Spinoza was a mystic. — Wayfarer

[W]hy bother with philosophy? — Wayfarer

For what reason was Spinoza exiled from the Jewish community?

Why undertake the laborious task of composing such complex and lengthy philosophical works, and why read them?

Why is not any man in the street equal to the wisest?

If you [Wayfarer] want to understand Spinoza you need to actually read him. — Janus

Future generations will see that trying to establish a Jewish state was a bad idea which just stained their religion with blood. — frank

is there any inherent purpose in life, including the evolution of human life and history? — Jack Cummins

I like the world. — Vera Mont

Are you looking for discussion on what past and current philosophers have stated regarding 'meaning,' 'happiness,' and 'pleasure,' or are you asking for what these terms mean in the everyday lives of any TPF poster, including philosophy novices such as myself? — universeness

You have suggested that the point is moot, as developments in AI will make the point moot ... — universeness

Eternal recurrence strikes me as rather silly. After all, one doesn't know one is a recurrence — Banno

Israel has been beating a dog for years and now wants to retaliate because it was bitten. I'm quite certain many now feel justified to kill the dog, looking only at the bite, but any sane person realises that's not the real problem here. — Benkei

What would a 'public specification' comprise? — Wayfarer

... what exactly is allegedly "reincarnated". — 180 Proof

Of course modern AI is becoming a necessary tool in neuroscientific experiments, but maybe there is a limit to the extent to which we want AI's to understand us better than we understand ourselves? — wonderer1

A passive-aggressive front allows you to hide behind the pretence of innocence, even victimhood. Meh. I think your arguments are just poor. — Banno

Bottom line The learned belief system for democracy with liberty is- democracy is rule by reason and all citizens need education for good reasoning. — Athena

I agree with you that I am far more anthropocentric than you are. — universeness

I think by now, you know that I celebrate that difference between us, and I would love to convince you to be less misanthropic than I think you are.

Individually, we have done surprisingly well at letting the law or God carry out our vengeance. In groups, we have much less self-control; in mobs, none at all. — Vera Mont

I just do not understand how you arrive at that. — universeness

I assumed, that you have previously agreed, that humans create meaning and purpose in ways that no other existent we know of, can or does. Do you disagree with that? 

How would you respond to a poll question like:

Ignoring any bias from being one, do you think the universe would be a better place without humans? — universeness

I am not sure which mammals you are referring to with 'other higher mammals' ...

(A) taking customary questions and/or answers for granted (i.e. living somnambulantly)

(B) faith in miraculous answers which we do not know how to question (i.e. living religiously)

(C) contemplating fundamental questions which we do not know how to answer (i.e. living philosophically)

... it is the soul that gets reincarnated; that thoughts, feelings, the body are not the self. — baker

... if we are to survive as a species. — NOS4A2

Individually, we have done surprisingly well at letting the law or God carry out our vengeance. In groups, we have much less self-control; in mobs, none at all. — Vera Mont

... the interpretation of the pagan philosophers who acknowledged that there was but one God [Brahman, Dao, Void, Substance] and considered the many gods of traditional religion to be aspects [maya, ten thousand things, atoms, modes] of the one God. — Ciceronianus