Enuff of being politically correct. Who here agrees that the avg. ppl in philosophy section are kinda dumb?

Question

And if you point to my vernacular to begin with, I think I have my literary license. What I mean by 'dumb' are the IDEAS being pitched forth over here.

Answer 1

I am thinking the an average person in any section would be of average intelligence. Unless you are an intellectual luminary, like one President of the USA, it is impossible to have a nation of above average intelligence children, for example, as much as it is impossible for the average person to be dumb (defined as having an IQ so low they are incapable of speech).

Some ideas may appear to you to be stupid. Often the stupidest ideas are pitched by trolls because they have a desperate need to garner attention, or have a combative nature. Other ideas, though perhaps phrased in terms that are not intellectually complex, still retain a kernel of some philosophical point of contention, and once that kernel is extracted healthy debate can ensue.

What some find to be of importance to themselves may not marry with your view of what is essential, but at least many of the questions that you dismiss so summarily actually address philosophical issues, unlike your own question that is decidedly off topic.

Many people have not the benefit of formal training in logic or philosophy, but still retain a desire to solve "life's puzzles". That is not indicative of their intelligence or lack thereof.

Finally, assuming a position of moral or intellectual superiority is to set oneself up for one's come uppance.

Answer 2

Then again, what do you expect? This is the Y!A philosophy section. These are also the same people who answer questions in Surveys and Polls like "If a dog gets stuck on a roof, how many chickens does it take to unclog a toilet?" (That was MY question, thank you very much, and by the way, more people answered that than any other question I've ever asked). All the Harvard professors in philosophy are busy writing papers, and anyone else that would qualify as a philosopher puts all his ideas in a book and gets paid for them, instead of giving them out here for free.

Answer 3

Forget about moronic ideas -- I can't believe how incredibly bad people are at spelling and punctuation and grammar and, oh, I don't know, cohesive thought.

Granted, I graduated from high school 27 years ago after a so-so public education, but at least I could spell and punctuate. A nephew of mine graduated two years ago as his class Valedictorian, and even his spelling skills are heavily error-prone [to his credit, he's aware of it, but doesn't seem very motivated to improve].

I've seen some askers here get reamed by answerers, then post follow-ups wherein they claim it's no big deal. One girl/woman even whined that she knew how to spell correctly but didn't want to take the time to do it in her question -- now THAT was simultaneously funny and sad.

Oy vey.........

Oh, and as for dumbness.......I mostly visit the Performing Arts section, where every third question is either "How do i stopppe bing nurvous" or "i wana b a Brodwey star how can i". It's not the spelling I mind, but the fact that they don't have the willingness to do ten seconds' worth of persusal to see if someone else has already asked that question and received some viable answers.

Answer 4

Since you did qualify your statement that the average person is "kinda dumb" then I would probably agree. However, I would not say that this necessarily describes everyone who interacts in the philosophy section. There are actually some intelligent people who are there. Those who live the reflective life of philosophy are easy to spot. Those who do not self-reflect stand out even more.

Answer 5

I woudn't as much say "dumb" as irrelevant. What really disturbed me is the responses to this question. Someone called philosphy BS. What a shame. Everything about a person stems from their philosphy. Our ability to think hinges on philosphy. Civilizations have risen and fallen because of philosophy.

Thinking people -- philosophers, scientists -- are the reason that we have what we do. A computer is based on mathematical logic -- one of the most abstract, philosophical, DEEP constructs mankind has ever formulated -- is the reason your iPod work. Physics is the reason your TV works. Without philosophy we'd be nowhere.

I guess some people just don't appreciate it. Now what does that tell you?

Answer 6

Here.

I'm personally waging a secret war against morons and idiots. My goal is to get each and everyone of them to stop breathing in an effort to "preserve the ever dwindling oxygen supply which is due to the deforestation of the rain forests."

And I hope this doesn't sound like them, but by idiots and morons, I don't care what the color of there skin is or where they like to stick their genitals.

The only reason political correctness exists is so it can exist. It's a self perpetuating concept. Like welfare: once someone gets on it, they won't get off it. (I'm sure there's a percentage there in the 90's that will prove this statement.) Or like racism: blacks only hate whites because whites used to hate them. (most white's couldn't give a rat's rump what the blacks do, as long as they don't bother them).

And to add to this; I'd personally like to institute an exchange program with Mexico. I'd be willing to accept five of their hard working citizens for one of our welfare flounders. I think it's only fare. Either that, or we re-institute the Monroe Doctrine and change the parameter from West to South.

I'd also like to see us out there in the world taking what should be our's. By that I don't mean to go and steal from other countries beause we are bigger and can. I mean, if we depose your evil dictator and free your people, give use something you have in abundance in return... oil's nice. What ever happened to "Thank You?"

In a similar respect, if we give of our good graces and feed your beligured people. Then we'd have the right to kill your leaders when they start spouting off about the evils American's. Again, what ever happened to "Thank You?"

(Dirty words edited so Y.A. doesn't delete this post. Bee Ought cheese!)

Answer 7

Most people in most sections are dumb. Universities are institutions of conformity. If you really wanted to study philosophy, it would probably be more interesting in another country or in real-life experiences, rather than in a Western-biased classroom.

Answer 8

I don't think most of them are dumb. I think they just aren't asking philosophical questions. However, that's not too surprising. Most people don't come to Yahoo answers for philosophy, nor do they come for intellectual thoughts.

The reason philosophy gets filled with so many goofy questions is because most of us have a lot of goofy questions to ask.

Answer 9

I'm sorry, but clearly you haven't been to the religion and spirituality section, where closed-minded idiots on both sides battle it out, as though they will convince anybody. That's where the real dummies are.

Answer 10

You should see some of the questions in the computers section :)