Big Ideas book club

[Left]

There is a series of books on Amazon that are pretty highly rated called Big Ideas books. They teach concepts on certain fields. I would like to start a book club out of it.

I want to start with the "Philosophy" book:

And then later move on to the "Psychology" book:

Then we can move on from there.

Each book is $9.99 and in eBook form. They do have hardback copies or whatever, but I recommend the eBook because they are cheaper and we can get started faster that way.

My personal motivation for reading the books is to become smarter, and a better debater.

 

[rockytopva]

Reading is very important. Please also consider...

The Works of Maxwell Maltz
Zig Ziglar
Normal Vincent Peale
Smith Wigglesworth
John Wesley
John Bunyan
Confucius
Lao-Tzu
Socrates
John Maxwell

Lots of good stuff for the mind!

 

[HereIStand]

There is a series of books on Amazon that are pretty highly rated called Big Ideas books. They teach concepts on certain fields. I would like to start a book club out of it.

I want to start with the "Philosophy" book:

View attachment 205216

And then later move on to the "Psychology" book:

View attachment 205217

Then we can move on from there.

Each book is $9.99 and in eBook form. They do have hardback copies or whatever, but I recommend the eBook because they are cheaper and we can get started faster that way.

My personal motivation for reading the books is to become smarter, and a better debater.

Sounds good. I just purchased the Kindle version of the Philosphy book. Let me know when you want to start the discussion.

 

[Left]

Sounds good. I just purchased the Kindle version of the Philosphy book. Let me know when you want to start the discussion.

I'm ready. I'm actually rereading this particular book, not reading it for the first time, but I haven't read the other Big Idea books. And I have also forgotten a lot of the info in the book, which is why I want to reread it.

I've already gotten the Introduction done this time around. Although the Introduction is mostly rhetoric, I still find it good not to skip over that part.

 

[HereIStand]

I'm ready. I'm actually rereading this particular book, not reading it for the first time, but I haven't read the other Big Idea books. And I have also forgotten a lot of the info in the book, which is why I want to reread it.

I've already gotten the Introduction done this time around. Although the Introduction is mostly rhetoric, I still find it good not to skip over that part.

I'll start this evening and try to post something on the Introduction later today. Good suggestion.

 

[Left]

I started reading beyond the Introduction. So far, the book has explained about Thales of Miletus, the first major philosopher.

Then there was someone believed to be a pupil of his, Pythagoras, who understood the world mathematically. He also understood how music could come together to produce a good sound.

Haven't reached my favorite part of the book yet.

 

[HereIStand]

I've finished the introduction. To summarize some of the main points. Philosophy is divided into the following overlapping branches:

• metaphysics (the study of existence)
• logic (establishing truth through statements or mathematical proofs)
  
• epistemology (how we know things)
• ethics (moral philosophy concerning concepts such as justice and happiness)
  
• aesthetics ("what constitutes beauty and art")

One side note that I heard listening to Peter Kreeft's lectures on Plato is that justice in law schools (or most of them) isn't taught as an ideal existing on its own, but as what's in the confines of the legal code. Or justice is defined by what the law says it is, not as part of natural law.

 

[HereIStand]

Sorry @IceBear4. I confused you with another poster, and thought that you had left CF. I'll start back on the book once more.

 

[Left]

Sorry @IceBear4. I confused you with another poster, and thought that you had left CF. I'll start back on the book once more.

I changed my username and I did talk about leaving. But I am not. I was frustrated at the time because a couple of things were getting to me, and the fact that I would have to remake friends.

I'll start back on the book too.

 

[Left]

I can't wait until I get to Plato's Theory of Forms again in the book. Though the theory might not be practical, I like the theory because if IT IS, it greatly shows proof of there being God.

 

[HereIStand]

I can't wait until I get to Plato's Theory of Forms again in the book. Though the theory might not be practical, I like the theory because if IT IS, it greatly shows proof of there being God.

I recently purchased Plato's complete works. I've read the Republic, but it's been a number of years ago. Recently, I listened to a series of lectures on Plato (mentioned above). They were difficult but worthwhile. The lecturer noted (as I recall) that Plato's forms, understood in the Christian sense, exist eternally in the mind of God. As I understand, Plato thought that the forms were eternal, but didn't make a connection with a God.

 

[HereIStand]

Hello @IceBear4,
Wanted to share a few thoughts from the book.

It is interesting that both Thales and Pythagoras are said to have learned geometry (at least initially) in Egypt. It sounds like
Pythagoras was on the right track in finding knowledge of math to be innate -- the product of pure reasoning, not observation. As I've heard from Peter Kreeft, knowledge of math is one proof of God's existence in that there is no point of reference for mathematical solutions, other than the solutions themselves.

It's interesting, also, that Pythagoras established linkages between mathematics and music. In doing so, he shows the order of the natural world, even those sounds that we create from it.

 

[HereIStand]

I can't wait until I get to Plato's Theory of Forms again in the book. Though the theory might not be practical, I like the theory because if IT IS, it greatly shows proof of there being God.

Hello, @IceBear4.
Hope things are going well. Sorry I haven't posted in weeks. I was finishing up some other reading. Now, I'm trying to make The Philosphy Book my daily lunchtime reading.

Today, I read the chapter on Plato. It was very good. It's the clearest explanation of Plato's theory of Forms that I've ever encountered. I would like to find time to read Plato's dialog on Protagoras. It seems that Protagoras' belief in relative truth is still with us.

 

[HereIStand]

Still enjoying the book, @IceBear4.
I've finished the Augustine section. The book provides good categorization of philosophers. I didn't realize that Kant and Locke are on opposite sides of the spectrum, with Kant favoring Plato and Locke Aristotle. Plato's philosophy seems to make more sense to me. I'm not sure that we can acquire enough reference points to make all knowledge a product of our observation.

 

[Left]

Hey HereIStand. Thanks for the writeups! I have gotten behind. It's my own fault but my anxiety issues and need to study the Bible more has gotten me behind.

I still really appreciate the writeups though. I'm glad you are enjoying the book!

 

[HereIStand]

Hey HereIStand. Thanks for the writeups! I have gotten behind. It's my own fault but my anxiety issues and need to study the Bible more has gotten me behind.

I still really appreciate the writeups though. I'm glad you are enjoying the book!

No problem. I have anxiety issues too. And I too am trying to be more diligent in Bible study. Thanks for the reply.

 

[HereIStand]

Hi @Raphael4. I'm still enjoying the Philosophy book. I've believe that I've finished through the Kant chapter. Reading the book fills in gaps. I've wondered whether there was a counter-point to Locke's idea of our being born as a blank slate, having no innate ideas. There appears to be in Leibniz's New Essays on Human Understanding. Also, Leibniz appears to have based his counter-point to Locke (at least in part) on the Scriptural idea of the law of God written on our hearts (Romans 2:15).

Also, I really like the series of books. I've bought the Psychology book and yesterday, I purchased the History book.