I began using the term philosophical danger during discussion with you on one of your threads and I think that you saw it like a movie, often with a girl going somewhere she should not go. You also spoke of cats' 9 lives and wondering if you had used yours. I wonder how many lives we have on the forum and whether there are threads where we should not go. I also see dangers as being related to untying philosophical knots, and like being in a Celtic maze or labyrinth. — Jack Cummins
Nihilism (/ˈnaɪ(h)ɪlɪzəm, ˈniː-/; from Latin nihil 'nothing') is a philosophy, or family of views within philosophy, expressing negation towards general aspects of life that are widely accepted within humanity as objectively real, such as knowledge, existence, and the meaning of life. — Wikipedia
In philosophy, "the Absurd" refers to the conflict between the human tendency to seek inherent value and meaning in life, and the human inability to find these with any certainty — Wikipedia
Existential crisis, also known as existential dread, are moments when individuals question whether their lives have meaning, purpose, or value, and are negatively impacted by the contemplation. It may be commonly, but not necessarily, tied to depression or inevitably negative speculations on purpose in life such as the futility of all effort (e.g., "if one day I will be forgotten, what is the point of all of my work?") — Wikipedia
And reverse psychology might inadvertantly "brand" philosophy as cool, even transgressive, which certainly won't deter (non-ADHD) thrill-seekers and other ("bulletproof") optimists.To summarize, in the simplest sense, should books on philosophy carry a statutory warning like cigarette packets do:SMOKINGPHILOSOPHY KILLS? :chin: — TheMadFool
Optimism is the true killer (suicidal or homicidal, it doesn't seem to matter).Modern coping strategies, or stances (in sum):
• a Nihilist denies meaning as arbitrary or delusional in a meaningless world (re: to be absurd)
• an Existentialist strives to create meaning for herself in a meaningless world (re: to be absurd)
• an Absurdist, with courage born of integrity, lives defiantly without consolations of either "hopes" for meaning (existential) or "fears" of meaningfulness (nihil) in a world that possibly has an eternal meaning but which she cannot know yet while living in time (re: to be lucid – to rebel)
:up: No stance is more optimistic than that onanistic mindfuck.One such red zone is solipsism. — god must be atheist
Nietzsche approached the problem of nihilism as a deeply personal one, stating that this problem of the modern world had "become conscious" in him. Furthermore, he emphasized the danger of nihilism and the possibilities it offers, as seen in his statement that "I praise, I do not reproach, [nihilism's] arrival. I believe it is one of the greatest crises, a moment of the deepest self-reflection of humanity. Whether man recovers from it, whether he becomes a master of this crisis, is a question of his strength!" According to Nietzsche, it is only when nihilism is overcome that a culture can have a true foundation on which to thrive. He wished to hasten its coming only so that he could also hasten its ultimate departure. — Wikipedia, ‘Friedrich Nietzsche’
As you can see, there are certain areas in philosophy (Nihilism, Absurdism) that have known negative effects on our mental well-being — TheMadFool
Why is the general public view of philosophy so negative? — baker
One such red zone is solipsism — god must be atheist
But, does this swallowing of pills really address the philosophy quest? — Jack Cummins
That, my friend, is the right question — Dr. Lanning (I, Robot)
("bulletproof") optimists. — 180 Proof
The human mind expects M O R E from the world than the world has to offer. (e.g. Zapffe, Cioran, Camus, Rosset, Murray, Brassier) How does a mind cope with this congenital – radical – dissatisfaction, frustration, misery? — 180 Proof
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy. — Hamlet
That's all there is, there isn't any M O R E — Ethel Barrymore
Optimism is the true killer (suicidal or homicidal, it doesn't seem to matter). — 180 Proof
To put it simply: A reflective study of self is needed for all philosophers. — Tiberiusmoon
The unexamined life is not worth living — Socrates
Rather, it's already having an absurdist view that will make one interested in what others had to say about it — baker
onanistic mindfuck. — 180 Proof
I have seen people who really do get drawn into a view where it can become so strong. — Jack Cummins
As you can see, there are certain areas in philosophy (Nihilism, Absurdism) that have known negative effects on our mental well-being and that, in my humble opinion, if not counteracted with an opposing positive force, this force either itself another philosophical perspective or, as in most cases, Prozac, could lead to matters spiralling out of control until the inevitable happens...suicide. — TheMadFool
To summarize, in the simplest sense, should books on philosophy carry a statutory warning like cigarette packets do: SMOKING PHILOSOPHY KILLS? — TheMadFool
I dunno... Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Spinoza, Marx, Buddha... all dead. That is evidence you can count on.No, because there is no evidence that philosophy kills. — DingoJones
It's worth mentioning here that there are some "philosophies" e.g. Mahayana Buddhism in which some teachings are reserved only for those who are deemed fit to receive them... — TheMadFool
Buddha obviously had some sort of eating disorder I bet that’s what killed him. — DingoJones
I’ve always considered nihilism to be a journey through rather than a philosophical position. — Possibility
According to Nietzsche, it is only when nihilism is overcome that a culture can have a true foundation on which to thrive. He wished to hasten its coming only so that he could also hasten its ultimate departure. — Wikipedia, ‘Friedrich Nietzsche’
I missed this one. Is the view negative? I think many people are suspicious of intellectuals and pseudo-intellectuals (not always unreasonably so). Philosophy is often depicted as a rarified intellectual pursuit and it doesn't exactly recommend itself with dynamic results and user friendliness. — Tom Storm
Why is the general public view of philosophy so negative? — baker
Why is the general public view of philosophy so negative?
— baker
Good question. I suppose because thinking is difficult and thinking about thinking is counter-intuitive. — 180 Proof
Return to the cave
Plato continues, saying that the freed prisoner would think that the world outside the cave was superior to the world he experienced in the cave and attempt to share this with the prisoners remaining in the cave attempting to bring them onto the journey he had just endured; "he would bless himself for the change, and pity [the other prisoners]" and would want to bring his fellow cave dwellers out of the cave and into the sunlight (516c).[2]
The returning prisoner, whose eyes have become accustomed to the sunlight, would be blind when he re-enters the cave, just as he was when he was first exposed to the sun (516e).[2] The prisoners, according to Plato, would infer from the returning man's blindness that the journey out of the cave had harmed him and that they should not undertake a similar journey. Plato concludes that the prisoners, if they were able, would therefore reach out and kill anyone who attempted to drag them out of the cave (517a). — Wikipedia
What I wrote the post I was thinking about some discussions I had on this site in January. One of these people was clearly coming from the standpoint of defending nihilism as a philosophical position. However, he saw it as not being a source for feeling miserable but as a foundation from which to build a creative life. — Jack Cummins
I think that the original context of me using the phrase 'psychology danger' in discussions with Madfool a couple of days ago was about thinking error, but, then, we revisited it and expanded it a bit yesterday, and, here, in this thread he has expressed it mainly as the psychological danger of how people can come to harm or peril through engagement with ideas — Jack Cummins
No, because there is no evidence that philosophy kills. At all.
If you want to lay some instances of mental illness at the feet of philosophy you have to be able to show how you can tell the difference between the philosophical cause and a pre-existing mental illness. How would you be able to tell when it was the philosophy doing it? — DingoJones
an incapacity to cope with the human condition — thewonder
Incidentally check out the synopsis of this video, Dangerous Knowledge. I haven’t watched it but intend to, if I can find a copy. It’s a BBC production. — Wayfarer
What I wrote the post I was thinking about some discussions I had on this site in January. One of these people was clearly coming from the standpoint of defending nihilism as a philosophical position. However, he saw it as not being a source for feeling miserable but as a foundation from which to build a creative life. — Jack Cummins
Such people have then realized as opposed to comprhended. — TheMadFool
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