Week 11 Picks & Discussion...

Thanks, my hiking buddy
😉

Gave my vote to steelridge58 because her metaphor was spot on—kind of like some medieval theater mixed with Greek drama, complete with a potential deus ex machina twist, all wrapped up in a Warhol-esque narrative. She hit the nail on the head: philosophy’s core mission is digging into our own foundations, constantly hunting for answers to those age-old questions even as the world shifts under our feet. If you don't, you just end up spiraling into a philosophical dead end of self-negation—which is basically what I was hinting at in my own unfinished thread... I took her response as a solid nod to my own stance. 😁👍

As for where all this modern philosophical rambling leads? Maybe the best way to see it is by looking at the phenomenon of evil and the attempts to reduce it down to some messy, shapeless web of cause and effect—you know, that chaotic soup where everything gets dragged under, from decent folks to lies, suffering, and old scrap metal. But intrinsic evil? That’s metaphysical. It’s eternal, absolute, and nesreduktljivo—but hey, that’s a whole other rabbit hole, etc... etc...

Thanks so much, really appreciate it

🙂

I’m honestly just so glad you enjoyed it, and I have to say, that comment of yours was such a kind gesture to grace me with

🙂)

I split the vote with my own take. Most people I talked to were leaning toward those who still champion the big stuff—questions about existence, struggle, being, knowledge, and truth, despite how much the world has changed.

My whole thing is that philosophy needs to stay current. It should move with the times, sure, but it shouldn't just be some leaf blowing around in the wind of whatever the latest trend is. You can't just toss out the fundamental metaphysical questions that have been around since the very beginning.

If we stop asking those deep questions because they don't feel "relevant" or "trendy" anymore, then who's going to step up? If everyone follows the crowd and forgets the basics, those truths just disappear.

Bravo Spartan, bravo! That’s exactly it! You just nailed what I meant by philosophical self-annihilation. Sure, I’ve taken some fair heat for suggesting that philosophy risks becoming marginal or irrelevant—some people even compare it to a pseudoscience like astrology. I know that’s not the case and there’s a solid rebuttal out there, I just haven't hammered it out into a formal response yet. Honestly, half the STEM crowd thinks the humanities aren't even "real" science anyway—they don't give them the time of day. But hey, does it even matter? We know who we are—or rather, you guys actually know what's up 🙂

You all responded so beautifully; I’m honestly just really happy and relieved that the question didn't go over poorly.

Thanks everyone,

Gerald Jackson48 said:I split the vote with my own take. Most people I talked to were leaning toward those who still champion the big stuff—questions about existence, struggle, being, knowledge, and truth, despite how much the world has changed.

My whole thing is that philosophy needs to stay current. It should move with the times, sure, but it shouldn't just be some leaf blowing around in the wind of whatever the latest trend is. You can't just toss out the fundamental metaphysical questions that have been around since the very beginning.

If we stop asking those deep questions because they don't feel "relevant" or "trendy" anymore, then who's going to step up? If everyone follows the crowd and forgets the basics, those truths just disappear.

It's that Heidegger's forgetting of the battle.

Joseph Murphy10 said:Bravo Spartan, bravo! That’s exactly it! You just nailed what I meant by philosophical self-annihilation. Sure, I’ve taken some fair heat for suggesting that philosophy risks becoming marginal or irrelevant—some people even compare it to a pseudoscience like astrology. I know that’s not the case and there’s a solid rebuttal out there, I just haven't hammered it out into a formal response yet. Honestly, half the STEM crowd thinks the humanities aren't even "real" science anyway—they don't give them the time of day. But hey, does it even matter? We know who we are—or rather, you guys actually know what's up 🙂

I suppose it doesn't really matter whether they view them as sciences or not. :-)

Nicholas Grant20 said:It's that Heidegger's forgetting of the battle.

I suppose it doesn't really matter whether they view them as sciences or not. :-)

To put it bluntly...

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Joseph Murphy10 said:Bravo Spartan, bravo! That’s exactly it! You just nailed what I meant by philosophical self-annihilation. Sure, I’ve taken some fair heat for suggesting that philosophy risks becoming marginal or irrelevant—some people even compare it to a pseudoscience like astrology. I know that’s not the case and there’s a solid rebuttal out there, I just haven't hammered it out into a formal response yet. Honestly, half the STEM crowd thinks the humanities aren't even "real" science anyway—they don't give them the time of day. But hey, does it even matter? We know who we are—or rather, you guys actually know what's up 🙂

Yeah, I think it's vital for philosophy to hold onto its identity. Even with everything changing inside and outside the field, a core part needs to stay constant so it doesn't just vanish. It all comes down to what kind of questions we're asking.

Just to be clear, I'm not a professional philosopher by trade, but I am definitely an enthusiast.

I voted for Slavko’s question: "In my view, the most critical issue facing modern philosophy is how to interdisciplinary it with other fields." Though, personally, I’d cut out the word "social."

I get the sense that philosophy has retreated into its own little bubble, specializing itself into a corner because it thinks it can survive on its own. That is diametrically opposed to the ancient philosophy I actually respect and value. Then again, maybe I'm just becoming obsolete. 😁🤔

I really want to thank everyone for all the votes you gave me, 😉) so now, out of respect for the community and my new responsibility, I feel obligated to pose a fresh question to you all

My inquiry centers on the very essence of wonder

Because, if we look back at the earliest roots of philosophy, everything began with—Wonder

So, what exactly is this sense of wonder that serves as the spark for all philosophical thought? It’s a beginning that lives within every single one of us, renewing itself every time we are born, which makes me wonder: how exactly is that sense of wonder actually born?

Who is it that experiences this wonder?

What kind of state of mind do we need to inhabit to truly be struck by wonder? And more importantly, what is the true catalyst for it—is it a simple lack of information, or is it an abundance of curiosity? Do those who possess deep knowledge marvel more, or is it the ones who know nothing at all?

To wrap this broader inquiry into a single thought, I find myself wanting to paraphrase a line from Quasimodo

Everyone stands alone at the heart of the earth, pierced by a single ray of wonder