Is philosophy useful ?

[quatona]

maby i gived a wrong example

How about this one.

What philosophical qualitys must one have in order to forgive the terrorist that cuts his head off.

Maby you will not stumble on this one.

Since someone with his head cut off is unable to forgive anyways, I do stumble a bit on this question.
I also stumble on the term "philosophical qualities". I really don´t know what it means.
As already stated, I don´t find the concepts of blame and forgiveness useful. If I feel not wronged there is no need to forgive. But that would be a position that renders forgiveness pointless, but not one that helps with forgiveness, as you have asked for.
In my opinion a person only needs a pragmatic rational approach in order to forgive (you may even want to call it selfishness):
Holding a grudge makes me unhappy. Why the heck would I want to harm myself by clinging to an emotion that makes me suffer?

 

[Quasicentennial]

In religion, philosophy used for Christianity such as the bible can prevent many Christians from breaking the law. I believe bible philosophy is simple to read and understand, even for Christians who failed school education. Prayer is suppose to remove the power of sin that causes a person to fail whatever that person is learning.
If there is a bible verse that seems confusing, the person prays by asking God to clarify that confusing verse. Sometimes the verse cannot be clarified as if God wants that verse to be classified, such as the encryptic or symbolic prophecies in Revelations.
Maybe it's because Satan is reading Revelations to find out when and where exactly will Jesus return again so that Satan will be early to prepare to destroy Jesus with his deadly spiritual power.

Bible philosophy must be very effective because you don't hear many Christians especially celebrity ones go to court or jail.

 

[Hydra009]

Is there any use of it ?
What did philosophy add to the lives of men ?
How did it help us ?
With what ?

If you've ever asked yourself any of the following questions, you have engaged in philosophy:

* How do we distinguish arguments from premises to conclusions as valid or invalid?

* How can we know that a statement is true or false?

* What kinds of questions can we answer?

* What is beauty? What is art?

* Is there a difference between morally right and wrong actions, values, or institutions?

* Which actions are right and which are wrong? Are values absolute or relative?

* What is justice?

* How is it best to live?

* What is happiness?

* Is there a normative value on which all other values depend?

* What is reality?

* What exists?

* Does God exist?

* Do things exist independently of perception?

 

[elman]

Numerous ways.

My personal way is to recognise that there is no such thing as responsibility for one's actions and therefore forgiveness becomes unnecessary as it is recognised that there exists no wrong to be forgiven.

Now, whether I could in practice be as accepting if someone horribly killed someone I cared about is an unknown. Being human, I am (or may be) just as much at the mercy of my emotions as anyone. However, this is the ideal that I strive for.

He cuts your hand off on purpose and he is not responsible? I fail to see the advantage of denial of reality.

 

[quatona]

He cuts your hand off on purpose and he is not responsible? I fail to see the advantage of denial of reality.

Since that´s your reality, I agree that it wouldn´t be a good idea for you to deny it.

 

[elman]

Since that´s your reality, I agree that it wouldn´t be a good idea for you to deny it.

I think it is your reality also. We don't change reality by our perceptions. We simply change our perception of reality.

 

[quatona]

I think it is your reality also.

But, with all due respect, for me it´s not really relevant what you think my reality is. I think it´s pretty safe to assume that this is a mutual sentiment.

We don't change reality by our perceptions. We simply change our perception of reality.

Depends on how one uses the word "reality".
Anyways, if following your argumentation, what you call "reality" can merely be your perception of reality. Just like anyone, you cannot bypass your perception.

 

[The Nihilist]

Quasicentennial, I think you understand bible philosophy as reading the bible and praying. This is most assuredly not philosophy, because it has a real world application. A good way to know whether something is philosophy or not is whether everyone you know thinks it's useless. If they say it is, it's probably philosophy.
A better subject for Bible philosophy might some of the following: One might want to draw general principles regarding existence or morality from the Bible. One might try to figure out how it makes any sense at all for an absolutely just God to allow one man to die for the sins of another. One might try to figure out why all the Old Testament rules are so nutty. Basically, trying to figure out any Bible answer that no one at your church cares about is probably philosophy.

 

[Multi-Elis]

I thought Ethics was a very large field of philosophy?
I also thought that many philosophers were trying to come up with some usefull applications of their systems of thought?

I was also taught that biblical philosophy is one of the fields of study in biblical text comparison: diffrent writers were writing from different philosophical percpectives: The ten comandments in Exodus justifies resting on the sabath because God did, and Deuteronomy justifies it because former slaves should know better, and know that all people/animals need a day of rest.

 

[elman]

But, with all due respect, for me it´s not really relevant what you think my reality is. I think it´s pretty safe to assume that this is a mutual sentiment.

Depends on how one uses the word "reality".
Anyways, if following your argumentation, what you call "reality" can merely be your perception of reality. Just like anyone, you cannot bypass your perception.

I don't have to bypass my reality to realize it is flawed.

 

[quatona]

I don't have to bypass my reality to realize it is flawed.

 

[JohnLocke]

Is there any use of it ?
What did philosophy add to the lives of men ?
How did it help us ?
With what ?

What did philosophy help with?

Calculus, ballistics, economics, banking, astronomy, law, engineering.

While many credit monotheism with the idea of universalism, it was philosophy that truly ensconced and created the means for investigating and discovering universal laws. Without the philosophy of Pythagoras, Heraclitis, and others, Physics as we know would have been nigh impossible to discover.

Occassionally philosophy has shown the way to "evolution" of social structures. For example, the concept of the "abstract moral view" is a philosophical construct not a religious one; and that is largely credited with the development of such things as individual rights, justice based on facts and laws universally applied, etc.

 

[elman]

"I don't have to bypass my perception of reality to know that my perception is flawed" Does that help?

 

[quatona]

"I don't have to bypass my perception of reality to know that my perception is flawed" Does that help?

Yes, thanks!
If you know that your perception of reality is flawed, how come you keep educating me about reality?

 

[elman]

Yes, thanks!
If you know that your perception of reality is flawed, how come you keep educating me about reality?

Because you are in a lot more trouble than I in flawed perception. Even though I have only the one eye, I still want to help the blind.---just kidding--- Seriously though I think our search for reality is fruitful if we discuss it with each other. My flaws may be in different places and togeter we can get a clearer view.

 

[quatona]

Because you are in a lot more trouble than I in flawed perception. Even though I have only the one eye, I still want to help the blind.---just kidding---

Maybe your perception that you are the one-eyed amongst the blind is flawed?

But seriousness aside, you do see the problem with being bound to rely on our individual perception of reality, and then making statements about the accuracy of someone else´s perception of reality, don´t you?

Personally, as a consequence of this problem, I have come to use "reality" as a word for that which a person perceives. Reality, in my terminology, is highly subjective. "Your reality, my reality; a widely agreed upon reality, an unusual reality...".

 

[elman]

Maybe your perception that you are the one-eyed amongst the blind is flawed?

But seriousness aside, you do see the problem with being bound to rely on our individual perception of reality, and then making statements about the accuracy of someone else´s perception of reality, don´t you?

Personally, as a consequence of this problem, I have come to use "reality" as a word for that which a person perceives. Reality, in my terminology, is highly subjective. "Your reality, my reality; a widely agreed upon reality, an unusual reality...".

I agree. Reality is God and we cannot see Him. I also agree that with just one eye, I may not see clear enough to be sure you are blind.