Is anyone interested in...

simu

...doing another philosopher/philosophy topic of the month thread?

There was one on Descartes a while ago but people weren't exactly falling over each other to take part in it. All the same, if there's a certain philosopher/philosophy topic/period in the history of philosophy you're curious about, post about it here and i could put together another one of those threads. Perhaps with less reading material this time though, as that seemd to put people off the last time.

munkeehaven

what about schopenhauer? i find him very interesting....

funky penguin

Im a newbie, so perhaps something for beginners?

chewy

how bout a philosophy topic where you don't quote or refer to a philosophor?
or
do yo use any thing you learned about philosophy in your daily life?

DadaKopf

Then there's the problem of any thread turning into something more suitable for Humanities or Personal Issues.

This is a philosophy board. People don't HAVE to refer to a philosopher, but they have to consider their responses philosophically!

chewy

you answered your own response then

simu

Originally posted by chewy
how bout a philosophy topic where you don't quote or refer to a philosophor?
or
do yo use any thing you learned about philosophy in your daily life?

That's most of the threads on this board already!

As for those who expressed an interest in topics for beginners, please be more precise, list some specific areas/questions/people etc you're curious about!

funky penguin

Plato or Socrates.

Archvillain

Actually I'd be interested in a Wittgenstein thread. He seems a fascinating philosopher from the little i've read of him. I read Tractatus Logicus philosophicus and found it actually readable (to my amazement)

Otherwise how about Bakunin, since people seem interested in left v right in this board....

SkepticOne

How about a particular philosopher's take on a specific issue rather than the entirety of his work. This would help keep things manageable and focused. My 2c. An example might be Wittgenstein and language games.

EbonyJones

simu wrote:

...doing another philosopher/philosophy topic of the month thread?

Sounds good to me.

Trip

or how about a topic that only refers to people's everyday life so you don't get into "well im right because :: such and such a person said such and such a thing" i like my idea

DadaKopf

Trip wrote:

or how about a topic that only refers to people's everyday life so you don't get into "well im right because :: such and such a person said such and such a thing" i like my idea

Isn't the point of the POTM thread to get people into reading about and discussing philosophy and to put that acquired knowledge to constructive use, to exercise your brain!

mrhappy42

What about discusing some of the stuff that Vincent brown is discussing on Sunday evening...

Any bought http://www.cyberbooks.ie/CDOrder%20Form.html the text refered to on the program?

DadaKopf

Isn't that just Project Guttenberg that you have to pay for?

mrhappy42

I had not heard of Guttenberg project. Did a quick google and think its different but the same idea...the link I mentioned has a 60Euro price while Guttenberg is free (Donation based). Was thinking of investing in CD for reference...seems I now have a choice...any recomendations.

Ps for those with broadband here are the RTE shows..http://www.rte.ie/radio1/story/1014320.html

chewy

Isn't the point of the POTM thread to get people into reading about and discussing philosophy and to put that acquired knowledge to constructive use, to exercise your brain!


well philosphy isn't only something thats been previously written by someone esle that you can reference, that what i meant too...

mrhappy42

Someone explaine these piece to me (A Treatise on Government, by Aristotle)

"An aristocracy seems most
likely to confer the honours of the state on the virtuous; for virtue
is the object of an aristocracy, riches of an oligarchy, and liberty
of a democracy; for what is approved of by the majority will prevail
in all or in each of these three different states; and that which
seems good to most of those who compose the community will prevail:
for what is called a state prevails in many communities, which aim at
a mixture of rich and poor, riches and liberty: as for the rich, they
are usually supposed to take the place of the worthy and honourable.
As there are three things which claim an equal rank in the state,
freedom, riches, and virtue (for as for the fourth, rank, it is an
attendant on two of the others, for virtue and riches are the origin
of family), it is evident, that the conjuncture of the rich and the
poor make up a free state; but that all three tend to an aristocracy
more than any other, except that which is truly so, which holds the
first rank."

DadaKopf

Yes! I'd love to discuss democracy and government. I've been reading a hell of a lot about recently. Democracy and government from Aristotle to George W. Bush!

mrhappy42

What do you see as the ideal goverment for Ireland?

Seems if you read any of the ideals (Plato) or even the practical Aristotle...and just extracted key sentences and then asked yourself does this exist in Ireland, in most cases I see the criteria as missing:

- Regional goverment - missing
- "The rich are usually supposed to take the place of the worthy and honourable" -missing
- Democracy in Ireland scares me...local promises, spin doctors and dare I say it - urban niavity.
- "for what is approved of by the majority will prevail in all or in each of these three different states" - missing

etc.

DadaKopf

I thought something simpler like: Does pure/direct democracy really mean the 'tyranny of the majority'? What should the balance between state, government and polity be? What should the ends of democracy be, or, How can democracy in modern times threaten freedom/liberty?

Even simply a discussion about Isaiah Berlin's distinction between positive & negative liberty and, following from that, a discussion about what people consider the best solution to the problems of democracy identified from Plato to Marx to Nozick and beyond.

simu

Hmm, so many suggestions, which one to go with?...

I suppose the best way is to do a poll - I'll give it another few days though, in case anybody wants to suggest anything else or suggest modifications to some of the topics already supplied.

Also, for those who made suggestions, you could post up links to suitable articles to support these discussions here as well - it's not that I'm being lazy, I said I wouldn't mind putting this together but I think that people are more likely to take part in the discussion if they've been involved in preparing it as well.

mrhappy42

Would like some pointers to online material as can prep in work during lunch time
(cant bring in books would be to obvious)...dont get much time in the evening but could do 30 min pointers...Like dadakopf's suggestion...cant wait discussion.

johnKarma

Hey
I'd second the motion to discuss state, government and democracy.

The nature of democracy is something I have studied (indirectly) and I had an interesting diccussion on the topic recently with a friend. I'd be interested in some further reading/debate ...

simu

Vote for your preferred discussion topic(s) here!

simu (philosophy board mod)


I'll lock this thread now as it has fulfilld its purpose - any other comments you have to add can be made on the thread linked to above.