Is Philosophy Still A Thing ?

[Dolorous Edd]

Yes, science has a poor record when it comes to ethics

Some science, yes. But it seems to me that science as a whole has been the greatest altruistic and beneficial endeavour in the history of mankind.

 

[mudsticks]

Some science, yes. But it seems to me that science as a whole has been the greatest altruistic and beneficial endeavour in the history of mankind.

In theory - science should be neutral enquiry and testing of theories.

What we choose to do with the findings, and any tech that arise are where the altruism and beneficence should kick in.

But it isn't always so .

Who gets funded, and who directs the science is a matter for ethics too.

At the moment its mainly, although not exclusively about money.

But if money could talk - it would probs say - "For goodness sake dont put making more of me - your abstract man - made construct at the top of your decision making process"

Anyway - this isn't finding my compass is it ??

Thats my actual compass btw - not the moral one - who knows where that is. ??

 

[bitsandbobs]

They're all just trying to avoid having to get a 'proper' job by churning out some unintelligible nonsense really.

A view shared by many "analytic" philosophers when it comes to "continental" philosophy.

 

[Fnaar]

Any reference to pop/rock brings this to mind:
"
I don’t believe in an interventionist God
But I know, darling, that you do
But if I did I would kneel down and ask Him
Not to intervene when it came to you
Not to touch a hair on your head
To leave you as you are
And if He felt He had to direct you
Then direct you into my arms
"
INTO MY ARMS
NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS


Perhaps Dylan, Cohen, Lennon et al are our modern philosophers?

Brilliant song

 

[Fnaar]

I drink therefore I am.

I'm pink, therefore I'm spam

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I'm pink, therefore I'm spam

I‘m spam therefore I’m glam

 

[Punkawallah]

Without politicians fighting for our various causes we would still be subjects to the divine rights of kings and religions. Without physicists we would have no technology. Without astronomers we wouldn’t understand tides and would still be fleeing in fear every time a comet appeared.

Didn’t suggest any of these (or, indeed, philosophers) are useless to society; just that the general populace would not be inconvenienced if they went on strike?

Belgium recently spent some 18 months without a government due to no majority after an election. Continued on with life quite happily. Last big ‘physics’ thing that comes to mind was when they were sending particles round & round at high speed, which may or may not have created a black hole? Until the astronomers announce the arrival of the planet killing asteroid, I think they won’t be missed if they strike :-)

 

[mudsticks]

A view shared by many "analytic" philosophers when it comes to "continental" philosophy.

Those goddarn analysts..

..always making trouble.

It's the post structuralists that get my back up Tbh

Didn’t suggest any of these (or, indeed, philosophers) are useless to society; just that the general populace would not be inconvenienced if they went on strike?

Belgium recently spent some 18 months without a government due to no majority after an election. Continued on with life quite happily. Last big ‘physics’ thing that comes to mind was when they were sending particles round & round at high speed, which may or may not have created a black hole? Until the astronomers announce the arrival of the planet killing asteroid, I think they won’t be missed if they strike :-)

A physicist friend (one of them graphene bothers) of mine was on strike last year.

Terms and conditions at the Uni , or somesuch.

Apparently they had fun on the picket line.

I've never got round to enquiring yet, if there was a brazier , and fingerless gloves involved.

I fear I might over - romanticise about picket lines in general .

 

[raleighnut]

Those goddarn analysts..

..always making trouble.

It's the post structuralists that get my back up Tbh





A physicist friend (one of them graphene bothers) of mine was on strike last year.

Terms and conditions at the Uni , or somesuch.

Apparently they had fun on the picket line.

I've never got round to enquiring yet, if there was a brazier , and fingerless gloves involved.

I fear I might over - romanticise about picket lines in general .

Still got my Donkey Jacket.

 

[mudsticks]

Ace

 

[bitsandbobs]

Three current philosophers, who also happen to be brilliant authors.....

Ray Monk (books on Wittgenstein, Russell and Oppenheimer)
Cheryl Misak (book on Frank Ramsay - a sheer excess of power)
Jo Wollf (An introduction to political philosophy)

I can thoroughly recommend all of them. Clever people but good at communication.

Ray Monk's biography of Wittgenstein is one of the best things I've ever read. Picked it up randomly and pretty much read the entire thing in one sitting. Its one of the few books I can remember exactly when and where I read it. It changed entirely the way i thought about so many things. Just brilliant.

Sadly, i got about 2/3 of the way through the first volume of his Russell biog and ran out of steam.

 

[Rusty Nails]

My neighbour is a retired Professor of Philosophy who five years after retirement still has kept his office in the university for research and his writing a couple of days a week.

He is a lovely bloke, a Quaker, but every time I talk to him I feel as if I have been spouting inanities (don't say it!). He has a habit of not actually responding for a couple of seconds as if he is pondering what I have said before answering.

As I said, a lovely bloke with never a bad word about anybody, who always gives the impression he is interested in what I am saying but tbh, intellectually he is on a different level to me (again, don't say it).

 

[Rocky]

Ray Monk's biography of Wittgenstein is one of the best things I've ever read. Picked it up randomly and pretty much read the entire thing in one sitting. Its one of the few books I can remember exactly when and where I read it. It changed entirely the way i thought about so many things. Just brilliant.

Sadly, i got about 2/3 of the way through the first volume of his Russell biog and ran out of steam.

And he's just published an article in the New Statesman on the 100th anniversary of the publication of Wittgenstein's Tractatus

https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/2021/09/ludwig-wittgenstein-a-mind-on-fire

Worth a read!!

 

[bitsandbobs]

Didn’t suggest any of these (or, indeed, philosophers) are useless to society; just that the general populace would not be inconvenienced if they went on strike?

Belgium recently spent some 18 months without a government due to no majority after an election. Continued on with life quite happily. Last big ‘physics’ thing that comes to mind was when they were sending particles round & round at high speed, which may or may not have created a black hole? Until the astronomers announce the arrival of the planet killing asteroid, I think they won’t be missed if they strike :-)

I think you are mixing up effects felt in the short term over the longer term.

Just to pick up on one of your specific examples - the argument that Belgium somehow proves that politicians aren't necessary. Noone in Belgium (and I spend 75% of my time t/here) believes it is a good thing: just ride your bike across the border from NL, DE or FR.

 

[Rocky]

OK, I'm going to put in a plea for Frank Ramsey.........who some say, got Wittgenstein to change his mind from his Tractatus period to his Philosophical Investigations period.

Ramsey was probably the cleverest philosopher/mind that the UK ever had. At the age of 17 he would argue probability with John Maynard Keynes and translated Tractatus from German into English. At secondary school he got interested in German philosophy and taught himself German in two weeks so he could read the originals.

He also made major contributions to economics.

He died aged 26 in 1930.......(according to some) of leptospirosis having caught it from swimming in the Cam. Here's a great article:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/05/04/the-man-who-thought-too-fast

What a great title for a piece - The Man Who Thought Too Fast. If ever I get an obit, it'll be titled The Man Who Thought Too Slow.