Philosophy Education As Practice for Working and Thinking Together

[BidenPresident]

I think one of the most profound effects that we could have—which I think is shared with other kinds of philosophy we teach—is to give people practice in having productive conversations about important issues that are unclear to us and that we disagree about (for which, at least in some cases, the stakes are pretty high). We have discussions, try to reason together about things where the issues are not settled beforehand and we care about the answers.

For example, a lot of people care about the relationship between the mind and the body, how we are to live together, or whether or not God exists. In many of those discussions the personal and social stakes are high, we disagree about the answers and we don’t even know what the rules of the game are.

https://dailynous.com/2023/03/07/philosophy-education-as-practice-for-working-and-thinking-together/

 

[BidenPresident]

A lot of people misconceive philosophy as giving answers to technical questions.

Philosophy is about inquiry, and having others join in to a discussion.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

Philosophy is best done by otherwise intelligent and smart people over a pint. When academics do it, you'd be better off dropping acid after consuming a quart of whiskey...

When God does things right, you don't think God has done anything at all...

 

[BidenPresident]

Philosophy is best done by otherwise intelligent and smart people over a pint. When academics do it, you'd be better off dropping acid after consuming a quart of ]

Adam Smith was a philosopher. A lot of people take him seriously.

 

[BidenPresident]

Karl Marx wrote his PhD. in philosophy. A lot of people would say he was influential.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

Karl Marx wrote his PhD. in philosophy. A lot of people would say he was influential.

But not in a positive way...

 

[BidenPresident]

But not in a positive way...

You are more Mein Kampf fan.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

You are more Mein Kampf fan.

Since you can't read, and have never read either work, you are hardly in a position to know.

 

[BidenPresident]

Since you can't read, and have never read either work, you are hardly in a position to know.

I have read both.

But let us not ignore the topic, which is philosophy.

My point is that Marx was a philosopher, like Adam Smith, and influential. Nothing to do with whether you like Marx.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

I have read both.

But let us not ignore the topic, which is philosophy.

My point is that Marx was a philosopher, like Adam Smith, and influential. Nothing to do with whether you like Marx.

If Marx was a philosopher, so was Hitler, but both were whack-a-doodles and their theories were / are puerile bullshit.

 

[BidenPresident]

If Marx was a philosopher, so was Hitler, but both were whack-a-doodles and their theories were / are puerile bullshit.

No. Marx wrote a PhD. dissertation in philosophy. Hitler did not.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

No. Marx wrote a PhD. dissertation in philosophy. Hitler did not.

Who gives a shit? You are trying to make an argument from authority, a logical fallacy. If Marx's dissertation and other work proved stupid, then it's stupid. No difference from Hitler's.

 

[BidenPresident]

Who gives a shit? You are trying to make an argument from authority, a logical fallacy. If Marx's dissertation and other work proved stupid, then it's stupid. No difference from Hitler's.

I never said Marx was right about what he wrote. I said he wrote dissertation in philosophy. My point is that philosophers have been very influential.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

I never said Marx was right about what he wrote. I said he wrote dissertation in philosophy. My point is that philosophers have been very influential.

But not always in a positive way as Marx proves...

 

[BidenPresident]

But not always in a positive way as Marx proves...

Only to you.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

Only to you.

Name one place where Communism has been tried that was improved by its application.

 

[BidenPresident]

Name one place where Communism has been tried that was improved by its application.

Sorry, thread is about philosophy.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

Sorry, thread is about philosophy.

Nice dodge. Won't work. Your answer tells me that you can't name a place that was made better by adoption of communism. After all, communism goes completely against human nature.

 

[BidenPresident]

Nice dodge. Won't work. Your answer tells me that you can't name a place that was made better by adoption of communism. After all, communism goes completely against human nature.

You are trolling. I no longer tolerate people trying to derail my threads. Post on topic.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

You are trolling. I no longer tolerate people trying to derail my threads. Post on topic.

What? Isn't a centerpiece of any philosophical discussion the merits of that philosophy? If Communism as described by Marx, and put into practice by others, is a philosophy, shouldn't we be judging its merits on how it has done in application?