many philosophical quandaries seem to lead either cyclical paradoxes or to impassable stalemates. is there any honest to goodness progress to be made in this area?
2007-12-12 21:58:21 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Philosophy is a game, and it's fun. Asking questions that you don't think may have an answer may someday be answered. For example take the question, why do i feel? how can i think? What is conciousness? Someday we may understand these with developments of neuroscience. Seemingly ridiculous questions may someday prove to be good ones.
2007-12-12 22:25:34 · answer #1 · answered by jonny boy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Much of philosophy seems really abstract and cynical, particularly if you're not used to it. Some of the most practical fields of philosophy are ethics and political philosophy. In many ways these fields affect a lot of western thought, which in turn affects how we see the world. Our system of government is based on the work of philosophers, most notably John Locke. Like many things, most problems are only seen in the practice.
Also, a lot of the more abstract fields are necessary to other areas of life. It's kind of like the laws of physics. Most people don't work with them, but if we didn't know them we wouldn't have a lot of our modern technology. Similarly, without the discussions on human nature and the nature of reality and other abstract concepts, we wouldn't have the materials for more concrete realms.
2007-12-14 16:11:24 · answer #2 · answered by Sunset 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It can be. Like you mentioned, philosophy contains paradoxes and sometimes they're like little puzzles. But then these paradoxes can be use in a larger content to prove more important things, e.g. barber paradox (there's a barber that only shave those who don't shave themselves. Question: does the barber shave himself?) is a form of Russell's paradox, which has to do with set theory and part of the foundation of mathematics.
And like the person above me said, quite a few disciplines actually started with philosophical inquiry before they are considered to be a separate discipline of their own, such as psychology, astronomy, religion study. And logic is the basis for math and scientific proofs.
2007-12-13 06:28:18 · answer #3 · answered by Chaos 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. Philosophy is not a game but the rule of the game.
Philosophers are not players of the game but the rule makers, this is the only metaphor of which I could compare philosophy.
Every learning (like engineering, law, physics, chemistry, etc..) is a philosophy in itself; this show the significance of philosophy - it really brings progress.
Philosophy is not Sarte, Socrates, Plato, etc..... some of their views are impertinent, irrelevant or immaterial...
2007-12-13 06:45:44 · answer #4 · answered by pwd.alforque 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
hmmm beliefs can your reality of life be a game? yep lol Being careful of what you believe in tho, Im afraid may take the fun out it. I guess I just luv to contradict myself... progress absolutely, even if two forward 1 back. Churning of understanding... knowledge may be the beginning of wisdom and putting that knowledge into practice.
2007-12-13 07:18:32 · answer #5 · answered by xmas_prty_spirit_kc 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, philosophy is a game. Philosophers usually lose.
2007-12-13 06:06:40 · answer #6 · answered by Jim P 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Definitely not. It is from the explorations of philosophers that the sciences and mathematics have been born.
2007-12-13 06:12:54 · answer #7 · answered by Freethinking Liberal 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋