Do We Need the Wisdom of the East ?

Discussion in 'Eastern Philosophy' started by Myles, Dec 26, 2007.

  1. greenberg until the end of the world Registered Senior Member

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    What is the use of analyzing and wrestling with those difficult problems that Western philosophy proposes?
     
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  3. greenberg until the end of the world Registered Senior Member

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    Let's not let him off the hook so easily.
     
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  5. kmguru Staff Member

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    Like the skinheads and the jihadis, there are people who believe they are right with whatever little information they have and usually come to fight in forums....after a while they move on to other forums to do the same. It is rarely that they learn anything. That attitude also reflects in their home and work life and you know the results. I have seen this type of signs many times.

    Is our time worth it?

    P.S. I do volunteer work at the Family Services and meet a lot of nutcases. It would be a heaven for the sociologists.
     
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  7. greenberg until the end of the world Registered Senior Member

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    I don't know of any such "Western" philosopher either.
    Like Myles said, "Western" philosophy is about "anaylzing and wrestling with difficult problems" - but for the life of me, I do not know where the use in that is. Other than looking smart in your intelligentsia clique and trying to impress chicks who are, hopefully, less intelligent than oneself.


    Mhm. I also found a study was done on mindfulness meditation and how it could help deal with procrastination (homepage of PRG).


    Exactly. A content human will not really seek any further, other than as a hobby - but in that case, whatever knowledge he acquires will have the quality of a hobby, nothing more or serious.


    Fully agree. This is part of why I don't hold scholars in religion and philosophy in high esteem: they aren't interested in their field because they would really personally be interested in it, that is: with their life staked on it.


    Like they say: Pride is the greatest obstacle to learning.
     
  8. kmguru Staff Member

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    By that argument, it is proven that the Chinese have the highest intelligence (ref: Bell Curve). So their philosophy must be supreme! Oh...wait, that is Eastern Philosophy too.

    just could not help it...sorry greenberg...
     
  9. greenberg until the end of the world Registered Senior Member

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    Frankly, I don't think it is. But such people should at least be given some sign that they can't just say and do whatever they want to.
     
  10. kmguru Staff Member

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    I agree. But long time ago, I learned that when the boss gets mad at you, and you come home and get mad at your wife who in turn yells at the kid...then the kid kicks the dog.

    Do you want his kid to kick the dog...poor innocent little dog...

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    ref: A.G. Gardiner in his essay "On Saying Please"
     
  11. greenberg until the end of the world Registered Senior Member

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    There must be more ways to handle these situations, ways that don't lead to such negative consequences.
    (I can imagine this thread could have gone many times worse.)

    But - let's analyze and find some solutions, so that next time around we won't make the same mistakes:

    What was done wrong or poorly?
    What could be improved?
    What was done well?
     
  12. sowhatifit'sdark Valued Senior Member

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    2,168
    The good part of it is increasing possible vantages. One can try them on. On the weak side 'cleverness' with all the Zen pejorative sense.

    I think also the Western emphasis on
    I am my words
    might lead one to expect everyone to takes one's words at face value.
    Sure, you said that, but what are you doing.


    Or worse to reinforce feelings of superiority.
    Hadn't thought of it that way. I guess I have always wondered why literary critics don't try their hand - and keep trying their hands - at making a beautiful novel, poem, etc. A few certainly have, but the majority.....I mean how can you love something so much and not want to fully experience it. I can see being a passionate reader and never wanting to write one, but that's different.
    As a subset of not wanting to learn.
    Now that's a good question, but it needs to be said and taken responsibility for and not simply be implicit.
     
  13. kmguru Staff Member

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    Off topic

    I could not believe it. As you know I posted reference to AG Gardiner just a few minutes ago and tried to find the full article searching in Google. Guess what I found...my own posting few minutes ago. Boy, how fast Google scans...amazing...so watch what you write...



     
  14. Myles Registered Senior Member

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    Suggest you try understanding Wittgenstein as opposed to facile utterings.

    As for trhe rest of you, philosophy spawned science which is the source of the computer you are now using. And how about medicine and all the other benefiots you enjoy. This gives you free time to read the stuff you read, so enjoy yourselves,

    And Greenbewrg, you equate boredom with suffering...you gave a mot to worry about . You might also look up altruism regarduing your r4emarks on medicine.

    Sorry if you are intelectually challenged, but don't blame me. Stick to the easy stuff and you bre ok. Over and out
     
  15. kmguru Staff Member

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    11,757
    His family also had a history of intense self-criticism, to the point of depression and suicidal tendencies. Three of his four brothers committed suicide. Most of his romantic attachments were to young men. Though he had a doctorate in Mechanical Engineering, he did not invent anything.

    He says: ‘My propositions are elucidatory in this way: he who understands me finally recognizes them as senseless’.

    These commentators believe that the book is deeply ironic, and that it demonstrates the ultimate nonsensicality of any sentence attempting to say something metaphysical, something about those fixations of metaphysical philosophers, about those things that must be passed over in silence, and about logic.

    He did develop a version of the Truth Table.
     
  16. Gustav Banned Banned

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    12,575

    ahh
    finally
    now it is open season on your white ass
    a stormy season at that. pelting rain, columns of lightning and rumbling thunder.

    basically you will be fucked over

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  17. Gustav Banned Banned

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    pardon
    this just in...........................britney embraces hinduism after finding the kabbala boring!
     
  18. Myles Registered Senior Member

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    You clearly have your back to the wall. When in doubt , use an ad hominem. Try and understand what he was saying. Read his philosophical investigations, his brown and blue books but I don't think you'll have much success. You prefer pre-digested knowledge in the form of cracker-barrel philosophy because that's about as much as you can grasp.

    Of course if, as you point out , he was a homosexual there is every reason to reject him out of hand. Are you related to that educated gentleman known as Pastor Phelps. You certainly have something in common.

    As you use such stupid arguments wht not widen your sphere of influence and tell the world that Van Gogh's paintings are rubbish because he went mad and committed suicide.

    Then you could use your cleverness to rubbish Tchaikowsky's music because he is said to have deliberately drunk polluted water so he would contract typhus.

    I could find you other examples but I won't stretch your mind.

    Before venturing into philosophy, try getting a decent education as a foundation. Try a few subjects that require the application of intelligence as opposed to rote learning. I cannot guarantee you will succeed .
     
  19. Myles Registered Senior Member

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    I'm afraid you will make the same mistakes next time around and the time after that.

    Look at yourself and tell me you are not a wimp.

    You regard boredom as suffering and continue to do so after I have pointed out some of the real suffering in the world.

    You want a cast-iron guarantee that any medical treatment you are offered will be 100% successful. What an idiot ! What are you going to do if you are unlucky enough to contract a serious illness ? Refuse treatment and allow your condition to deteriorate until you have your guarantee. So much for the wisdom of the East if you are an example of its influence.


    What could be improved ? Your attitude but I cannot see that happening because your thinking is in a rut. You have put yourself beyond reason.

    You are a bit more bold than usual because you have some company. That makes you right, of course, just as the peole who believed the earth was flat were right. Safety in numbers ?
     
  20. Myles Registered Senior Member

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    Can you manage a sentence or two without using expletives. To be unable to do so is possibly a sign that you are verbally challenged.

    Thanks for your solicitude but I can lok after my own ass. The children on here pose no threat.
     
  21. Myles Registered Senior Member

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    I wish I could have summed my position up as well as you have done. Thanks, and I mean that sincerely.

    Don't worry about Britney. When she tires of Hinduism, she will have Buddhism in all its varieties available to her. It's a case of old wine in new bottles but I doubt she'll notice. Don't forget that Jesus is waiting just around the corner.
     
  22. Gustav Banned Banned

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    anglo american/continental/arabic philosophies

    you lump under western wisdom
    that will be your undoing
    gird yourself. it will be bloody
    i promise
     
  23. Gustav Banned Banned

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    12,575

    i have a vocabulary, several orders of magnitude greater than the next most literate member in dumbfucksci. i being the first! i know this.

    /sneer
     

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