Philosophy Forum

[KisKatte]

Topics in the philosophy forum and also sorted forums by the philosophers Name like Platon and Aristoteles is good. But I would also appreciate a section where you do not need to discuss what Platon MENT but how you would like to interprete it. For free thinking. For the joy.

 

[FreeinChrist]

What thread topics would you bring up if Philosophy is reopened?

 

[public hermit]

What thread topics would you bring up if Philosophy is reopened?

As for myself, there are a number of issues in epistemology that I am curious to discuss. Foundationalism, Coherentism, or Reliabilism? Thoughts on the safety and sensitivity conditions in recent epistemology? What is the nature and scope of evidentialism? Is naturalism inherently a form of foundationalism and if so, what is that foundation or grounding? What is the criteria for saying "I know"? What is the nature of belief? If one is an empiricist, then how much justificatory value is given to sense experience, i.e. qualia? Or, can one be an empiricist without grounding experience in qualia? How to deal with the problem of skepticism? Can one be justified in believing something that cannot be verified by others? What is objective truth? What is rationality? Is rationality necessarily based in evidentialism? I can think of topics in epistemology all day long.

There are also issues in metaphysics that I would like to see discussed. Is metaphysics possible? Nominalism or universals? What is the nature of reality? Is reality limited by what we can experience? If we can't know the nature of reality (empirically), what then? Is "being" a real predicate, or no? Are mathematical entities real or constructs? Is there one thing or many? What is the nature of time? What does it mean for something to persist through time? Are entities more than their constituent parts? What is consciousness? Essence before existence, or vice versa? Etc.

And logic: What is the nature of counter-factual statements? How to deal with semantic paradoxes? How to deal with vague predicates? What are the philosophical problems with the material conditional, and how might they be resolved? How is logic tied to experience? Etc.

It is important that all can participate in the Philosophy Forum. There are issues at the epistemological and metaphysical level that should be sorted out between theists and atheists, way before they ever get to the level of apologetics. I would urge that if the Philosophy Forum is re-opened that it be made explicit that apologetics are not allowed. This will help keep the discussion on target. Maybe it should be stated that all topics pertain to either metaphysics, epistemology, or logic? Besides, there are plenty of forums for issues in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics.

 

[FreeinChrist]

It was explicit that apologetics were not allowed.

 

[High Fidelity]

Philosophy would be great! Stoicism in particular... there's so much to discuss that's relevant today.

I think it should be taught in schools.

 

[FreeinChrist]

If we reopen Philosophy, should there be sticky threads explaining what the basics of philosophy are? Or what the various terms mean?

 

[public hermit]

Yes, I think so.

 

[zippy2006]

What thread topics would you bring up if Philosophy is reopened?

Public Hermit's answer was good. There are also a lot of philosophical topics that CF users want to talk about which do not fall into ethics and morality or apologetics. Here are some of the recent ones:

• Is God Entitled to Take Lives?
  
• Epistemic Virtues: Is it better to know, or to seek to know?
  
• Freedoms, libertarianism versus the Bible
  
• Is Science the Only Means of Knowing?
  
• Epistemology or "E did what to Imself?"
  
• Freedom is
  
• Humans are not self-aware

If we reopen Philosophy, should there be sticky threads explaining what the basics of philosophy are? Or what the various terms mean?

Yes, but it doesn't necessarily need to be overly technical. The lacuna on the forum relates to metaphysics, epistemology, logic, political philosophy, and aesthetics, and to a lesser extent philosophical anthropology. Generally speaking the philosophy forum would catch all philosophical topics that aren't related to ethics or apologetics.

 

[FreeinChrist]

Is God Entitled to Take Lives?

That belongs in Apologetics, or if asked by a Christian, it could go into Christian Philosophy & Ethics

• Freedoms, libertarianism versus the Bible

That belongs in either Apologetics or Christian Philosophy & Ethic.

The main problem we had in the past was that there were apologetic topics, and 'atheist vs. Christian' threads.

 

[zippy2006]

That belongs in Apologetics, or if asked by a Christian, it could go into Christian Philosophy & Ethics

It's not an argument for or against the Christian faith, and actually contradicts the SoP of GA by offering no such argument. Indeed neither is it an argument for or against God. It is merely a question about whether God is entitled to take lives. I suppose it could be placed in Ethics & Morality, or, as you say, Christian Philosophy & Ethics.

The main problem we had in the past was that there were apologetic topics, and 'atheist vs. Christian' threads.

Right. Although it would be a shame, maybe a compromise is needed where threads about Christianity and God are not allowed in Philosophy. The subject of God is integral to philosophy, but if every one of those threads devolves into polemical apologetics then maybe they shouldn't be allowed in the CF Philosophy Forum.

If that compromise is found to be acceptable then I would suggest broadening General Apologetics slightly to allow threads about God that aren't strictly arguments for or against Christianity.

 

[A Realist]

The main problem we had in the past was that there were apologetic topics, and 'atheist vs. Christian' threads.

I would venture to say you will have the same problem again should you choose to pursue this.

 

[Gottservant]

What if you stipulated that any thread without ten witnesses that they believe the thread "is a worthwhile philosophical topic" - that is, at the start of the thread - the thread will be closed?

Say I want to discuss the nature of knowledge (more of it brings sorrow is a biblical point you could make philosophically), if ten witnesses agree this is a philosophical subject worth discussing and put their names to it, then the nature of knowledge may be discussed.

You may still have to prune certain posts, but at least you would have a caucus?

I don't know, I'm just throwing that out there.