which philosopher has an easy to understand philosophy that can be related to a social problem??

Question

i need to write a term paper but i can't find a philosopher with a philosophy that i couldn't understand.. please tell me a good philosopher.. i really cant use famous ones like plato aristotle and the like.. my teacher would know their philosophies inside out and anny errors would send my paper to damnation.. i need those not so known but have easy to understand philosophies that would be easy to relate to any social problem like poverty, corruption, abortion, etc.. i was considering epictetus and boethius but couldn't understand a word from their things.. ;'( please help me.. i only have three weeks.. I'M SO DEAD..

Answer 1

Don't worry about being wrong. If you knew more than your teacher you'd be HIS teacher!

There are a series of simplified versions of philosophers' works on the web. ( http://www.btinternet.com/~glynhughes/squashed/index.htm )

If you want something very easy to understand try Hitler:

http://www.btinternet.com/~glynhughes/squashed/hitler.htm

Just think "mad genocidal meglomania" and you're there!

[Edit]

The danger is if you try and read Popper in three weeks you'll be stuffed. If you must (its quite a good idea) read Bryan Magee's book "Popper", perhaps the "Poverty of Historicism" aswell, and concentrate on Popper's idea of "Piecemeal Social Engineering". The idea is that we cannot know the full consequences of our actions as there is no well founded science of society. (He was arguing against the Marxists and Nazis who thought they new exactly how society worked and how to change it). His argument was that you should go in, do a little bit, see how it works out, do a little bit more. If you just pile straight in and try and cure poverty in one go you're liable to cause more problems than you can solve.

Hey - I've just thought. Why not do BOTH Hitler and Popper. Hilter, in part, started as a reaction against German post WW1 poverty. Hilter tried the "big" way with his complete theory of society (race and land) - then you can bring in Popper and how he thought you should do it. Has connections to today with the G W Bush "lets solve the problem and bomb them into submission" and cheese-eating-surrender-monkey-French idea of taking it slooooow and avoiding a total catastrophe.

Answer 2

Easy Philosophy

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
which philosopher has an easy to understand philosophy that can be related to a social problem??
i need to write a term paper but i can't find a philosopher with a philosophy that i couldn't understand.. please tell me a good philosopher.. i really cant use famous ones like plato aristotle and the like.. my teacher would know their philosophies inside out and anny errors would send my...

Answer 4

I got into philosophy through Jean-Paul Sartre. Not that his philosophy is easy, but many of his ideas are accessible as works of literature and drama (e.g., No Exit). To anyone new to philosophy, I would strongly recommend the novel "Sophie's World" by Jostein Gaarder. Also, Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching." To varying degrees, all philosophers are difficult to understand. Jacques Derrida and Martin Heidegger are among the most challenging I've encountered. But if you read the Tao, understand the Tao, become the Tao, which is the union of all philosophies, your wisdom mind will awaken and there will be no ideas beyond your understanding.

Answer 5

My favorite philosopher is Jean-Paul Sartre. His books have many parts that are easy to read, but he has also written numerous 5 page articles explaining his philosophy in more lamens terms. Check out Existentialism is a Humanism. (the article more than the book)

Also check out Nietzsche. check out from beyond good and evil and the geneology of morals. I'm surprised how much his philosophy is talkign about social problems or race and the ruling class.

churchtogether.blogspot.com

Answer 6

Try the last one on anthonypa's list;

Sir karl Popper. He always said of course that he wasnt a

philosopher(he was first and foremost a teacher,and was
intensely interested in science-so much so,that he nearly
found the answer to darwinism, and its consequent,present
social problems!).
I cannot do sir karl's work justice here; suffice it to say that
as far as i know he was virtually responsible for bringing
Open-ness into science, society an thus social problems.

Read one of his last works called In search of a better world;
(and especially the chapter called Emancipation through
knowledge; a brilliant essay written by a brilliant teacher-
as you may agree).

Answer 7

Marx?