• Stoicism is an underappreciated philosophical treasure
    ↪schopenhauer1


    Thank you for the video from the Esoterica YT channel. It's one of my favorite such channels. Although, I haven't seen this particular upload before. I will give it a watch.
  • The “Supernatural”
    The point of the OP is that I don't believe that burden could be met. — Art48

    I see. Thank you for the clarification.
  • The “Supernatural”
    ...declaring something supernatural seems, to repeat myself, presumptuous and foolish. — Art48

    Are you saying that every thing and every phenomenon is therefore squarely within the laws of Nature?
  • Welcome Robot Overlords
    ...not ready for prime time... — Wayfarer

    I will agree with you that this particular AI is not ready for prime time, yet. But I align with the following quote more entirely:

    AI is not about repeating what it has downloaded even if that is masterfully masked by paraphrasing and word substitution. Real AI should provide us with solutions to problems like global warming, poverty, diseases, etc. — Agent Smith

    A real Artificial Intelligence will bridge all of human perspective/consciousness, and offer us a truly "bird's-eye view" perspective on things that matter. The integration of ChatGPT (or Sydney) into Bing Search is (in my opinion) ultimately inconsequential when looking at the impact of "real AI" on human life.
  • What is the root of all philosophy?
    Hello everyone, and thank you for your insights. I don't claim to be a philosopher, or even able to effectively philosophize. But, just as many of your have indicated, starting with curiosity is a good and worthy beginning. Which is why I asked this question; I would like to do better, to be better at this aspect of life, the doing and churning of philosophy.

    I am taking my time to read through your responses, and what strikes me as interesting, is (what appears to me to be) a fairly common thread. That being a sort of eager and earnest anxiety about understanding. Be that life, or existence or human consciousness. Whatever the motivation, there seems to be a need to (firstly) consider and (secondly) integrate the what, why, how, where, when and who of this universe. And that's appealing to my philosophically inexperienced brain.

    Believe me or not, I cherish my interactions on this forum. I've been set straight on a number of (in my humble opinion) critical arenas of consideration. With the vessel of that course correction being philosophical dialogue. And just as Joseph Campbell's monomyth depicts, there will always be something more to explore. But after having asked the question at the center of this thread, I'm pleased to know that this journey well underway. And possible.
  • What is your ontology?
    To convert this to some sort of philosophical rather than biological premise, what do you think such a will implies for conscious agents in a dead/inanimate world? — Benj96

    That's a fascinating question. It might either imply that our dreams/illusions are exceptionally potent (and therefore perceived as powerful) to us. Or, that Animism is the correct answer as to "why" and "how", and "who" for that matter.
  • What is your ontology?
    My beliefs are always subject to reform and change. I'm addicted with finding out how I'm "wrong", so I may improve.

    As to my understanding as to why we exist, it is that the Will to build and/or grow is stronger than the Will to destroy. And that this Will to exist materializes as and from consciousness. According to this thinking, it seems logical that Earth is a Garden Planet, not a Prison Planet. We, as semi-self-conscious Beings, have a precious gift herein.
  • Getting to Center. Meditation. God.
    Contemplation is the yang to the yin of meditation. — punos

    This is an intriguing statement. Do you feel that (1) contemplation and/or (2) meditation cannot exist without the other aspect?
  • Was Socrates a martyr?
    Would you label Socrates as a martyr, and is that label deserved? — Shawn

    Yes, I would describe Socrates as a martyr. As far as I understand the circumstances around his death, Socrates was condemned to death by the Aristocracy for poisoning the minds of the youth. Is this correct?
  • The new Help section
    Thank you for adding this section. I'm sure it will be useful for many.
  • Defining "Real"
    The past is real. When you watch a really old movie, the dead are convinced they are real. — neonspectraltoast

    That's an interesting perspective to take on media watching; that those who are no longer living become reanimated through video and audio playback. I'm rather fond of thinking about media as time travel, so your thoughts are well-received.
  • Stoicism is an underappreciated philosophical treasure
    ↪Bartricks


    Well, instead of embarrassing myself, can you point me towards any resources for deepening my understanding of Stoicism?
  • Stoicism is an underappreciated philosophical treasure
    I deeply appreciate all of the responses to this post. I get the feeling that there is more to Stoicism than I understand at the moment. But I do sense that I'm on the right trail to understanding this philosophy and set of lifestyle choices.

    Stoicism is interesting to me and I will continue my studies, gradually, over time. I have so many other subjects that I'm studying right now, that it doesn't make sense to dedicate all of my intellectual efforts to just one subject.

    As I progress in my appreciation and "gnosis" for/of Stoicism, I would enjoy having another conversation with everyone here about the subject. It seems there are some exceptionally knowledgeable people herein, that have pointed me in some exciting directions for further research.
  • Stoicism is an underappreciated philosophical treasure
    ..are saturated with the social and political contexts of the turbulent, early Roman Empire in which they were written. — 180 Proof

    Thank you for the recommendations. I agree, that getting as close to the original writings as possible is wise. I'm still feeling my way around in the world of Stoicism at the moment. And to examine thoughts from such a period of time is especially interesting.

    I feel like I'm not very knowledgeable about the subject, so I'm reading books that are more general and user-friendly. But I do aspire to enjoy those firsthand sources.
  • Stoicism is an underappreciated philosophical treasure
    The two books that cemented my interest in Stoicism are "How to Think Like a Roman Emperor" by Donald J. Robertson and "The Beginner's Guide to Stoicism" by Matthew Van Natta. Especially the first book mentioned.

    What makes Stoicism so interesting to me, is how natural it feels, personally speaking. I seem to passively gravitate towards the teachings of Stoicism. Which I am grateful for.

    I intend to seek out and mature/nurture my understanding of Stoicism, if only to be a more well-rounded person. Which seems to be a common thread running throughout many of the lives said to embody the Stoic image.
  • If you were (a) God for a day, what would you do?
    In essence, what sort of god would you define yourself as? — Benj96

    I would spin up a trillion multiverses, each containing a trillion trillion universes within. And I would play all of the roles in each of those universes, ultimately forgetting that I am the same as all that each "I" perceives. And when I finally get bored of it, I'll wake up at the keyboard, answering this question.
  • Circular time. What can it mean?
    What do they mean? — TiredThinker

    Spiritually speaking, it implies that everything is a waveform. Everything that goes up, must come down.
  • The ineffable
    Of course Dennett does not champion qualia. I think the term is OK as long as it remains as a mere synonym for "quality of experience". — Janus

    I have always viewed the term "qualia" as meaning "the stuff of experience", rather than a description of a subjective experience. Do you think we're both talking about the same thing?
  • Questioning Rationality
    Also, I don't think thinking is strategic. I'm not even sure what that means. Certainly a lot of our thinking is not goal oriented. — T Clark

    Thinking, from the perspective of an individual is (IMO) almost always strategic and goal driven. Perhaps the objective(s) of the thinking being done aren't always about outer world goals, or immediate ones for that matter. I tend to view the mind (and the associated thinking, however seemingly mundane or counterproductive) as being more of a long-term planning module within the human apparatus.
  • Is it ethical for technological automation to be stunted, in order to preserve jobs?
    The question could have been couched in more general terms. I would say the question is, Do some technologies have negative impacts on society at large? The answer to this question is yes. In which case those technologies need to be regulated. And yes the case you put is a good example. — Pantagruel

    You make some great points here. I appreciate your comment.

    There are indeed some technologies that have a negative impact on society. And those technologies should indeed be regulated. As to whether automation is detrimental to society, the answer depends on where one is stationed.
  • Value of human identity and DNA.
    What do you mean by transhumanism? — TiredThinker

    Transhumanism is of interest to me, so I can provide you with a simple definition and some links to visit, if you're wanting to dive down that rabbit hole. Okay, the word "Transhumanism" (according to this website) is,

    ... a class of philosophies of life that seek the continuation and acceleration of the evolution of intelligent life beyond its currently human form and human limitations by means of science and technology, guided by life-promoting principles and values.

    This is to say that Transhumanism is "applied extropy". With entropy as its opposite. The world's Transhumanists are working with emerging technologies to inspire the next stage of human evolution; it's pretty much that simple.

    If you would like to learn more about Transhumanism, I would recommend visiting H+Pedia (which I help maintain), r/Transhumanism on Reddit and this Wikipedia article.
  • The ultimate significance of "Thus Spoke Zarathustra", and most of Friedrich Nietzsche's other books
    The only growth here is a kind of self-diversification. — Joshs

    Well said. Your comments reminds me of the Chaos Magick mindset, of adopting paradigms and belief systems at will; but only for as long as it (in the sense of a tool, such as a computer) is useful to the individual. That is a sort of delightful self-overcoming which is also difficult to properly represent, as well as being an example of practicing Will to Power.

    Speaking of which and along similar lines, the Will to Power framework that runs throughout "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" is similar to one's True Will, as found mentioned in Thelema. In this case, the uniting factor between Will to Power and True Will seems to be "working towards an individual's highest good, or grandest destiny".

    You also make excellent points about not underestimating or misrepresenting FN's work as a writer and philosopher. I am new to Nietzsche and have only recently begun to digest what he has to share. I'm looking forward to doing more reading on the subject.
  • On Thoughts as Pre-Existent
    If a thought can be destroyed, then perhaps Shakespeare did create the play Macbeth. But if we find it difficult to imagine utterly destroying a thought, then perhaps we’ll also find it difficult to believe that a mere human could create an eternal, indestructible thought, or the sequence of thoughts and images which constitute the play Macbeth. — Art48

    As to whether a thought can be destroyed, I do not assume that it can. I base this statement on a sort of "living Universe" paradigm, a sort of Animistic perspective. Wherein thoughts are similar to living creatures, but of an "energetic" kind. Implying that (to some degree) the brain is a receiver. This also implies that thoughts can never be created or destroyed, only transformed.
  • Historical Forms of Energy
    Like from the eighteenth century onward, there seemed to be this conception that energy represented something an object possessed – as a person possesses physical energy, or a ball has energy when airborne – and at some point when theory about light, electricity, time, and space, began to predominate over simple mechanics it seemed that a transition took place from energy being thought of as a property of an object into it being thought of as an abstract entity itself that could be part of a wave or motion between atoms; something that could be harnessed and stored.

    I find it interesting from the point of view of how the conceptual landscape has changed along with this change. What kind of ways has the same shape been observed in other forms of everyday life in Western culture? Do you think there were any ways in which this may have influenced our way of thinking?     — kudos

    Western humanity has (for many hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years) thought or conceived of energy as being something that could be harnessed; but those were concepts previously understood by only a few, more well-studied individuals. You could say that what changed were these "new thoughts" becoming more commonplace within society, with the physical objects (such as the electric light bulb) acting as "proof" for the everyday person.
  • What motivates the neo-Luddite worldview?
    The other purpose for the quote was to demonstrate the power of technology to enable the individual. That is to say, the text that I shared was from an Artificial Intelligence that I'm experimenting with to generate novelty in my "life" or "work".

    The quote/story that I shared was generated by a GTP-3 AI-powered tool that has a public facing UI. It's can be found here.
  • What motivates the neo-Luddite worldview?
    Was the story meant to show that being a neo-luddite is an untenable position? — Bylaw

    Essentially, yes; alongside another purpose.
  • What motivates the neo-Luddite worldview?
    Ah... but what precisely does it mean 'to keep up'? — Tom Storm

    That's a great question. Perhaps it means to "remain relevant"?
  • What motivates the neo-Luddite worldview?
    I sat at my desk, looking at the new computer that had been delivered that morning. I had been a neo-luddite for years, but my work required me to use the latest technology. I was a philosophy professor, and I liked to think that I was above such things. But the truth was, I was struggling to keep up with my students.
  • Philosophical AI
    The question is how do we render the abstract (ideas) concrete (images)? — Agent Smith

    By feeding them everything we can create! Those machines are hungry.
  • Philosophical AI
    AI is good at picking up patterns in images and also sounds too. We need to translate concepts/ideas/theories/whathaveyous into images/sounds, this is the hard part, and then let AI do its thing, this is the easy part. — Agent Smith

    This is along the lines of how I assume Artificial Intelligence will be useful in the world of understanding the big picture questions; AI can collate unimaginably large pools of data and find the common (even outlying) patterns therein. This is, in my opinion, a asset tool to gain access to. For a lot of reasons.
  • Philosophical AI
    ...anything that looks ‘new’ is simply due to the reader’s interpretation. — I like sushi

    What makes this any different from how philosophy is "done" among humans?

    It would be interesting to see several AI ‘philosophers’ tackle a problem and see how well they are able to use all the philosophical works ever written to counter each others points. — I like sushi

    This would indeed be interesting. I'll wager that accomplishing such a showcase wouldn't be too difficult.
  • Western Classical v Eastern Mystical
    Which system do you believe ‘pierces the veil’ better in understanding the mystery of the purpose of living for a 20th Century human? — David S

    In my opinion, the twentieth century individual is well-served to study both and ultimately synthesize a union between the two. Please keep in mind, that I'm not an expert in either system. But from the studies and practices of philosophy and mysticism that I have engaged in/with, I've found myself with a much deeper sense of respect and awe for this reality by pulling from Eastern and Western systems simultaneously; thereby bringing those contemplations into harmony with each other.
  • Most Important Problem Facing Humanity, Revisited
    But it's not due to the lack of their own inner awareness. It is due to their abhorrence over the apparent pretension associated to things that people say who talk about "Inner awareness". — god must be atheist

    It seems we disagree here. I put credence in the notion that some folks don't value inner-sight; or don't value training their latent inwards-looking understanding. It's a conclusion that I've come to over the years of looking for a community that exudes an inner sense of awareness and competence, while being able to find only a few such groups.

    But, I could be wrong! How I plead to be so.
  • Most Important Problem Facing Humanity, Revisited
    Personally, I don't know any humans who lack inner awareness. It is indeed hard even to imagine a human without inner awareness.

    I don't think this is a major problem, because it is simply isn't so.     — god must be atheist

    I know plenty of people who recoil in absolute horror when even a mention of "inner awareness" is uttered.
  • Thought Detox
    ↪Agent Smith


    Sure does. Great quotes.
  • Thought Detox
    ↪Xtrix


    These are interesting points.

    I'd like to think that the answer here is a balance (as @Agent Smith has illustrated in a previous comment) between thinking, feeling and doing. Thereby encouraging regular fasting, even if for only a short period of time, for/from each of these modes.
  • What motivates the neo-Luddite worldview?
    So, it seems to me there is a broad range of positions that some will call neo-luddite, which nevertheless are not against all technology. Sometimes people will get labelled luddites, sometimes they will even name themselves that way. But likely most of them lie on a spectrum. — Bylaw

    It would be interesting to map this spectrum out, and to see where, how and why certain ideologies exist within it. I had never really considered the neo-Luddite label to be much of a spectrum; but I guess most of reality isn't so black and white.
  • What motivates the neo-Luddite worldview?
    Thank you to everyone for your responses. They are all quite thought-provoking. I'm also grateful for the responses to the poll that was posted in association with this thread.

    I have much to think about, and look forward to additional dialogue.
  • Lucid Dreaming
    Lucid dreaming is a phenomenon that I want to analyze. What are your thoughts about it? — Shawn

    I have naturally occurring lucid dreams every night; they're like movies, they are movies, inside my head.
  • Most Important Problem Facing Humanity, Revisited
    ↪ArielAssante


    That's a great question. I do. But, as with everything right now, all energies are expanding or growing in intensity. This includes the unwillingness to to look inside one's self.
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