I argue that philosophy is a certain strangeness that comes with experience — ghostlycutter

Even better, philosophy discloses the strangeness that is an intrinsic feature of experience but is covered up by everyday living and thinking.

Reading through your post, your whole question comes down to strange. How do you perceive strangeness? Is being strange necessarily a negative attribute? Or, perhaps it is more interesting than conformity?

Well-put Josh's, I improved.


You could say it is negative, when conducting philosophy I do not use all of that strangeness and by no means am I saying it could be defined. What is the philosophy of art? Henceforth I approach something strange and by approach I mean nothing like handle but more accept a fraction of what this strangeness feels like.

(Joshs put it better than I did).

My own understanding of strangeness comes down to that which is unusual or outside the mainstream. On that basis, I see strangeness as an exciting area, especially within art. It may be that what is now commonplace was perceived as shocking or strange by many when first conceived.

I have an interest in art too, funnily enough I draw, I write, I compose. If I had to depict what I'm trying to explain it would be a man or woman thinking, but the focal point (i.e. the thinking mind) would be difficult to focus on.

Perhaps, an abstract art that blurred the fact he/she was thinking and drew our attention away from that matter at hand.

Further, on art, I recommend putting a pink ball in the middle of a bland but colourful painting, and then searching for meaning. You'll find the pink ball is quite interesting, it stands out and all meaning seems to revolve around it. I think it's a good exercise for finding philosophies of art.

There are two definitions of philosophy that I know of, both of which imply strangeness.

One, told to me by an important figure, is that philosophy has never had a proper definition, it simply deals with the issues that come out of a certain tradition. Thus, philosophy is, whatever people who engage with this tradition do, and this includes almost everything.

The other is somewhat more straightforward: philosophy is the study of mysteries. Throughout history, we've managed to give answers to a small fraction of what the Greeks had questions about. These answers developed into modern science. Most of the big questions however, have not been answered and may never be answered by anyone, so that's still philosophy.

All aspects of life deal with evidently strange, counter-intutive, difficult and complex issues, which are strange. Studying mysteries is strange almost by definition.

And yes, I think you are right, we use concepts all the time we don't fully understand at all, yet we have relatively little difficulty in talking to other people most of the time. It is strange.

It is interesting to hear that you do art because I draw and paint. I don't compose but I love music and the more alternative it is the better, including metal and punk.

However, I have thought of a book relevant to what your debate, 'The Origins of the Uncanny' by Freud, which looks at the unfamiliar and taboos. Of course, many people regard Freud as strange...

Many thanks. I like Metal, but at the moment I'm listening to OST's of Animes (mostly Chinese singers attempting English).

Freud is very strange but also very consistent; which may be evidence we can use to answer what exactly strangeness is or should be interpreted as.

I think that Freud has some bearing, but of course he was a psychoanalyst primarily and was writing a long time ago. I think that your topic is interesting but I will leave it for now, as I am waiting for a bus. I may join in again at some point. But welcome to the forum and hope you have some fun in exploring strangeness and its relationship with philosophy.

[P]hilosophy discloses the strangeness that is an intrinsic feature of experience but is covered up [concealed] by everyday living and thinking. — Joshs

:100: :up:

Art, I think, does the same with images and the sciences do this with unforeseen predictions or lacunae – estranging the familiar (though, unlike philosophy, often familiarizing (i.e. fetishizing, domesticating) the strange). The difference between philosopher and sophist is that between traveler and tourist – 'seeking' the strange (always a stranger) and 'expecting' the familiar (merely on vacation), respectively.

Philosophy is strange. — ghostlycutter

Philosophizing is people bullshitting (but they think the their BS doesn't stink).

Life is about doing. That's the real philosophy.

Interesting take on life, philosophy of the matter, do or don't and doo doo.

Life is about doing. That's the real philosophy. — synthesis

But having ideas and debate about it are important too and here is where philosophy is crucial. A good example are the dilemmas and their interpretation.

But having ideas and debate about it are important too and here is where philosophy is crucial. — javi2541997

It definitely has entertainment value, but after a few thousand years of it, what have we learned?

what have we learned? — synthesis

We learned about how to think furthermore than basic things. I guess it is not only entertainment. Everything has always started as ideas or debating. At least we should keep this methodology because make us being humans instead of artificials

I have just thought that one of my favourite books, 'The Outsider' by Colin Wilson is relevant to your discussion because it looks at those on the edge or in the margins, including some existential philosophers, such as Camus and Nietzsche. It also includes many other famous creative individuals. The main theme is that the outsider sees differently.

This has special bearing on philosophy because it is likely that those who pursue philosophy may see life a bit differently as a result. Of course, there are so many different thinkers within philosophy and some are more within conventional perspective than others. Conventions change, as well. One other aspect, is that any perception of strangeness is dependent on how 'normality' is defined.

I am also aware that your introduction is also about war. I'm thinking that this may tie in with the way in which people who are seen as 'different' , or may be seen as the enemies. This may give rise to war. We may even have war within ourselves, between clashing aspects of our personalities.

War comes at the moments you least expect it; in calling it by name, at the moment war comes to you (by surprise) you are distracted, for knowing the moment of surprise. Further, knowing a surprise ruins the surprised emotion, simplified, knowing war by name ruins your reaction to an unknown tactic.

A fight wherein two men compete knowing it is war shows us that war is a state, and not a scene as in a boxing ring, where fighters compete in the more definite ending phase of war.

Thus, war is strange, in the beginning but defined in the following ending. A double-edged strangeness.

But, aren't most aspects of life a bit strange. I am coming from the perspective of seeing absurdity in life generally. However, I also come with a bias towards the arts and from my viewpoint people who are only interested in sport, cooking, and the mundane aspects of existence are really strange. It"s a bit like the quote from the Doors' song, ' People are strange when you're a stranger.'

We're talking about the same things people have been talking about forever (albeit, the modern version, at times).

If anybody ever figures out any of this (which is impossible), everybody will know about it within ten minutes.

I have always maintained that if people could figure things out intellectually, they would immediately go insane, that is, our species is not great at dealing with the relative truth, yet absolute Truth.

Everything is or is not strange to a degree, such as with a square; our measurements are never accurate, using a system other than metric, yada yada, thus a square's dimensions are strange.

Then again, a square does have four sides and a face and this is something logical we can define.

The metric system is logical, and defines a square's strange dimensions, it is unaccountable where truth is regarded; so we lie haphazardly, and have accepted a lesser definition.

However the term lesser here does not insult but rather designates our perspective; we can apply a lesser definition to strangeness, but when trying to answer the greater question, we find the answer only in vision, and when trying to translate what we see, ironically- it is strange.

Yes, I think that it is a matter of perspective. I often find that some people think that philosophy is strange. But that is their perspective.

I have an interest in philosophy because it is a discipline which enables me to look at questions which are not talked about otherwise. Personally, I read a lot on areas covering philosophy, psychology and related areas. Until I found this forum I used to read the books but only ever discuss the ideas with other people occasionally. Even within philosophy there are popular books and ones which are not. I am often drawn to ones which are less popular, because they resonate with me.

But I don't really care if I am go into strangelands.I have been there for a long time and I am used to it. But I don't think that one has to just see philosophy as strange because I think that it does have a place in the mainstream academic world, and I do believe that more people are interested in it than those who talk about it. I have found sometimes that I get into conversations with people about it who say they have not ever found people to talk about it before. Really, it is the pursuit of questioning aspects of life and existence. So, when approaching philosophy, it is a matter of what you wish to find or explore by doing so.

I think real life is strange and always have. Strange/absurd. Philosophy sometimes seems to me to be the quest to make it seem less so.

I think that you are correct to suggest that philosophy is an attempt to make life less strange. While I have been going on about embracing the 'strange', it is important to recognise that philosophy can be a demystifying process, and a search for some clarity, amidst confusion. It can be about making the strange seem less puzzling.

I'm trying to look at it from a sociological point of view. Sociologists have noted that during times of great societal change people lose a sense of purpose, direction. I remember the 9/11 terrorist attacks so well.
I was 15 years old attending high school in the Netherlands. We were raised after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Our parents used to tell us: cherish the peace, for we do not know how long it will last. That day I panicked, I cried, I wept. Cause I knew peace was over.

Shortly after Trump's insurrection the Dutch government resigned over a bureaucratic failure. Although the two incidents seem unrelated they have one thing in common. They happened shortly one after the other during the largest pandemic in a hundred years.

Climate change, global internet access, robots in the workplace, gene editing, online pornography, overpopulation and last but not least covid have a huge impact on our societies. And therefore also on our individual well-being.

It's no wonder everything feels strange and surreal at the moment. We're all sort of in a state of collective denial.

For me philosophy is still a pleasant experience between all interlocutors.

And to end on a positive note: I think everyone can remember that life can be good.

All I can do is hand it to you and your latest trick - Dire Straits