interest in philosophy

TheShadow989 · #1 30th March 2003, 12:15 AM

how did you get interested in philospohy?

did you know some people who liked it?

did you read some philosophical works?

pace · #2 30th March 2003, 06:16 AM

Personally I've always been a one of those little philosophical ones I think. I've been good at math, but not much in language. However when my interest grew later years, it became my ticket-in to intereste me with language too. I think it might have gotten triggered somehow by my mothers boyfriend, Alfred. They are both almost 60 now. We all dig her boyfriend, and he has studied philosophy before and is an arcitect. He was actually a student to our most famous philosph Arne Naess. Alfred has a strong interest in the logical-philosophical parts, which is maybe not so strange since that phase of philosophy bloomed during early 20th centrury. He's funny, got a sharp wit, and do dialogs with me.

I think one of the things that drew me to philosophy when I was young (beside my mom who also have read philosophy during her time. Philosophy is the first subject you HAVE to take in this country in order to study at the University!) must have been those wonderfull female authors. I'm mainly talking about Astrid Lindgren, which has made some very interesting works! She was well informed philosophical, and her works is oozes with lot of philosophical quesitons and comments. There are even made books about what philosophical material that's in her work etc. I'm def going to read those, the book is often on my mind. And I seriously recommend women to read her work to their children, since they are great, as well as very entertaining!
Pippi Langstrump is one piece, and her largest of them all. Ronja Rövardotter is another. It was made to a movie once, and they did very well. It has become my favorite work of art for children.

These days, I'm reading and going to read several philosophical works. Although the really serious ones take very very long time, but they can be truly interesting too.

jon1101 · #3 31st March 2003, 01:25 AM

I've been interested in philosophy since I was capable of rational thought. My first real introduction to the great philosophers, however, came when my mother recommended I read R.C. Sproul's "The Consequences of Ideas." After that, I read through "Sophie's World" (a wonderful book) on a friend's recommendation, and was enthralled. Since these two wonderful introductory books, I've read a number of original works and explanatory essays for anything that I'm interested in but don't have to time to read the original author's material. I have found a mixture of original documents and such essays to be a terrific way to gain a reasonably deep understanding of pretty much any philosophy I'm interested in.

-jon

4Peace · #4 31st March 2003, 02:11 AM

I remember going to college and thinking "Philosophy" was a total waste of time.  LOL, I ended up a theology major and realized the two subjects were like two peas in pod.  The "hook" for me was a philosphy of religion course I took where the starting question was "What does it mean to be religous".  Awesome class. 

Hard to summarize, but it essetially dwindled down to Buber (I/Thou) and late Heidegger.  A subjective existentialism that found it's finest example in Thoreau's "Walden". 

One of the most profound books I've read, however, is Ernest Becker's "The Denial of Death" (Pulitzer Prize in '73 I believe).  It essentially states that we are all involved in a creative illusion due to the "horror" of impending death.  Read it. 

Received · #5 2nd April 2003, 12:13 AM

Philosophy interested me when I heard a man refer to the fact that we are all slaves to our brains, and that reality, so far as we know, cannot objectively exist - all this through hearing him 'preach it' with a good deal of charisma and excitement, as I sat outside the class door awaiting my next class.

That really was the starting point.