Philosophy Forum

[chevyontheriver]

Bump.

You and I have tried to get this discussion to do something but it really hasn't gone anywhere. Pity. We could use a place where actual philosophy was discussed.

What is your current thinking on what you would like to see happen?

 

[zippy2006]

You and I have tried to get this discussion to do something but it really hasn't gone anywhere. Pity. We could use a place where actual philosophy was discussed.

Agreed.

What is your current thinking on what you would like to see happen?

My argument remains largely unchanged, but I can reiterate it.

What was the reason given for closing the Philosophy Forum?

There was a consistent problem of off topic threads that were really general apologetics threads. Many other threads were just theology threads. Plus, there were variations of 'why I am an atheist' threads. There were not many threads at all dealing with Philosophy.

Let's look at this justification piece by piece:

There was a consistent problem of off topic threads that were really general apologetics threads.

At the time this was written there was no General Apologetics forum and general apologetics were prohibited on CF. This is no longer the case. Not only is general apologetics allowed, but there is an entire forum dedicated to general apologetics.

If there is an off-topic thread in the Philosophy forum, the solution is to simply move the thread to the Christian Apologetics forum where it belongs, as is done with every other off-topic thread.

Many other threads were just theology threads.

First, if you look at the first page of the Philosophy Forum you will see that this isn't entirely true. Second, philosophy and theology are strongly interrelated. Third, to give nonbelievers a place to think constructively about theological topics--as opposed to merely attack them in apologetics forums--is not problematic in the least. Fourth, if they are really off topic they can simply be moved to a theology forum.

Plus, there were variations of 'why I am an atheist' threads.

This is the same as the first reason, answered above.

There were not many threads at all dealing with Philosophy.

This is simply false as I pointed out earlier in this thread:

If you look at the topics in the dormant philosophy forum, many are on topic and are questions about the soul, desert, justice, epistemology, the purpose of philosophy, the golden rule, political correctness, the is-ought problem, and economic theory.

So there are no existing reasons to have the Philosophy Forum closed! Open it up. Bring some fresh air into the stuffy polemical apologetics of CF. The Philosophy Forum is a place where people ought to be able to think freely and constructively on topics that interest them. The Philosophy Forum is a place where there should be a higher quality of argument and less factional bias. The Philosophy Forum is a place where the topic at hand would dictate the content of the thread, not the religious label one wears on their shirt.

Philosophy was never about polemics. CF once eschewed polemics and the polemical posters who had no place to go sought refuge in the Philosophy Forum. Now the polemicists have a home: Christian Apologetics. Keep them there. Let philosophy be discussed once again. The problems that caused its closure no longer exist.

 

[akaDaScribe]

Agreed.



My argument remains largely unchanged, but I can reiterate it.

What was the reason given for closing the Philosophy Forum?



Let's look at this justification piece by piece:



At the time this was written there was no General Apologetics forum and general apologetics were prohibited on CF. This is no longer the case. Not only is general apologetics allowed, but there is an entire forum dedicated to general apologetics.

If there is an off-topic thread in the Philosophy forum, the solution is to simply move the thread to the Christian Apologetics forum where it belongs, as is done with every other off-topic thread.



First, if you look at the first page of the Philosophy Forum you will see that this isn't entirely true. Second, philosophy and theology are strongly interrelated. Third, to give nonbelievers a place to think constructively about theological topics--as opposed to merely attack them in apologetics forums--is not problematic in the least. Fourth, if they are really off topic they can simply be moved to a theology forum.



This is the same as the first reason, answered above.



This is simply false as I pointed out earlier in this thread:




So there are no existing reasons to have the Philosophy Forum closed! Open it up. Bring some fresh air into the stuffy polemical apologetics of CF. The Philosophy Forum is a place where people ought to be able to think freely and constructively on topics that interest them. The Philosophy Forum is a place where there should be a higher quality of argument and less factional bias. The Philosophy Forum is a place where the topic at hand would dictate the content of the thread, not the religious label one wears on their shirt.

Philosophy was never about polemics. CF once eschewed polemics and the polemical posters who had no place to go sought refuge in the Philosophy Forum. Now the polemicists have a home: Christian Apologetics. Keep them there. Let philosophy be discussed once again. The problems that caused its closure no longer exist.

Well, you could just put it in the junkyard and label it philosophy: (whatever the topic is)

I have a pretty good running conversation there now, though i have to take a minute to make a response to the last post lol.

Anyway, it's a pretty much anything goes area, so that's where I'll be posting philosophical things.

 

[zippy2006]

Well, you could just put it in the junkyard and label it philosophy: (whatever the topic is)

I have a pretty good running conversation there now, though i have to take a minute to make a response to the last post lol.

Anyway, it's a pretty much anything goes area, so that's where I'll be posting philosophical things.

Thanks, good to know. Unfortunately when people are looking for a philosophy area they probably won't go to the junkyard, so you may not get much philosophical traffic.

 

[zippy2006]

Christmas Bump!

 

[zippy2006]

Easter Bump!

 

[zippy2006]

So there are no existing reasons to have the Philosophy Forum closed! Open it up. Bring some fresh air into the stuffy polemical apologetics of CF. The Philosophy Forum is a place where people ought to be able to think freely and constructively on topics that interest them. The Philosophy Forum is a place where there should be a higher quality of argument and less factional bias. The Philosophy Forum is a place where the topic at hand would dictate the content of the thread, not the religious label one wears on their shirt.

Philosophy was never about polemics. CF once eschewed polemics and the polemical posters who had no place to go sought refuge in the Philosophy Forum. Now the polemicists have a home: Christian Apologetics. Keep them there. Let philosophy be discussed once again. The problems that caused its closure no longer exist.

Bump.

 

[JCFantasy23]

Thank you for your comments and reminders on the philosophy forum, Zippy. Right now we are not looking to reinstate it soon. We may revisit this in the future depending on the needs of the forum.

 

[zippy2006]

Philosophical threads are stacking up like presents under the tree, but there's nowhere to put them:

• Ur-Platonism, Naturalism, and Atheism
  
• What makes something divine?
  
• What is Nature?
• What is religion?
  
• Is free will real?
  
• Is belief a choice?
  
• Materialism and the inherent ignorance of atomistic knowing
  
• The Knowledge Argument Against Physicalism

PPS: I really wish CF would open up the "Philosophy" board. I realize there are reasons for closing it, but there are philosophical issues of import that don't fit nicely in other forums, such as this one.

 

[public hermit]

Philosophical threads are stacking up like presents under the tree, but there's nowhere to put them:

• Ur-Platonism, Naturalism, and Atheism
  
• What makes something divine?
  
• What is Nature?
• What is religion?
  
• Is free will real?
  
• Is belief a choice?
  
• Materialism and the inherent ignorance of atomistic knowing
  
• The Knowledge Argument Against Physicalism

I just found this! I do wish they would open it back up.

 

[public hermit]

We need a space to discuss proper philosophical topics where it is understood that the intention is not apologetic. It should be stipulated that if the discussion moves towards apologetics it will be moved. And, maybe this is obvious at this point, it needs to be a space where everyone can discuss, not just Christians.

I don't want to push our luck, but it should also have subsections:
Metaphysics
Epistemology
Ethics
Logic

 

[zippy2006]

We need a space to discuss proper philosophical topics where it is understood that the intention is not apologetic.

I agree. That space would definitely fulfill an important function.

I don't want to push our luck, but it should also have subsections:
Metaphysics
Epistemology
Ethics
Logic

Hehe, a man can dream, I'll give you that.

 

[Silmarien]

I've gotten so used to hijacking the Apologetics section and using it for philosophy that switching to a new forum would be a bit weird. But it's true, things are getting a bit ridiculous with all these threads all over the place now.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

I'm not seeing the need..................

If we want to talk Philosophy with other Christian, there's a Christian Philosophy AND Ethics (not just Ethics) forum.

If we want to challenge the epistemology and metaphysics held by a non-Christians without at the same time getting into "Theology Proper," I'd think that can be done in the Kitchen Sink forum.

 

[Gottservant]

I think there is wisdom in creating a Philosophy forum again - but what would you change to ensure a greater chance at success?

I think the importance of a Philosophy forum is that before people develop faith, they have warmer waters in philosophy with which to put their expectations out there.

Just telling people that their expectations are likely to become apologetic, doesn't really answer the potential that is there for the discussion of Philosophy from a Christian perspective.

What if you limited participants to published works of philosophy? This is the approach that Wikipedia takes.

 

[FreeinChrist]

It was closed because there were too many threads that were Christian Apologetics and few that dealt with philosophy. It was a major problem I do not expect to be open again.

 

[zippy2006]

It was closed because there were too many threads that were Christian Apologetics and few that dealt with philosophy. It was a major problem I do not expect to be open again.

If you read this thread you will see that such a claim has been answered in some detail here and here. The latter deals specifically with the reasons you gave in 2016 for closing the forum. For example:

If you look at the topics in the dormant philosophy forum, many are on topic and are questions about the soul, desert, justice, epistemology, the purpose of philosophy, the golden rule, political correctness, the is-ought problem, and economic theory.

Now add in the fact that there are several philosophical threads that are being shoe-horned into various sub-forums.

 

[FreeinChrist]

Yes, but many will post in that forum outside the guidelines. It was a repetitive issue for years.

But we can look at it.

 

[FreeinChrist]

There is the Christian Philosophy & Ethics forum.

 

[KisKatte]

I would very much appreciate if we had a philosophy forum. Just forbidding to write PURE christian questions there would be enough. We can even open sections for Platon, Aristoteles and understanding them and a philosphy Cafe where everybody can discuss questions and philosophers regardless the time period they lived in. Just for free thinking and joy of mind