Philosophy is dead

[GrowingSmaller]

I didn't say that. Nonetheless it would be interesting to discuss why, historically, so many original scientific discoveries originated in Judeo-Christian civilization and so few elsewhere.

I am not sure about this "Judeo Christianity" although I will have to stop arguing with Christians and start agreeing with them some time. But things like alchemy, which Newton (a major figure in the development of science) was so interested in, had correlates in civilisations other than ours, and were as such not specifically "Judeo Chrisitan". Also in the Middle Ages the Jews suffered a lot of persecution under the Christians, and were regarded as "deicidal", anathema to the Church for long periods of time. I hardly know any history, but I think that the idea on "Judeo Christian" society is possibly more a retrojection of present political affiliations than something that existed in the past. I mean, in the Mulsim world Jews often held high office in state affairs (insofar as they were allowed) but who talks of Judeo Islamic civilisation?

 

[LOVEthroughINTELLECT]

It is my understanding that philosopher means "seeker of wisdom". Therefore, reason dictates that the practice of philosophy is the practice of seeking wisdom.

If the practice of seeking wisdom is dead, then I guess our only choice is folly.

 

[Received]

The below article was taken from the Evolving Atheist's Blog:

“Philosophy is dead” | The Evolving Atheist's Blog



Philosophy is not a quest for knowledge. Philosophy is on a quest for its own relevance. “Philosophy is dead.”- Stephen Hawking.


Try as I might to explain the irrelevance of philosophy in today’s world, these people continue to waste their time studying it. Philosophy asks questions like “what is the purpose of the universe?” among countless others. Questions like this are meaningless and there is no grounds to answer the question sufficiently. Philosophy is not science, otherwise it would have outgrown itself, instead of being the anachronism that it is.


Comments?

Eh, I have quibbles with contentions against philosophy that are philosophical in nature. Saying "'what is the purpose of the universe?' is meaningless and has no grounds to answer itself sufficiently" is itself a philosophical statement.

And science is very much still (and forever will be) a very useful, nicely packaged philosophy, with all sorts of philosophical presuppositions and complicated philosophical problems.

Now, defining philosophy might be one heck of a problem, but lack of a sufficient definition doesn't negate the reality of a term and what it stands for. But if we understand philosophy as a "reflection on the deepest concepts" (as Simon Blackburn has put it), then you can understand philosophy as the backdrop on which all of our disciplines stand, be it psychology, neuroscience, meteorology, and any other hard science or theoretical subject. Anyone who thinks clearly and deeply about anything can be said to be philosophizing. And it's the nature of people who are fans of their own disciplines to assume their disciplines are true just 'cause.

Which is why a philosopher can be such an annoying person. He realizes that at the bottom of everything from which we like to hang our hats is a really massive confusion and threshold of vague intuitions. Or you might call it mystery in a very positive sense. Which sounds like a pretty philosophical question.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

Eh, I have quibbles with contentions against philosophy that are philosophical in nature. Saying "'what is the purpose of the universe?' is meaningless and has no grounds to answer itself sufficiently" is itself a philosophical statement.

And science is very much still (and forever will be) a very useful, nicely packaged philosophy, with all sorts of philosophical presuppositions and complicated philosophical problems.

Now, defining philosophy might be one heck of a problem, but lack of a sufficient definition doesn't negate the reality of a term and what it stands for. But if we understand philosophy as a "reflection on the deepest concepts" (as Simon Blackburn has put it), then you can understand philosophy as the backdrop on which all of our disciplines stand, be it psychology, neuroscience, meteorology, and any other hard science or theoretical subject. Anyone who thinks clearly and deeply about anything can be said to be philosophizing. And it's the nature of people who are fans of their own disciplines to assume their disciplines are true just 'cause.

Which is why a philosopher can be such an annoying person. He realizes that at the bottom of everything from which we like to hang our hats is a really massive confusion and threshold of vague intuitions. Or you might call it mystery in a very positive sense. Which sounds like a pretty philosophical question.

QFT.

 

[Sayre]

Philosophy is not dead and cannot die. It really is the fabric on which we build beliefs about this world. It is like mathematics... people often use it wrongly, apply it to meaningless questions, but as a tool it cannot die.

It is interesting how much philosophy and theology overlap. I quite enjoy reading Plantinga for this reason - and he has made some very interesting contributions especially in epistemology.