Philosophy.

[icenine0]

Studying its history, seven million people have thrown themselves against it, with no absolute "truth" manifesting itself. Or at least, none so much to discourage a new thought pattern every quarter century or so.

I've recently been reading some of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_SchopenhauerSchopenhauer</A> -- "The Great Pessimist". He's a cynical, misanthropic bastard who's an utter joy to read.

Who's your favorite philosopher?
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[Lobster Cowboy]

Plato
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[Ugly Joe]

> Who's your favorite philosopher?

Not Hegel, that's for sure. My oh my that man is confusing.

I read a book on the philosophy of mind by Searle for one of my classes, and that was really good. At this point in my studies, I'd have to go with him.
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[icenine0]

Schopenhauer was a contemporary of Hegel and was constantly calling his stuff gussied up nonsense.
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[icenine0]

Ok, Plato's cool.

> Plato
>
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[Ugly Joe]

> Schopenhauer was a contemporary of Hegel and was constantly
> calling his stuff gussied up nonsense.

I'm inclined to do the same. We just finished studying his "Phenomenology of Spirit" (thank God!) and I still don't know exactly what he was trying to prove.
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[Lobster Cowboy]

Thanks for your approval :P

> Ok, Plato's cool.
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[icenine0]

Sorry, rewind. What I meant to say is that Plato seems to be very popular, probably because he makes a lot of sense. I was totally joking with the "boring" comment... it really gained an unintended severity in text.

[Fla Flash]

Me.
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[Dark Knight Kain]

> Me.

Beat me to it...
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[Isildur]

> Who's your favorite philosopher?
>


Plato, Maimonides, and Hobbes.


The tiger, not Thomas.
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[Lobster Cowboy]

I love Hobbes, too, although I don't think he had the writing skill to easily articulate his ideas. His prose is rather unwieldy.
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[Tsyni]

> Who's your favorite philosopher?

Tough call:

Camus
Sartre
Nietzsche
B. Russell
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[icenine0]

Calvin: "Given that we're all just going to die, what's the point of living?"
Hobbes: "Well, there's seafood..."

> The tiger, not Thomas.
>
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[king killa]

> Who's your favorite philosopher?
>

The band Cake http://www.zophar.net/wwwthreads/images/icons/tongue.gif
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[Danoz]

> Who's your favorite philosopher?

Okay, I've read a LOT of Philosophy (mostly in class through political thought and comparative thinking and spaced out in a number of classes).
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First of all, I love Plato. Not because I necessarily agree with him, but because he deals in certain absolutes... this transcendal realm of essences and forms, Goodness in Beauty conceived of as pure and unchanging. The world we live in? Shadows of this realm of thought (Dobbin is a horse because he shares in the eternal essence of Horseness). We achieve this knowledge through reason and philosophy alone. Interesting, right? But Plato wasn't a big fan of democracy, to say the least. He believed a "Philosopher King" should rule, the person with the greatest ability to reason (and self-recognition of his/her own ignorance) should make the choices for the people. I like Plato’s use of Socrates, the Apology—the Phaedo, all good reads.

Another favorite, (again, not because I agree with him but pure interest alone) is Machiavelli. His perspective on morality and the people is extremely interesting. His perception of morality is only used as a “image builder”, that a good leader should appear to adopt these laudable qualities—but to actually possess them is a weakness.

My favorite Christian philosophy is Saint Thomas Aquinas, for many reasons. His five proofs are well drafted and creates a strong argument bridging faith and reason. What’s even more interesting than his writings is his history, the life he lived as a Dominican.

I can’t say I’m a fan of dry, modern cynics. The conclusions are generally boring and hopeless and I’m always left with the same, empty feeling. I’m also turned of to Matrix-style philosophers who float into space and begin to question tangible existence (does this exist? Do you exist? Do I exist?—although, I kind of like Descartes’ because he pulls it back and comes to some obvious conclusions—thought he does glaze over a few pretty big assumptions).

Sorry to ramble and jump from thought to thought. 11 hours in the factory and a mile run will do that to ya ;). Now to finish my Guinness.
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