read Winnie the Pooh to learn about tolerance and love for one another.

I actually heard there's a Tao of Pooh...haha

In the last centuries we have suffered more and more the tyranny of this idea, whether it be nationalism, rationalism, christism, capitalism, or communism... People should not let their ideas think for them, but use their ideas to help them to think... They should not kill real people for the service of perfect forms, but build their social forms to the needs of real people... Perfection is the enemy of humanity... As the Muslims seem to accept: Only Allah is perfect... For everyone else, good enough is really good enough...

...off track...I agree with all you said, as I also believe in being reasonable and allowing space to others ideas, nevertheless that in turn does n´t prevent me to debate, to question, or to pursue a deeper knowledge in the world...believing in Truth is not the same to say that we have the Truth within our thoughts, or that we own it...again, off track...

Ideas in their proper place are the mental representations of reality... We build our social forms out of moral forms, virtues, and with a view to good... Whether one is talking of Christianity, or communism, the ideal of human Good put before the reality of humanity is purely evil...

Think, and use your forms for thought... When it comes to constructing social relationships out of moral forms one should take into account that people are not perfect, and no relationship among imperfect people is perfect, but many may be good enough, and by that, I mean a relationship may be one that supports the survival of those in it... Surviving is something we do together by means of our forms of relationship, when they work, and we can easily see that when forms do not work that they can totally destroy a people, or at minimum, many people, sometimes millions at a time... Idealism in regard to the construction of social forms is the most ignorant and uninciteful thing we humans have done, and we have only done so for about 5 hundred years to any extent, and only grown more serious and deadly over time... We should think much and act little...

Thanks Everyone, I'm going to buy Bertrand Russel History of Western Philosophy and remember to mach sure I take care with what I think. "Knowledge is Power"...?