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Realizing that maybe 'philosophy' means something different for me than it does for a lot of people.

Invisible Man wrote:Realizing that maybe 'philosophy' means something different for me than it does for a lot of people.

Are you referring to how people value it? If so, there is definitely a wide gulf. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you are someone who has found meaning in philosophy in terms of finding a set of guiding principles for your life. Some people see philosophy as mostly just intellectual exercise. And some people think it's all just esoteric ramblings and proclamations issued by eggheads in ivory towers.

The gulf on ILF is a microcosm for the real world. It doesn't just apply to philosophy, either. Any discipline that isn't understood well by the masses faces distrust and the idea that it all just comes from a bunch of pompous blowhards in ivory towers bellowing "I think it should be thus!", instead of actually being a rigorous body of knowledge.

Pretentious coffee shop philosopher-types don't help, either. I think we've all met the type at one time or another. They don't understand the subject well enough to explain their positions when someone asks them to explain it, so they just fall back on pretending to be intellectually superior. That just serves to further alienate people who don't understand the subject to begin with.

Science is another example. Carl Sagan did more to bring astronomy to the people than possibly any other astronomer. Yet the other day, somebody on this forum was babbling about how he hates Carl Sagan. Why would anyone hate Carl Sagan? Because he debunked some fairy tale myths they bought into? When people don't understand a subject, they often won't accept it when it conflicts with their own views, so they lash out at the practitioners.

However, just in case you were referring to some strict definition of the word 'philosophy' and I've abused it, sorry, philosophers. That wasn't my intention. Set me straight.

Just a quick note to say that in the interest of peace and harmony all my future posts will strictly be gear related. I have zero interest riling up people like Nutwitt, and I have zero interest in conflict. If somebody wants to call me an alt-right Nazi or some other inanity, go right ahead but there will be no response from me so you may not get quite the satisfaction you want.

Lurker13 wrote:

Invisible Man wrote:Realizing that maybe 'philosophy' means something different for me than it does for a lot of people.

Are you referring to how people value it?

I believe he may be referring to the fact that he has a PhD in philosophy. Or was it English? Or English philosophy? Sociology of philosophy of English? In any case, he makes his crust teaching and writing about philosophy. Or English.

goroth wrote:

Lurker13 wrote:

Invisible Man wrote:Realizing that maybe 'philosophy' means something different for me than it does for a lot of people.

Are you referring to how people value it?

I believe he may be referring to the fact that he has a PhD in philosophy. Or was it English? Or English philosophy? Sociology of philosophy of English? In any case, he makes his crust teaching and writing about philosophy. Or English.

Something like that.

No I basically meant what Lurker said. My degree is incidental--didn't change what those things mean to me, just gave me more practice with thinking about them.

Seems weird that 'philosopher' is a slur for a lot of people. Despite the backlash against Trumpistan, I see a rising and surprising amount of anti-intellectualism everywhere I go (ILF included). And I work at a college, so that's pretty terrifying.

Was thinking about your analogy, Lurker, with Carl Sagan. I had this exact thought while thinking about this when my daughter was napping...I don't see philosophical movements as anything but attempts to explain interiority, and those don't enrage me or make me feel bad even if I disagree. I use what I can and discard the rest, but they I give them all equal time and attention on study. It's a science that's impossible to to run experiments on except for experience and observation, so it gets shit on constantly.

Anyway who gives a shit; this will get called ivory-tower masturbation by someone before the page is up, so I'll go back to living in my head.

BossMann73 wrote:Just a quick note to say that in the interest of peace and harmony all my future posts will strictly be gear related. I have zero interest riling up people like Nutwitt, and I have zero interest in conflict. If somebody wants to call me an alt-right Nazi or some other inanity, go right ahead but there will be no response from me so you may not get quite the satisfaction you want.

Dude it should be NitWitt.

IT WAS RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF YOU

Invisible Man wrote:

BossMann73 wrote:Just a quick note to say that in the interest of peace and harmony all my future posts will strictly be gear related. I have zero interest riling up people like Nutwitt, and I have zero interest in conflict. If somebody wants to call me an alt-right Nazi or some other inanity, go right ahead but there will be no response from me so you may not get quite the satisfaction you want.

Dude it should be NitWitt.

IT WAS RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF YOU

What is witnit?

Invisible Man wrote:No I basically meant what Lurker said.

Invisible Man wrote:Realizing that maybe 'philosophy' means something different for me than it does for a lot of people.

Does it mean invisible butt sex?

goroth wrote:

Invisible Man wrote:No I basically meant what Lurker said.

I mean you're not wrong, I just wouldn't use a degree to make a point about philosophy on a pedal forum. Or probably anywhere at this point.

Having said that, I just left a hardware store where I got into a conversation about Magritte and Super Mario, so duck everything.

NO JAYWARR.

Invisible Man wrote:

BossMann73 wrote:Just a quick note to say that in the interest of peace and harmony all my future posts will strictly be gear related. I have zero interest riling up people like Nutwitt, and I have zero interest in conflict. If somebody wants to call me an alt-right Nazi or some other inanity, go right ahead but there will be no response from me so you may not get quite the satisfaction you want.

Dude it should be NitWitt.

IT WAS RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF YOU

Lol! Too late since I am peace and love now. But you're right....it was right there in front of me. Maybe I meant NittWitt but forgot that was a word so just inserted Nutt instead? I really don't know how I messed that up.

Invisible Man wrote:


NO JAYWARR.

Gotcha! Full on visible butt sex it is!

Got lured in by the false thrad title, didn't read the whole thing...

So if no one minds me talking this opportunity to apologize to anyone I might've offended in that last HM-2 thread
I kinda fell out of character, and acted like a total troll, possibly aimed at awesome fellow ilf'ers who happen to have different political beliefs or whatever.
I was slightly drunk at the time, but that's no excuse for being a dick.

Might be making too big a deal out of a single post that (hopefully) hardly anyone noticed. But I just always try to be the same dude here as in real life, where I normally don't disrespect anyone that easily.

Anyway, on a lighter note: I'm in Sweden right now!

Two complaints:

1) The roads aren't paved with HM-2's
2) I've been here for two days and I haven't seen a single moose

Invisible Man wrote:

goroth wrote:

Invisible Man wrote:No I basically meant what Lurker said.

I mean you're not wrong, I just wouldn't use a degree to make a point about philosophy on a pedal forum. Or probably anywhere at this point.

I didn't mean it in that way, more that you have a vested interest in taking philosophy seriously. It would be an odd way to spend your education and career if you didn't.
Most folks do not have that perspective, and without knowing how well read we all are and with all respect to everyone's fundamental intelligence, we perhaps lack a depth to our collective musing that comes with having studied the area over a long period of time.
This does not deny the possibility of decent discussion, nor belittle anyone's contribution. It's merely a fact that your perspective on philosophy as such will be shaped by your education and career, in a way that for example my perspective isn't.

Something something 22 dollar nihilism.