Sadly, we currently live in a social context which depends on scientific materialism. It looks like the truth is based on some mathematical formulas but we forget and give up on imagination.
— javi2541997
Wow. That is some general statement or claim to make.
How true is it?
Where is the evidence; how do you know? — Amity
Easy. Just check out what the millionaires spend their money: meta-verses, cryto-coins, fake internet worlds, artificial cells to live longer, private trips to Mars or Moon, etc...
Those "investments" are pure materialistic — javi2541997
This common underlying worldview is known as "scientific materialism" or "scientism." As defined by twentieth century philosophers William James and Alfred North Whitehead, for instance, scientific materialism is the belief that physical reality, as made available to the natural sciences, is all that truly exists [Haught2010, pg. 48].
It is clear that there is little room for religion in this philosophical system, since religion involves faith in unseen and presumably empirically untestable entities.
But religion is not the only victim of this worldview. If we fully accept scientific materialism, we would also have to discard art, literature, music, and many other fields of human endeavor that are essential aspects of our modern world. — science meets religion: scientific materialism
Imagination is involved in a wide variety of human activities, and has been explored from a wide range of philosophical perspectives. Philosophers of mind have examined imagination’s role in mindreading and in pretense. Philosophical aestheticians have examined imagination’s role in creating and in engaging with different types of artworks. Epistemologists have examined imagination’s role in theoretical thought experiments and in practical decision-making. Philosophers of language have examined imagination’s role in irony and metaphor. — SEP: Imagination
I didn't want to put the point number 5 because I was worried about being so tiresome. — javi2541997
A brief description of ideas and principles characteristic of the Friesian and other modifications of Kantian philosophy editorially recommended in the Proceedings of the Friesian School, Fourth Series:... — The Principles of Friesian Philosophy
The Proceedings of the Friesian School, Fourth Series is therefore founded on the determination that the lapse of Friesian philosophy in English cannot be allowed to be. Now, Leonard Nelson and Friesian principles will be here on the World Wide Web, however heretical they are, for anyone looking for alternatives to the sterile, nihilistic, or illiberal mainstream of 20th and now 21st Century thought. Let this be the Palladium of Friesian Philosophy. — The Proceedings of the Friesian School
Sadly, we currently live in a social context which depends on scientific materialism. It looks like the truth is based on some mathematical formulas but we forget and give up on imagination. — javi2541997
If you are interested in this topic you can read it here: The origin of philosophy: The Attributes of Mythic. — javi2541997
[emphasis added]5. Myths are morally ambivalent.
The gods and heroes do not always do what is right or admirable, and mythic stories do not often have edifying moral lessons to teach.
Ex 1:
The Egyptian god Seth (St) murdered and dismembered his brother Osiris (Wsir) and is later attacked for this by Osiris's son Horus. But Seth is then forgiven by Isis (ꜢSt), his sister and the wife of Osiris and mother of Horus, even though Seth had badly damaged Horus's eye in their fight.
[...]
the Egyptians recognized the moral awkwardness of putting the name of Osiris's murderer on his temple, but this did not discredit the cult of Seth or the king named after him. Some gods are just like that. But they are still gods.
Ex 2:
The Greek hero of the Iliad, Achilles, seems to be a far less admirable character than the Trojan hero, Hector, whom Achilles slays at the climax of the epic.
Changed in Philosophy: The Presocratic philosopher Xenophanes criticizes the poets for ascribing shameful acts to the gods:
Heraclitus condemns blood sacrifice and the worship of idols. The moralization of the Greek gods is thoroughly effected by Socrates and Plato, who cannot imagine the gods doing anything wrong or evil. A similar moral critique is carried out in contemporary Persian religion by the prophet Zoroaster (Zaraθuštra)... — Myth, Philosophy, Why the Greeks?, Parmenides, Greek History
Which are your thoughts on this topic? Do you know other examples about mythopoeic? — javi2541997
[emphasis added]How was Greek philosophy different from what came before? Or was it different?
Even though "philosophy," φιλοσοφία, philosophía, is a Greek word (rendered into Arabic as , falsafah), from φιλεῖν, phileîn, "to love," and σοφία, sophía, "wisdom," perhaps it was just a continuation of how people had always thought about things anyway. After all, it is not uncommon now for items of Egyptian literature, like the Instruction of Ptaḥḥotep, to be listed and taught as Egyptian "philosophy" (although the Tale of the Eloquent Peasant contains principles superior to much modern jurisprudence).
So if Greek philosophy is to be thought of as different, there must be ways of specifying that difference. Similarly, if Greek philosophy is to be compared with Indian (, darshana-shâstra) and Chinese (; Japanese tetsugaku) philosophy, there must be something that they have in common, and that can be mutually contrasted with pre-philosophical thought. — As above
I'm rather sceptical about historical timelines that suggest continual improvement towards a pinnacle of intellectual achievement that is - happily and co-incidentally - our own enlightened times and beliefs - which we may then enjoy contrasting with the benighted superstitions of the ancients. I wouldn't swap science for mythology. But I'm wary of hindsight and narrator bias. The ancients weren't dumb and we ain't too clever. — Cuthbert
Thus, myths are not argumentative. Indeed, they often seem most unserious, humorous, or flippant (e.g. Rê-Khepere above).
It still seems to be a psychological truth that people who think of new things are often persuaded of their truth just because they thought of them. And now, oddly, we are without an explanation for creativity. — As above
The only good "nu metal" band, although they don't really count — Noble Dust
Deftones have always claimed diverse influences from groups of various genres, with their musical style diversifying over their career.[6] Their sound has been described as alternative metal, art rock/art metal, experimental rock, nu metal, post-punk, post-hardcore, alternative rock, dream pop, drone rock, post-metal, shoegaze, post-rock, stoner rock, hard rock, trip hop, glitch, math metal, psychedelia, and funk metal. — Wiki
So, social and political discussions are treated equally; set apart from 'philosophical'.
Easy, no?
— Amity
Sounds reasonable to me. — Baden
I mean, whenever you start a thread you have to choose different categories to fit your new discussion. You propose a new category for "reading groups" — javi2541997
For me it is so interesting, indeed. Probably we can put up there discussions like "Thus spoke Zarathustra" or "Emmanuel Kant readings" etc... instead of trying to put them in specific categories such as "Metaphysics" "Epistemology" "Philosophy of religion" etc... — javi2541997
I think religious discussion can be as heated as political discussion — universeness
I initially asked for increased vigilance but then changed it to a compromise position.
'we perhaps intervened too late under the current ruleset. Maybe we can try and be quicker on the draw.
— fdrake
Being 'quicker on the draw' is exactly what was being asked for!
So, how to make sense of that in the Guidelines...? — Amity
Well, to be honest with you I think book discussion are easier to carry out rather than political ones. Since I've been in the forum I took part in a lot of threads related to books. — javi2541997
My OP's are even influenced by Mishima works and I never noticed big issues during the debate. — javi2541997
Would it make book discussions easier, if there was a stickie with a clear and specific guideline?
— Amity
What do you mean? Do you want a discussion related to linguistics rather than philosophy? — javi2541997
Nietzsche said that one has to be careful who one decides is an enemy because one elevates them by fighting them. So, by fighting Christianity he became stuck with it. — Paine
He asks a man for what he could spare, with shame in his eyes
"Get a job you fu**in' slob," is all he replies
God forbid you ever had to walk a mile in his shoes
'Cause then you really might know what it's like to sing the blues
[...]
I've seen the good side of bad and the downside of up
And everything between
I licked the silver spoon drank from the golden cup
And smoked the finest green
I stroked the fattest dimes at least a couple of times
Before I broke their heart
You know where it ends, yo, it usually depends on where you start
An anti-war protest song by the one-hit wonder German band Nena from their 1983 album.
An English-language version titled "99 Red Balloons", with lyrics by Kevin McAlea, was also released after the wild success of the German song internationally. The English version is not a direct translation of the German original and contains somewhat different lyrics.
A selective biography of the great Friedrich Nietzsche, to the tune of Nena's '99 Red Balloons'.
Perhaps a little off in points, hopefully more interesting than a dreary textbook :D
You may guess, part way through, that i can't speak German, and thus, my pronunciation may be more then a little off..
words:
in a little town they called Rocken
Friedrich Nietzsche's name
was first written
born to a Lutheran Pastor
who shortly died, Nietzsche sobered faster
But as a child, a prodigy
was the word used to describe Nietzsche
he excelled at school and promised fame
but the antichrist became his name
a scholar of philology
which led him to write the birth of tragedy
an exploration of the grecian arts
which wasn't well received in many parts.
but he soon found his real calling
as he turned to philosophical mauling
starting off with schopenhauer
As the antichrist became his name
a proponent of relativity,
and the lack of objective morality
Nietzsche's works were quite controversial
unlike Hume, that giant turtle.
in an intensely atheistic turn
Zarathustra became the source of his learning
it's here that he grabbed his claim to fame
and the antichrist became his name
(the bit where it all goes wrong..)
Wohin ist Gott?
rief er, ich will
es euch sagen!
Wir haben ihn getötet,
Gott ist tot!
Gott bleibt tot!
Und wir haben ihn getötet!
Wie trösten wir uns,
die Mörder aller Mörder?
now after that interlude
Nietzsche went mad,
and his work was 'improved'
by his awful nazi sister
who shoved it all in front of Hitler
the philosopher of the third Reich
was an ironic position for someone like him
who despised nationalism
and hated antisemitism..
and so it seems, that was his life,
a relatively short one of plenty strife
but now thanks to Walter Kauffman
he's regaining his reputation
a life of scholarly pursuits
is finally bursting into fruit
i'm glad of Nietzsche's final fame
though the Antichrist, he does remain..
thanks for listening :]
If you've got the time, check out my music site:
www.myspace.com/tomadoorey
thanks :]
Time for me to be quiet and watch the exegesis of others. — unenlightened
Stop thinking that anyone enlightened, unenlightened, Zarathustra, Nietzsche, Jesus, Hitler, L Ron Hubbard, or David Attenborough is the overman with the answers. — unenlightened
No one wants to be killed by clowns, but that is what is happening right now, before our very eyes. — unenlightened
To read TSZ seriously is to subject oneself to a psychological treatment, rather than to analyse and consider some philosophical system. The clown destroys the dancer - and Nietzsche made dancing central to life. — unenlightened
I could say that the book is visionary, and the secret to the interpretation of dreams is this: Everything in the dream is you. — unenlightened
Take the aphorism for example; not an argument, or a definition, or anything familiar to a scholar, but closer to a mantra or a koan; something to fill one's head with to block habitual thoughts. — unenlightened
Lift up your hearts, my brothers, high! higher! And don’t forget your legs either! Lift up your legs as well, you good dancers, and better still: stand on your heads too!
Even in happiness there are heavy creatures, there are born ponderipedes. Quaintly they struggle, like an elephant struggling to stand on its head.
But it is better to be foolish with happiness than foolish with unhappiness, better to dance ponderously than to walk lamely. So learn this wisdom from me: even the worst thing has two good reverse sides –
– even the worst thing has good legs for dancing: so learn from me, you higher men, to stand yourselves on your right legs!
So unlearn moping and all rabble sadness! Oh how sad even today’s rabble clowns seem to me! But this today is of the rabble. — Cambridge pdf 285-6
We always tend to understand the text in terms of our culture, rather than our culture in terms of the text - we are always looking to explain to each other - to understand rather than over-stand. — unenlightened
Old English understandan "to comprehend, grasp the idea of, receive from a word or words or from a sign the idea it is intended to convey; to view in a certain way," probably literally "stand in the midst of," from under + standan "to stand" (see stand (v.)).
If this is the meaning, the under is not the usual word meaning "beneath," but from Old English under, from PIE *nter- "between, among" (source also of Sanskrit antar "among, between," Latin inter "between, among," Greek entera "intestines;" see inter-). Related: Understood; understanding. — Etymonline
"to stand over or beside," from Old English oferstandan; see over- + stand (v.). In modern Jamaican patois it is used for understand as a better description of the relationship of the person to the information or idea. — Etymonline
Many of the responses are not invested in finding something for themselves in the text. — Paine
The most popular way the Overman is interpreted by contemporary Nietzsche fans is post human , particularly the post human god. — Tate
Do you think it might be useful as a discussion structure?
— Amity
He raises several important issues which are worth discussing. — Fooloso4
...However, we must appreciate Nietzche on his own terms: that his philosophy was clad in parable was consistent with his own proclaimed values.
In Thus Spake Zarathustra, Nietzche fashioned his own, personal new mythology and cosmology (here, myth is meant not as a lie but as a narrative that produces meaning in life), using the creative tools that he proposes people should use in their philosophical projects. In this way, he was just being authentic.
His masterpiece is as much a work of philosophy as it is a piece of art that carries within it a cosmos, a worldview with its own aesthetic sensibilities.
[...]
The Overman
Here is perhaps one of the most misinterpreted ideas in the Nietzchean wisdom tradition. The Overman (sometimes translated as Superman, in German Ubermansch) is an artist-philosopher, a self-creator who makes his own life and meaning. In a naturalist, evolving cosmos empty of Gods and of inherent meaning, mortals need an ideal to pull them forward and to build meaning with. Hence, Zoroaster teaches that man is a rope between the ape and the Overman, who then embodies our destiny and whatever narratives we build around the Overman are our self-chosen guiding visions for becoming and for the future.
To read TSZ seriously is to subject oneself to a psychological treatment, rather than to analyse and consider some philosophical system. — unenlightened
So, N has gone beyond the original prophet?
— Amity
In the Divine Songs of Zarathustra, the language of the prophet being a gift is deeply established. An example from a verse: — Paine
That question cuts across a number of themes that don't resolve into a single interpretation. — Paine
“And what does the saint do in the woods?” asked Zarathustra.
The saint answered: “I make songs and sing them, and when I make
songs I laugh, weep and growl: thus I praise God.
With singing, weeping, laughing and growling I praise the god who is
my god. But tell me, what do you bring us as a gift?”
When Zarathustra had heard these words he took his leave of the saint
and spoke: “What would I have to give you! But let me leave quickly before
I take something from you!” – And so they parted, the oldster and the
man, laughing like two boys laugh.
If he did (pre disagreement with Wagner about Christianity) it would be in this mode: — Tom Storm
I am willing to keep reading and respond to interesting observations.
Let's see how many other people want something from the discussion.
I think unenlightened has brought a good dish to the potluck. — Paine
Perhaps just pick out important parts?
— Amity
A sensible approach. — Fooloso4
I'm reading an essay about the eternal return, so I'll be doing my own thing. Thanks for your generous participation. — Tate
A closer look at Zoroastrianism is likely to reveal other connections. — Fooloso4