Comments

  • Ukraine Crisis
    If it cannot take care of itself, then it doesn't have sovereignity — baker

    What? I am not agree. Name one country so powerful that doesn't need depend on others. It is just impossible because we live in a connected world where everyone needs each other. Again, these are only politic and economic matters but is not necessarily being connected with Ukraine's sovereignty.
    The same example can be applied to random islands of Oceania like Bassau
  • Introducing myself ... and something else
    ↪Joe Mello


    But, Joe, I guess when we have to debate about argumentation, "heart" or "love" have no space here. If you want to be rational you need to use the mind and knowledge. Because beliefs themselves are just pure guessworks. If I have to prove something I would use reasons not emotions
  • Ukraine Crisis
    Ukraine's sovereignty? A country that slavishly seeks the approval and protection of others and which depends economically on a country it considers its enemy? That's sovereignty? — baker

    Sovereignty should not depend on economical terms neither interests. I am only defending the Ukranian population not their puppet president or the fake governors of Donetsk and Lugansk. I want to make clear the point of history and culture of Ukraine.
    According to your point of view... What about Bosnia? Don't they deserve sovereignty doesn't matter they have difficulties? What about Haiti?
  • Introducing myself ... and something else
    Your mind is not the first place to search out God and the meaning to your life. Your heart is. — Joe Mello

    Conclusion: Belive in God is irrational and it depends on each one's beliefs and emotions
  • Ukraine Crisis
    ↪baker


    I see your point of trying to understand both Russia and China policies or affairs but I guess Ukraine's sovereignty is the big issue here and how it is being raped
  • Ukraine Crisis
    Do you even listen to yourself? The ease with which you project evil intent onto other people???? — baker

    What?
  • Ukraine Crisis
    For us in Europe, especially Sweden, we have a real risk of invasion of our island Gotland since it's a strategic military point to govern the entire Baltic sea. So it is quite possible that the process to join NATO is fast and it will include Sweden and Finland — Christoffer

    Yeah I think exactly the same. This conflict and issue would make the European nations to regroup and stay together, reinforcing the treaties and cooperation. EU has to take of it and not lead anyone to make a gap among the members and alliances.

    Putin is pretty lonely, even the elites under his rule seem to act with criticism against his actions. — Christoffer

    Yes, he is so lonely but at the same time he doesn't care at all. Remember when he poisoned all his rivals back in the past? Lunatic and dictator
  • Ukraine Crisis
    a full scale world war, probably with nukes. — Christoffer

    That would be very crazy. Really, I don't understand what is going on with Putin's mind and Russia interests. Like why the hell they are so motivated to literally make a WW again.
    When you live in an European country you feel worried because (despite the fact Ukraine is not a NATO member neither a EU) you feel our countries would do "something" because you are so close towards them.
    I feel amazed they are ready to press the Nuke bottom without awareness. Crazy leaders
  • Ukraine Crisis
    NATO won't defend Ukraine because Ukraine isn't part of NATO. — Christoffer

    I comprehend, but don't you think that's quite unfair to Ukrainian citizens and sovereignty?
    When a country does not respect other territories, the rest should act or try something. Doesn't matter if they are part of NATO or not
  • Ukraine Crisis
    Putin's also demonstrating promises from NATO are meaningless. Fantastic. — Benkei

    Big issue here because if Ukraine is not part of NATO... How the "Western" should help them?
  • Ukraine Crisis
    ↪Benkei


    Yes, it is crazy that Putin does not care about international sanctions. EU tried to asphyxiate them with economic strategies but it doesn't seem to have effect. Russia only wants destruction.
    It looks like they have something related to "Soviet empire nostalgia"
  • Ukraine Crisis
    The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said Thursday its forces are countering the Russian offensive “with dignity” and inflicting losses on Moscow’s troops
  • Ukraine Crisis
    Russian military vehicles enter Ukraine from Crimea

    Can't belive we are in XXI century and we are living this. What we did so wrong? Another war? Seriously? Let's see how many innocent lives are taken away just for a few interests.
  • Need Help to Move On
    Certainly not obliged but wouldn't a friend do so anyway? — Tex

    Yes, I am agree with you. A good friend would do it anyways. So, then, you do not have the quality of friendship you expected right?
  • Need Help to Move On
    Well no. I say that because the windfall was unexpected. I was giving the money long before this never expecting to be repaid. Maybe I wasn't clear about that. — Tex

    Yes I see your point. Despite the fact you were expecting from your friend a help to repair the windmill, I think he was not obliged to because (supposedly) you helped him for free.
    But the big issue here is that your friend is not acting as you would like to act. There are clearly discrepancies in terms of ethical reciprocity.
  • Need Help to Move On
    ↪Tex


    I understand what you mean and feel. I had the same experience some years ago. The so called "reciprocity"
    If you think it deeply. You weren't sharing your money with that person really free. You were expecting something afterwards. But the fact here is that there is not an agreement or a bond to be connected to. This happens because you thought this law tools were not necessary in the relationship/friendship.
    Now, he increased his wealth and now you are asking for reciprocity silently. Here we have an ethical dilemma:

    1. Probably you not have the right to ask for because supposedly you gave that money for free.
    2. But you expect from your friend being more ethical and then the principle of reciprocity despite you are not connected to him with an agreement.
  • Introducing myself ... and something else
    ↪Joe Mello


    Hello Joe Mello. Welcome to the Philosophy Forum. My name is Javi and I am from Madrid. Glad to have a person with such experience as you.

    Oh, and I spent five years in a Catholic Monastery forty years ago, although I have never been religious for a single day

    Wow! Interesting indeed. I always felt so indifferent in terms of religious education/groups. I guess I would have lived the same experience as you!
  • Are there thoughts?
    ↪Agent Smith


    quod nullum est, nullum producit effectum :death:
  • Are there thoughts?
    Requiescat in pace! — Agent Smith

    Si vis pacem, para bellum:eyes:
  • To what degree is religion philosophy?
    I freed myself from as a teen with some difficulty, and whose adherents are now infamous for their oppression of their subject, Palestinian populations. — Michael Sol

    What? Are you referring to Jewish or Islamic religion?
  • Are there thoughts?
    ↪180 Proof

    :up: :100:
    dicens, advena fui in terra aliena. :flower:
  • Are there thoughts?
    cogitatio fit, ergo cogitatio est — 180 Proof

    cogito ergo sum. — Agent Smith

    Ah, Latin classes! Good memories when I was in school.
    ego sum alpha et omega, initium et finis.
  • Are there thoughts?
    ↪emancipate


    No. Awareness is made about thoughts. These precede to the first one. I think, therefore I exist.
    Without thoughts I can get into awareness
  • Are there thoughts?
    ↪Garrett Travers


    John Locke was thinking well on the subject, but incorrect.

    You are correct. Sorry, I was mistaken. Emotion is not the correct word here. What I wanted to argument were qualities. I think what Jonh Locke pretend to explain is that there are two groups of realties: Those with primary qualities (the first perception we have through the eyes) and then secondary qualities (when we match up colours and then we are able to even create imaginary colour as Violet, a pretty different colour from Magenta). Again, I want to quote John Locke:

    2dly, Such Qualities, which in truth are nothing in the Objects themselves, but Powers to produce various Sensations in us by their primary Qualities, i.e. by the Bulk, Figure, Texture, and Motion of their insensible parts, as Colours, Sounds, Tasts, etc. These I call secondary Qualities. [An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, Book II, Chapter VIII]

    The las year I had the same debate with @counterpunch in this thread: John Locke's imaginary colours. A psychical or physiological study?. I want to quote a good phrase from counterpunch that was so interesting:

    In my view, construing colour as subjective in nature is a product of the "subjectivism industry" that characterises most of philosophy, religion, politics, the humanities, literature, culture. — Counterpunch

    Conclusion: Despite the fact there is a physiological study of the stimulus we receive. We the humans also create imaginary and subjective aspects through empiricism.

    zLxW6Pb.jpg
  • Are there thoughts?
    Is is 'sight' "real" or is it a self-contained, non-corporeal process? What do you think about that kind of question? — Garrett Travers

    I see your point and the article you shared is so interesting. They develop a scientific theory which explains what is going on when our sight receives lights and pixels. Yes I am agree that how our brain works in this context is innate. But, whether you would not believe it or not, empiricism takes part with big importance for the following argument:

    What our eyes recieve in the nature is composed by a vocabulary created by the humans to establish an order. Thus, Jonh Locke, call them as "primary emotions" and "secondary emotions". We can say "light" or the pixels themselves are primary while the colours are secondary. The interesting fact comes when we match up the colours. Check this: imaginary color
    Specially the following paragraph:
    If we match up the color wheel with the electromagic spectrum of light, we have a considerable puzzle, for in the latter there is only one way to get from blue to red, and it passes through all the other colors, but not through purple. Violet may look a bit like purple, but it has nothing to do with red. What is going on? The discipline we need to understand this is not physics or art, but physiology. The eye has certain receptors on the retina that detect color, the "cones." These come with three different sensitivities. Hence the three "primary" colors. True purple, for which there seems to be no place in the physical spectrum, is something we see when the cones sensitive to blue and red are both stimulated, giving us something like an imaginary color.
  • Are there thoughts?
    And if a Consciousness proves your own existence, how about this? — Michael Sol

    It proves your existence because thinking and reasoning are acts which involve human nature. It one of the aspects which differ from all the species in the world. I guess a dog does not realize he does "exist". We the humans are concern about it
  • Are there thoughts?
    ↪Garrett Travers


    Those concepts come from the act of understanding. We need being taught through a good education what is the meaning of the world which is surrounded to us.
    "thoughts" could be a general terms which involves many aspects of our ordinary lives.
    For example: you mix with and black to get grease colour. This act came from the pure act of thinking but probably we weren't aware of it. Nevertheless, we were taught in class what is going on with the mix of colours
  • Are there thoughts?
    ↪Garrett Travers


    Empiricism. I was taught when I was a kid the act of reasoning. Then, I elaborate my own thoughts. I'm not going to say they are "inherent"
    The experience itself has taught me a basic principle that if I have thoughts then I can prove my existence.
  • Are there thoughts?
    ↪ZzzoneiroCosm


    Cogito ergo sum. Thoughts and the act of thinking is (probably) the most powerful proof of my own existence.
    If I think, then I exist. Therefore, I need thoughts to be sure about my own existence and circumstances.
  • An argument against the existence of the most advocated God in and of the Middle Ages.
    God is nothing more than an elaborate justification for using violence against other humans to achieve one's goals, instead of using one's own mind and body. — Garrett Travers

    I going to sound as a childish atheist but what "God" and religion have spread during centuries is the pure act of ignorance. Instead of being a tool of wisdom it has been used to mitigate the people so easily. You can see that the countries where religion are above education, they tend to have poor rates of science, medicine, literature, etc...
  • The problem of dirty hands
    ↪frank


    I think it could be interesting what Walzer thinks about anarchism, Bakunin thought or the perception of the State as culture entity not political one
  • The problem of dirty hands
    ↪frank


    So interesting indeed. I have learned a lot in this thread. I think I am somehow agree with Walzer. I see his view some pessimistic in terms of political/public affairs. It is understandable. In the recent years, political disaffection has increased due to the lack of effectiveness and the increase of corruption.
  • The problem of dirty hands
    ↪frank
    .

    Well in terms of war we can make some exceptions... Nevertheless, don't you think we demand from them to be more diplomatic?
    I think a good leader would put peace as a first option rather than war.
    recruit soldiers would sound selfish for putting their citizens in danger if it does not exist a good reason
  • An argument against the existence of the most advocated God in and of the Middle Ages.
    It could be argued that to deny living things their existence is an imperfection. — Fooloso4

    This is one of the arguments which are used by religious when they are against suicide. It is a paradox consider as an imperfection the act of denying a life when the life is imperfect itself since the beginning.
    If I want to end my life because I want to, is due to many reasons but for a sense of freedom. I can't see the act of suicide as "imperfect"
  • To what degree is religion philosophy?
    They don't understand the problem and they're taking all the wrong steps to fix the issue. They know there is a problem but to the misfortune of their people the leadership is completely ignorant of how humanity thinks — SkyLeach

    How can you be that sure to say that? Do you really think China is in a big issue of misunderstanding? I think you are mixing Taiwang and Hong Kong political crisis with their culture.
    Check this article out:THE "SIX SCHOOLS" OF CHINESE PHILOSOPHY

    Do you really think that a country with such philosophical background is making "wrong steps?"
  • Romanticism leads to pain and war?
    ↪ZzzoneiroCosm


    Tragedians and pessimists of every stripe have been at this trope since Year Zero:

    I think this phrase is quite contradictory. Tragedians need some background or stimulus to act in such way. I mean, pessimism is not inherent in our minds. You have to live different kinds of events which lead you to being pessimistic.
    I think what @Athena is asking is if romanticism lead us to war, not backwards. I mean, we can debate here if romanticism itself works as propaganda to violence.
  • To what degree is religion philosophy?
    ↪SkyLeach


    As you said, China is a good example that you can run a country without religion in your culture. Even more, they are completely a different culture country. They are not worried or concerned about religion or priests, they only want be the runners of the World both economically and politically.

    every single one when religion is destroyed without replacing it with a state-sponsored religious replacement the social model fractures (breaks down into civil conflict) over 1-3 generations.

    Thus: the Chinese are bussing in nationals to replace the Ugar. They have experts with models too.     — SkyLeach

    I am disagree here. I do not se them as a "broke" social civilization. They do not need replace anything because they do not have religion in their culture as much as others. It is known that kids in China are taught by Conficius and Lao-Tse (Tao Te Ching) readings. I want be honest with you...
    I think is better for kids being taught with readings from Taoism rather than Bible...
    They are a super economic state with so much power in many areas and I do not see them as fail nation just for being atheists.
  • The problem of dirty hands
    Is that really true? — frank

    I think not! To be honest, I guess what we really demand of our governors is efficiency, I personally do not even care about their image.
    But this does not need to be connected with being a cheater or play dirty.
    If our public representatives are like that, what should we expect from public administration?
  • The problem of dirty hands
    "Dirty hands" refers to the one who is corrupt and recognizes that corruption is wrong. — frank

    He recognizes it and probably takes some decisions on it. But, at the same time, he knows he has to be corrupt and a cheater to climb in the world of power inside of politics.
    Then, is a vicious circle. Corruption will never end inside politics. Again, this causes a negative image along citizens about what politicians suppose to be.
  • The problem of dirty hands
    ↪frank

    so the leader should basically destroy her own image.

    Wow! That's sounds quite contradictory! Because (in my ignorance) I guess the leader's image is very important! This makes a politician win or lose some polls.

    I'm reading the article now (while I have access to jstor :wink:)

    Ok! Perfect :up:
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