What is faith? What is education? What is the purpose of education? What is scientism? What is a philosophical question? What is common sense? What is Google?

Help! I've suddenly forgotten everything I know, and I'm powerless to do anything about it. — Sapientia

... That's what you get for asking too many questions at once (j/k). :grin:

Is there something about philosophy which invites or attracts a sort of pretence?

Are you kidding? Try philosophizing with the Dunning Kruger crowd on Facebook. Better yet, don't.

It's a forum of hobbyists with the occasional but very rare philosophy academic gracing us with their patience. And thus it's nice place to have your brain poked.

I think how good you see it as, or how useful you find it, really depends on how you use the forum in pursuit of the hobby. In that regard it's a reliable place to find someone who disagrees with you on something to discuss interminably and hysterically. But also a less reliable place to have an in depth discussion with on any philosophical doctrine or problem. Except maybe Wittgenstein or Heidegger, considering how many fans of each are here. Some knowledge of the former helps with understanding lots of the attitudes present here towards philosophy - which is ironic in itself I suppose.

As a platform for developing your own ideas, I find that I've learned more discussing something in a context here rather than my usual discussion with my own post it notes in books. Not that there's going to be too much of an increase in quality from my schizoid ramblings in the margins.

Also happy April Fools.

If there's a charade, then there must be a reality behind the joke, eh?

What is a charade? :joke:

Oh there's a reality, alright. But in a forum designed for raising questions with very few restrictions on what kind of questions can be raised, it's like everyday is April Fools' Day, and it seems far removed from reality.

So how should we apprehend the reality?

What is the good? What is there? What is knowledge? What is a silly question?

By snapping out of a state which clouds your vision. I do try to shake some sense into those who seem to be lost and struggling to find their way back to reality.

All of that is too vague, though. There's an assumption of what reality is that we all make, when we say we think there's a reality. What's yours? See, this is where those questions come in that you're tired of. I could ask "what does 'cloud your vision' mean?" "What is 'reality'?" "What is 'sense'?" But I won't ask those questions; instead, as I asked above, what's the assumption you're making about reality?

I haven't claimed or implied that all questions of the form, "What is X", are not worth asking.

What assumption do you think I'm making about reality? I know that there's a reality behind the example questions I raised, and I know that the reality is such as I could describe it. I know English, and so do you. I have at least a basic level of common sense knowledge, and so do you. I have access to search engines and so do you. So, what's the problem?

What assumption do you think I'm making about reality? I know that there's a reality behind the example questions I raised, and I know that the reality is such as I could describe it. I know English, and so do you. I have at least a basic level of common sense knowledge, and so do you. So, what's the problem? — Sapientia

It's a simple act of reflection. What am I assuming? It's very useful. I don't think you're making any one particular assumption, and that's why I was inviting you to reflect on that. You would know, and I wouldn't.

There's, "What am I assuming?", and, "What do I know?". What are you assuming?

I could give an example of each. What does that suggest?

Are you not interested in finding out what your assumptions are?

I have some interest in finding things out, but I lack interest in allowing you to set the agenda if that's the best you can come up with. More specificity, and I might bite.

But for now, I'll be watching some television, then going to bed, then going to work. So the charade will have to go on without me, at least until I return.

*shrug* I'm not trying to set an agenda.

Deleted owing to the conclusion that the OP was a charade. See later post by Mancini.

It's a forum of hobbyists with the occasional but very rare philosophy academic gracing us with their patience. — fdrake

And when educated philosophers do come here they get armchaired by twits, :chin:

Demonstrably we don't think we're that bad. We don't shut up.

*shrug* I'm not trying to set an agenda. — Noble Dust

Hey, ND, we need a little leadership around here.

edited for brevity.

Is there something about philosophy which invites or attracts a sort of pretence? Is there something about it which opens up for debate that which we already know? Is everything really a matter of personal opinion? — Sapientia

This is pretty self-indulgent. Also a bit disingenuous. If what you say is true, you have been as pretentious as the rest of us. Suddenly acting as if the questions we are asking each other have any point. If they don't, then there's no reason for us to be here. Maybe that's a good idea. As for me, I've gotten a lot from the forum, intellectually and emotionally. My understanding and confidence in my ideas is better because I've had to face those who may not agree with me.

Is there something about philosophy which invites or attracts a sort of pretence? — Sapientia

Is that a philosophical question, an ironical question or do you really want to know? It seems to me that if you think that we would know the answer then you also should know it. We all have dictionaries and google so why are you asking us?

Is there something about it which opens up for debate that which we already know? — Sapientia

How do you know that everyone knows this? Is it just because you say you know it that it has to be true?

Is everything really a matter of personal opinion? — Sapientia

What do you think?

I have often thought that skepticism, given its typical rhetorical purpose in philosophy, can be profoundly misleading. It's all well an good to discuss evil demons and brains in vats, but when we refuse to admit that we don't actually doubt certain things, we get into trouble. I'm thinking of a quote from Peirce here....

You can sense the coyness when a professor says, "What? I have no way of knowing that I'm not dreaming right now..." which is fine, but he doesn't doubt for a moment that he's awake.

As an addendum to my prior post, I will note that, in tension with my distaste for skeptical pretense, I have a certain suspicion of "commonsense" philosophy. There is no in-depth philosophy that does not do violence to common sense...

Is there something about philosophy which invites or attracts a sort of pretense — Sapientia

Every question already has an answer but really just seeks validation. most ask questions with an answer in mind but seek validation for the equation.

s there something about it which opens up for debate that which we already know? — Sapientia

We wouldn't ask about something which we were sure unless we sought to define the strengths and weaknesses of said thing.

Is everything really a matter of personal opinion — Sapientia

No. Somethings unknown to fact are open to interpretation. Sanity isn't a matter of perception it's a matter of reality. Reality is determined by provable facts. Facts proven outside of the mind and in the physical realm or the intellectual realm by a predetermined set of values.

Hey, ND, we need a little leadership around here. — Bitter Crank

Don't look to me for that.

Edited for longevity: and why edit for brevity?

It's called disillusionment.

I have often thought that skepticism, given its typical rhetorical purpose in philosophy, can be profoundly misleading. — Pneumenon

Yeah, well, maybe, maybe not. :rofl:

Is that a philosophical question, an ironical question or do you really want to know? It seems to me that if you think that we would know the answer then you also should know it. We all have dictionaries and google so why are you asking us? — Sir2u

Interested in agreement or disagreement, and why.

How do you know that everyone knows this? — Sir2u

You appear to have mistaken a question for an assertion, and you haven't attempted to answer it, or any of my questions for that matter.

Is it just because you say you know it that it has to be true? — Sir2u

No, silly.

What do you think? — Sir2u

Don't change the subject. I asked that question because I'm interested in what others think.