Is Philosophy Still A Thing ?

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There are often questions about philosophers on University Challenge, many from ancient times, many from 18th and 19th centuries, a few from the 20th century. But they seem to stop around the 1960’s. Outside of quiz shows and history programmes I have never heard them mentioned. From time to time we hear reports in the news of advances in all sorts of highly academic subjects, physics, maths, sometimes history, but never anything, I stand to be corrected, about philosophy. Do philosophers still exist now ? And in what way does their work contribute to modern life ?
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Is not the very thread title a piece of philosophy?
 

deptfordmarmoset

Full time tea drinker
Location
Armonmy Way
There are often questions about philosophers on University Challenge, many from ancient times, many from 18th and 19th centuries, a few from the 20th century. But they seem to stop around the 1960’s. Outside of quiz shows and history programmes I have never heard them mentioned. From time to time we hear reports in the news of advances in all sorts of highly academic subjects, physics, maths, sometimes history, but never anything, I stand to be corrected, about philosophy. Do philosophers still exist now ? And in what way does their work contribute to modern life ?
I think philosophers had to stop and think about how language interferes with how reality is understood. All very post-structuralist. Then philosophers such as Richard Rorty came along with what he called Ironism - this sort of accepts the limitations and distortions of language but goes on to say it anyway.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
What do you think?
I try not to, it only causes problems :laugh:

Recently I've started believing in God, heaven, and all the rest of it, and I do wonder what philosophical conclusions can be drawn from that relatively sudden turn.
 

Ming the Merciless

There is no mercy
Location
Inside my skull
I try not to, it only causes problems :laugh:

Recently I've started believing in God, heaven, and all the rest of it, and I do wonder what philosophical conclusions can be drawn from that relatively sudden turn.

Pascal’s Wager

“If the Christian God does not exist, the agnostic loses little by believing in him and gains correspondingly little by not believing. If the Christian God does exist, the agnostic gains eternal life by believing in him and loses an infinite good by not believing.”
 

Drago

Legendary Member
I don't believe in a christian god.

609067
 
There are often questions about philosophers on University Challenge, many from ancient times, many from 18th and 19th centuries, a few from the 20th century. But they seem to stop around the 1960’s.
I wonder if we are seeing a distorted picture here [I need a graph, desperately! But I'll try with words ...]

The 60's were only 60 years ago; you're comparing that 6 decade period with at least 2 millenia before that. So maybe lasting philosophical ideas were never very common?
 
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