Philosophy

Philosophical heroes: Plato, Aristotle, David Hume, Thomas Reid, Kant, Goethe, Nietzsche, and William James.

Walt Disney is to be admired. For his creativity, faith, dedication and perseverence and for the art he helped create. Music and fiction can at least be as true as any work of non-fiction.

Steve Jobs and Pixar is a somewhat similar story.

Why would you label Wittgenstein as crazy? I researched him for a while, and read a few books about him.

Not sure about Kant either. I see Kant and Wittgenstein as very rational, so not crazy. Seems to me that Wittgenstein merely realized he had made some errors that needed to be corrected... so not self-contradictory.

Nietzsche had some obvious issues.

Nietzsche might very well have been one of us. Wittgenstein was unpredictable, rebellious, a risk-taker and had periods of depression. I'd say BPD-like.

Kant was a hermit (more or less) who had an irrational fear of sex and love and who had a very strict routine. He used sentences which even for German standards are circumstantial. He tried very hard to be and stay rational. It could be schizophrenia (or an autism spectrum disorder).

Walt Disney was a virulent anti-Semite & racist. I don't let the sugar-coating fool me.

Obama is as well.

Disney was apolitical and naive. Very American.

He may have been odd, but Kant is very well respected and had a profound influence on Western Philosophy.

Did I say ordinary or crazy? I meant .

Nobody normal changes anything. They (just) preserve the status quo (which isn't a bad thing; every antithesis needs a thesis to lead to progress, that's Hegel).

Well, in that case... I'd love to be crazy. I like authentic people who care about critical thinking and intellectual honesty. <--- I strive for this...

Shakespeare, what's your philosophical credentials (interests) so I know who I'm dealing with?

American Dad is just too reliable a source, especially since it's owned by Fox, which is clearly not a competitor of Disney and it never makes fun of anything or anyone, being such a serious programme. So Fair & Balanced, so much painstaking research done for each episode.

I'm sorry I doubted you! Rupert Murdoch opened my eyes to the truth.

(at least The Simpsons made fun of Fox itself)

We should be thankful Murdoch is so very apolitical.

I think I'll just watch South Park. All that Disney stuff is far too anti-semitic. And I'll read Tin Tin to teach me about political correctness. Obviously I've been misled. All that Nazi misinformation.

Give it a rest. You take yourself far too seriously...to the point of pretension even.

If there's one thing I don't do it's taking myself too seriously. I'd be dead if I did. I feel like an idiot far too often for that. I don't think I'm always right and I use maybes all the time and if I don't it's implied.

It's you who didn't give it a rest, if you so desperately want to get personal. And honestly I like people who don't give it a rest. I don't even mind people getting personal. I know I'm an idiot. But what I say might be important (it might not be). It's interesting discussing whether Disney was a force for good or bad. It's definitely a bit of both and maybe it's mostly bad. But anti-semitism has nothing to do with it (I think).

Please don't talk about me. It's not important.

Your posts weren't personal? One suggesting Obama is a racist??? WTF!? Given the fact you use the spelling "programme," I assume you're from GB, or elsewnere in the former Empire. Too much intellectual "wanking" will make you go blind.

I've gone through many phases in life. I was brought up as a young earth creationist, but left that behind in the 1980's.

Then there was my Christian searching phase, in which I looked around for a "good church" that was able to integrate science and religious belief.

After that was my agnostic phase, which quickly turned into an atheist phase.

Then I started reading philosophy. I met with a mentor for a while, then looked into it on my own (although I know a few professional philosophers who are college professors). Now I'm going through a Stoicism phase, while also reading about Existentialism. I've also started reading Plato's dialogues.

I've had a real interest in philosophy for about 2 years. In that time, I've been taking MOOCs (on Kierkegaard, the history of Greek mythology- we covered Homer, Hesoid, Virgil and Ovid, a class on Plato's dialogues, and maybe one or two others that slip my mind right now).

If there's one thing I don't do it's taking myself seriously. I'd be dead if I did. If I appear to be, I'm sorry. I'm an idiot and don't let that stop me. I don't expect to be right but I try to be (it's not like I like feeling like an idiot). Still I use a lot of maybes and if not they are implied. Personally I do like people who don't give it a rest and honestly, you were the one who didn't. Not even now, if you so desperately want to make it personal.

Please don't talk about me. It's unimportant. If my behaviour is bothering you, send me a PM.

[edit: the post didn't show up so I wrote it again; I'll keep this one here for clarity and this'll be all about who's the worst human being; send a PM]

It was a joke. You could just as well call Obama an anti-Semite because he didn't veto the UN resolution condemning Israel for the occupied territories.

To whom it may concern: I don't identify as Bipolar.. I came across this thread because I did a search for "philosophy".

No biggie, shakespeare. It's a pretty general topic...Take care.

I've gone through some similar stages but I've been studying philosopher for seriously for almost 11 years now with a degree in it. My main focus in it is philosophy of psychology and mind, but i'm pretty well rounded and know Plato like the back of my hand and I did a critical study of Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics. A very extensive one actually. It took me three months. Lately I have read 6 books o and by WIlliam James, the psychologhists's philosopher. I highly recommend his Principles of Psychology. It's filled with brilliant originality and personal reflections. I plan on reading Hume and Thomas Reid again to form two dialogues for my book that should have a first rough draft by april if time allows. So at this vacation I have been able to complete two dialogues and I will have a simple third one done too, leaving just two... maybe a third on Kant; however, kant is a disagreeable task to read. It's brilliarnt, but it's so difficult. I would have to buy another book is Prolegmna or however it's spelled. Its his most accessible read meant for teachers.
I did an interesting dialogue with a group of five men involved in the dialogue all from different perspectives in it. Its called the philosophy of philosophy: The crucible of criticism. You might enjoy it if you want it scan it. It still needs work though.
I think my favorite platonic Dialogue is Phaedrus. It's poetry.

@Day Tripper
From what I've heard/read about him, William James does sound really interesting.

I've been reading here and there, and just reading and researching things that I find to be interesting. I've looked into the latest thoughts on Consciousness (I just watched Closer to Truth this morning.. it was entitled Toward a Science of Consciousness). To that end I've read (and listened to on Youtube) Patricia Churchland, John Searle, and David Chalmers.

I researched the concept of free will for quite some time, as well, and ended up reading Harris, Dennett and Alfred Mele.

I've also been looking into ethics. And I took a Philosophy of Ethics class a few years ago. I was taken by Utilitarianism for a while, but now I really like virtue ethics.

Ever read any Pierre Hadot? I came across him after I started getting interested Stoicism. I really like Philosophy as a Way of Life, and I'm currently reading The Inner Citadel.

I've read virtually all the ancient Stoic material available. Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Musonius Rufus.

I'm currently reading Paul Davies' The Mind of God and Max Jammer's Einstein and Religion: Physics and Theology.

So much to read, so little time.

My interest in philosophy feels like a conversion experience in many ways... especial after reading Philosophy as a Way of Life.