Cool links. — j0e
I like Democritus, Epicurus, Epictetus, Pyrrho, others.
I don't know enough to argue for which influence is stronger. For me the main thing would be whether it's basically the same way of thinking, whether it's universal. I suspect it is, but I am cautious speaking about the Eastern stuff.
http://writing.upenn.edu/library/Tzara_Dada-Manifesto_1918.pdfI am speaking of a paper flower for the buttonholes of the gentlemen who frequent the ball of masked life, the kitchen of grace, white cousins lithe or fat. — Tzara
It's not a narrow definition. It's what the word means. It usefully distinguishes one activity - using reason to find out what's true - from others. — Bartricks
And I still don't have the faintest idea what Eastern, or Chinese, or African philosophy is. All I know from you is that Augustine - an undisputed giant of philosophy who was also undisputablyAfrican - isn't anything to do with African philosophy. Kinda ridiculous, no? — Bartricks
Basically: are the boundaries between regional philosophical traditions breaking down in the modern global world, or are they still there as much as they’ve ever been? — Pfhorrest
So again, just to be clear - some people who are not using reason to find out what's true (so just making shit up and pronouncing it) are nevertheless doing philosophy, right? — Bartricks
Eastern philosophy would then be one of the words we could use to refer to that activity - the activity of 'not' using reason but just making shit up or talking nonsense. Yes? — Bartricks
'Western' philosophy means 'using reason to find the truth' (hence why Augustine is a western philosopher and not an 'African' philosopher) and any other region that precedes the word philosophy means 'bullshitting'. — Bartricks
Yes. I agree. It's just that philosophy doesn't actually mean bullshitting. It is the practice of using reason to find the truth. And Western philosophy and philosophy turn out to be synonymous. Glad we agree. — Bartricks
Your definition of philosophy seems equivalent to mine insofar as you accept that it is about seeking the truth about a matter. But you have said 'using the imagination'. Yes, but the imagination's role is secondary to that of reason. We cannot make something the case by just imagining it to be so. But we can use our imagination to engage in thought experiments to which our reason can be applied. But until or unless we make some appeal to reason we are not doing philosophy, but just describing our thoughts or imaginings. — Bartricks
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