what percentage of people in the philosophy section actualy know what they are talking about???

Question

im nnot trying to insult anyone or anything like that.

but what percentage of people actualy truly knows aboutactual philosophy on this forum? and i dont mean the meaning of life stuff either. i mean things about academic philosophy that people take the time to actualy study.

for example if you had a philisophical problem that needed attending would you trust and take to heart something that a proffesional in philosphy and has a degree in possibly even a PHD? or would you take to heart something that a yahoo answerer said that seems to disagree with what the proffesional said etc??

id say 95% at least dont know what they are saying.

i do not mean people opinions on a subject. i mean when people try to discuss about a subject that they dont know anything about but still put there opinion about it. there are people who beleive that nothing can be known!! when in fact if you read up on philosophy MANY things can be known. its that kind of thing that makes you wonder what the hell people are thinking about

Answer 1

Your question is indeed a valid one. Most people who post to the Philosophy forum aren't asking philosophical questions. They generally ask pseudo-psychological and pseudo-sociological questions. This is not, however, atypical of philosophy's effect on the masses. It's been said that when a philosophical premise, idea, or theory becomes popular, it ceases to be philosophy. Thinking about thinking, indeed, is not on most people's minds.

Philosophy is an art, but when people say, "My philosophy is," they are usually referring to a soft science like psychology or sociology. To be fair, philosophy and the soft sciences often overlap. The scholarly philosophers who posited the idea of "situational ethics" likely had no idea that the media would take that premise and apply it (pseudo-scientifically and rhetorically) to Bill Clinton's infidelity. At that point, however, when a philosophical precept became media, it was handed over from the scholars into the hands and minds of the people.

And there's nothing wrong with that. Nonetheless, asking a question about the viability of Descartes' "I think...therefore, I am" is not that same as asking about one's personal politics or emotional reaction to common situations.

Because philosophy is not taught in most high schools (perhaps introductions are entertained), most people are not aware of important differentiations such as "continental philosophy" and "analytical philosophy," the twin beating hearts of all contemporary philosophical discussions.

So, no, most posters don't know philosophy as it is studied, but rather philosophy as it is lived.

Answer 2

I have a degree in philosophy, and in a few other fields I have collected along the way. However, as John Ralston Saul observes, being credentialled in an academic area is not necessarily indicative of knowledge or understanding of the field. It really proves that you are good at meeting the requirements of the process.

Philosophy tends to be one of those areas where, because we are talking about what it is to be human, and the meaning of life, every person has some relevant experience, as we all, ultimately, face the same problems. A specialist area such as philosophy tends to separate the "we" (philosophers) from the "not we" (amateur philosophyers, at best) through the use of an exclusive set of linguistic symbols (the language of philosophy). Then there are "marks of advancement", usually pieces of information that one is supposed to know to gain access to the inner circles. Examples could include:
Do you know who Wittgenstein was?
What is a trogolodyte?
Can you explain the concept of "ubermensch"?

Possesion of any of these probably only entitles one to the soubriquet "philosopher", yet anyone who thinks on matters philosophical is, of course, a philosopher. Whether what they say is worthwhile, relevant or note worthy is another matter all together, but the chance is there that the most formally unqualified "philosopher may have an answer of equal or greater validity than the most credentialled of us.

Answer 3

Very very very few. Most answers don't contain any argument (or clear, consistent explanation). I'd say maybe 5% know what they are talking about. Philosophy is not for the common man. As Aristotle says, philosophy requires leisure. In our modern world (and even in the ancient and medieval worlds) most people simply do not have enough time to really think about the questions of philosophy. And this doesn't even begin to touch on the issue of education and familiarity with proper philosophical thought. Merely pondering over a Guinness, as stated above, does not make you a philosopher.

Answer 4

Well, if you look back at the roots of Western thought and philosophy with Socrate and Plato, nobody knows anything, and it is only when you accept that that you can begin to attempt to know anything. If that makes any sense. Some people may not agree with that, but that's where it all started.

If you mean, how many people have taken a philosophy class, or majored in philosophy, I'd say maybe 10%. Personally, I just did one semester of Greek philosphy (high school, but still).

Answer 5

While this is a great question, it presupposes that the problems of philosophy must be discussed and addressed by "philosophers" or "academics" (or professional scholars). I think often times the ideology inherent within a philosophy program will bias a scholar in such a way as to perpetually influence his/her reading of a given, "philosophical" text.

The beauty of this space--Yahoo Answers--is that those who read the answers must judge the words on their own merit. In short, it is the application of the marketplace of ideas. Those that can make reasonable, acceptable answers should (theoretically) win the "Best Answer."

Disclosing as a writer that I fit within any given subject position (male/female, straight/gay, old/young, academic/non-academic) only biases the readers decision, it seems.

Sometimes those answers that are least academic are also most entertaining. That's why I enjoy reading in this forum because it's quite entertaining.

Answer 6

That depends, which area you are questioning? Different strokes for different folks. Philosophy is a study which covers a broad of disciplines.

One of Aristotle's tacit assumptions was that there is a correspondence linking the structures of reality, the mind, and language (and hence logic).

phi·los·o·phies
1) Love and pursuit of wisdom by intellectual means and moral self-discipline.
2) Investigation of the nature, causes, or principles of reality, knowledge, or values, based on logical reasoning rather than empirical methods.
3) A system of thought based on or involving such inquiry: the philosophy of Hume.
4) The critical analysis of fundamental assumptions or beliefs.
5) The disciplines presented in university curriculums of science and the liberal arts, except medicine, law, and theology.
6) The discipline comprising logic, ethics, aesthetics, metaphysics, and epistemology.
7) A set of ideas or beliefs relating to a particular field or activity; an underlying theory: an original philosophy of advertising.
8) A system of values by which one lives: has an unusual philosophy of life.

Logic and Metaphysics
moral philosophy: ethics
natural philosophy: The study of nature and the physical universe before the advent of modern science.

Answer 7

"Anyone familiar with academia knows that it breeds ideological cults that are prone to dogma and resistant to criticism." -- Steven Pinker, The Blank Slate, p. 341

I am sure that the average Yahoo reader is enlightened enough to know that this is only an informal public forum. I don't think anybody is seriously thinking of following discussions here to resolve complicated issues.

As for who really knows what they are talking about -- that is a philosophical question by itself, more properly phrased as "what is truth?" PhD's have memorized mountains of information and possess exalted vocabularies, yes, but who are they to decide what is or isn't truth?

Phonetic roots in the word philosophy mean "the love of knowledge." Plain and simple, period. One does not have to possess a PhD to love knowledge.

In my opinion, the beginning of good philosophy is the ability to question, to challenge, and to debate. By that definition, "true philosophy" ceases where dogma begins. When we start discussing the definition of dogma, we cease discussing the definition of true philosophy.

Now, if this Yahoo category was labeled "professional academic philosophy," then yes you could say no one here knows what they are talking about. Since it is not, then everyone here knows precisely what they are talking about.

Answer 8

Im one who hasnt studied philosophy in college yet, (I'll get to it) but philosophy is questioning how one should live life, what's genuine knowlegde and logic. I think we all have some sense of these three elements. Philosopher itself translates into lover of wisdom. I love wisdom and learning things of life. I may not have studied it in college but life teaches us all. I think everyone, when efforts are applied, can contribute positive and useful answers. So no, I dont think there's many in here who actually know two things of philosophy, but we all do know a few things of life. To be wise, one doesnt have to study philosophy, just study the lessons of life.
"A single conversation across the table with a wise man is better than ten years of knowledge of mere books."

Answer 9

Philosophy is not a science. It is an art and it is a certain thought process. If we refer to a certain phisophers of earlier times they were not proffessors. They were thinkers ans , over a period of time , we the people understood and appreciated their thought processes. That is about it.

students , like you, who study philosophy are exposed to a large number of philosophical thoughts and yet , when it comes to an actual probelm or situation you do your own thinking . Take , for example , this Yahoo forum on philosophy. If you are a serious student of Philosophy this is a gold mine. For any question on philosophy you can see such a diverse view or perception on thought processes. This is an invaluable tool.

If someone is looking for a cure for cancer he/she does not rely on Yahoo as to where to go and what to do. But this media gives you a wide variety of information and the person can go to the right place for a solution armed with some information.

I am , by no means , a philosophy student academically but I am a student of life and living . That makes me qualified to aprticipate in this foum.

Answer 10

With all humility, I am pleased to inform you that I am the Top contributor in Philosophy... it could just mean that the participants are not expecting any professional answers here, because I have never read even a single book on philosophy, leave alone any structured education on the subject. Otherwise, it may be that philosophy is just about insightful wisdom which comes from living and first-hand experiences rather than second-hand knowledge through reading other people's thoughts and ideas.