, and was severely skeptical almost to the point of nihilism by the time I finished college — Pfhorrest
I was wondering how we find the philosophers or philosophy we engage with? Are we choosing it or are we hardwired? Can we really throw something aside and change horses, or be persuaded to change our perspective on those big questions by the arguments of others? Have you ever convinced someone to change their mind? — Brett
Sceptical of what? — Brett
Can we really throw something aside and change horses, or be persuaded to change our perspective on those big questions by the arguments of others? Have you ever convinced someone to change their mind? — Brett
There is, however, no such benchmark as provability or falsifiability in philosophy. — alcontali
Psychophilosophically, furthermore, pscyhopathiphilosophically, we are hardwired by evolutionary changes. This means hardwired for cooperation, but also for individualism — god must be atheist
So, for instance, an apparatchik of the communist party is overriding his hardwired beliefs in individualism and cooperation and choosing party ideology. Or is that ideology hardwired in him? — Brett
An apparatnyichkaya Gyevotchka can pretend to be a communalist, in order to serve her individualism. — god must be atheist
My primary interest was whether your choice of philosopher and philosophies is hardwired. — Brett
So, no such thing as a communist, just an opportunist. — Brett
Notice, I wrote "can". You jump into wrong conclusions. — god must be atheist
So, for instance, an apparatchik of the communist party is overriding his hardwired beliefs in individualism and cooperation and choosing party ideology. Or is that ideology hardwired in him? — Brett
I was wondering how we find the philosophers or philosophy we engage with? — Brett
Are we choosing it or are we hardwired? — Brett
Can we really throw something aside and change horses, or be persuaded to change our perspective on those big questions by the arguments of others? — Brett
Have you ever convinced someone to change their mind? — Brett
In mathematics it is trivially easy. If the claim is provable, then nobody will contest it. — alcontali
In science it is also relatively easy. If the claim is falsifiable but nobody manages to falsify it, then it will also be accepted. — alcontali
There is, however, no such benchmark as provability or falsifiability in philosophy. — alcontali
Yet 'provability' is a philosophical criterion, or principle, and not a mathematical concept. — 180 Proof
Likewise, 'falsifiability' is a philosophical criterion, or principle, and not a scientific concept. — 180 Proof
That they "will be accepted" or "nobody will contest" them are mere dogmatic, or anti-philosophical, shibboleths (e.g. scholasticism, physics/math-envy, etc); instead, convergence without terminating consensus (Peirce, Popper, Feyerabend, Haack). — 180 Proof
I frankly don't understand your question. That's why I dodged it the first time.So, for instance, an apparatchik of the communist party is overriding his hardwired beliefs in individualism and cooperation and choosing party ideology. Or is that ideology hardwired in him?
— Brett
So then, back to the beginning. — Brett
Probably both. It's the old Nature vs Nurture conundrum. I have seen many scientific observations which imply that our basic physicality and personality are pre-set by our inherited genes : Genetic Determinism. But I've also seen some studies indicating that the "accident" of Caesarean birth makes a noticeable difference in a baby's personality (e.g. calm vs anxious), due in part to differential effects on the immune system. And natural left-handers can be taught to become right-handers. So, we are obviously not born with a blank slate, but with a basic operating system that affects all subsequent development. Some behaviors, like duckling imprinting, seem to be hardwired. But other behaviors and preferences, especially in humans, are affected by experience and learning in a specific environment.I was wondering how we find the philosophers or philosophy we engage with? Are we choosing it or are we hardwired? — Brett
As a result of all these conflicting external influences on my hardwired nature, I now tend to both instinctively and deliberately choose philosophers and philosophies that fall somewhere in the moderate middle, between conservative duty and liberal opportunity. Is that "free" choice illusory, or effective, or a cop-out? Who knows? — Gnomon
It's the old Nature vs Nurture conundrum. I — Gnomon
Whether your philosophy is hardwired or not, you can behave and advocate as if you believed the opposite to what you are hardwired for. — god must be atheist
Yes, I do believe as well that we are moral creatures.Yes. But can it only be “as if”? Can one live it as real and override what you’re hardwired for? Assuming we’re moral creatures (you may or may not agree) were quite capable of not acting morally, so going against what we’re hardwired for. — Brett
Socrates famously argues that all wrong is done through mere ignorance of what is right; everyone means to do right, they just might be wrong about what that is. Though my position is subtly more nuanced, I lean in that direction myself. Weakness of will is I think the only factor Socrates misses; we sometimes do things we think are wrong out of weakness to do what we mean to do, too. — Pfhorrest
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