Do you think this is about right?

Question

Morally, a philosopher who uses his professional competence for anything except a disinterested search for truth is guilty of a kind of treachery?

"One must first abide by the guidelines of morality in order to be influenced by it. Philosopher or otherwise."

I want to deal with this some

The perfect way (Tao) is without difficulty, save that it avoids picking and choosing...If you want to get to the plain truth, Be not concerned with right and wrong. The conflict between right and wrong; Is the sickness of the mind. Seng-TSAN

Few people appear willing simply to accept differences at this point and let it go at that. But the methods of changing moral attitudes of persuasion to change are not those of rational argument, but name calling, intimidation, threats, and so on. This is why our language uses certain words rather then others rather then others. However, most people do agree on certain things at least in some ways.

"It is a terrible thing, Tolstoi said, to watch a man who doesn't know what to do with the incomprehensible, because generally he winds up playing with a toy named God. Pasteur saw nothing particularly terrifying or unsatisfying about his situation, saying that the only thing to do in the face of the incomprehensible is to kneel before it. But that which is most incomprehensible of all is not a distant planet but the human mind itself; kneeling under these circumstances may represent the ultimate vanity." Norman Cousins

"Men talk because men have the capacity for speech, just as monkeys have the capacity for swinging by their tails. For philosophers, as for other human caddis flies, talk passes the time away that would otherwise hang like a millstone about a man's neck...Philosophers in particular, swing from day to day by their long prehensile tounges, and are finally hurled headlong into their silent bombs or flaming furnaces." Herman Tennessen

The methods of changing moral attitudes of persuasion are not those of rational argument, but name calling, intimidation, threats, and so on. This is why our language uses certain words rather then others. However, most people do agree on certain things at least in some ways.

It is a terrible thing, to watch a man who doesn't know what to do with the incomprehensible, because generally he ends up playing with the truth using psychiatry. The only thing to do in the face of the incomprehensible is to kneel before it. But for vanity's sake many can not, because that which is most incomprehensible of all is not a distant planet but the human mind itself.

Talk passes the time away that would otherwise hang like a millstone about a man's neck...

How many times has the world heard this, "but I must get paid" ? Every human being needs to get paid, but we can stop selling our souls anytime that we want to and that is up to us, kind of like being a prostitute that says, "but I must get paid"! What will you do to get paid?

Answer 1

I think its too early for this kind of thinking

but no....i dont think thats right.......I dont see any reason why one cant be interested in what they observe......people are suppost to form opinions about what they experience....or else what does a philospher do....I mean he/she has to have some motivation therefore some interest

Answer 2

One must first abide by the guidelines of morality in order to be influenced by it. Philosopher or otherwise.

Answer 3

Your question suffers from a logical fallacy in itself. It's not possible to both be disinterested AND search for truth at the same time.

Answer 4

I am not led by any type of philosophy and form my own beliefs of right and wrong based on my faith in God. I have strong moral principles that a secular society can never infringe on.

Answer 5

Possibly, but the artifice would mostly be self affecting. It is my belief that most philosophers search as much for untruth as they do truth.

Answer 6

No. Following your passion should never be something to feel guilty about. In fact, not using your skills and competence would induce more guilt for me than worrying about whether I might be using them "wrongly".

Answer 7

If you're going to have those kinds of standards then you should hold people who aren't philosophers to them too. In that case who hasn't sold their soul? We have to survive, don't we?

Answer 8

Nope. Moralists suffer under their own belief system.

Answer 9

ur using to big of words for this cowboy

Answer 10

Both yes and no.