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Howdy do from an almost-undergraduate :)

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Well,
I decided to use the wonders of google to find a philosophy forum and I am very pleased that this one came up and I look forward to reading and posting in the forums.

Just as a quick introduction, I am an 18 year old gap-year student. I plan on travelling this year before starting my philosophy degree next year.
I cannot wait to start my degree. Although only 18 and so not very experienced in much I hope that I will be able to give some good input to some of the threads on this site and I look forward to learning from you all.

I have a philosophy exam to sit in January on the Philosophy of Mind - a topic that I am incredibly interested in and since my college teachings finished I seem to have stopped finding out more about the subject because I just don't know where to start!

So in a very brief nutshell, that is an introduction to me and I hope to be hearing from you all in the near future!

Spoons.

@Spoons phil,

"Mind" seems to be a hot topic now in the groves of academe, and a lot is being written about it. I am sure you will find the Philosophy of Mind forum of great interest and help in directing your reading and thinking.
I hope, though, that you will also join in discussions in other philosophical areas and thus both increase your knowledge of general philosophy, and by contributing, exercise your thinking and writing skills.
I hope you will make friends with the many undergraduates who are Members here.
Welcome to Philforum!
Regards,
John

@jgweed,

jgweed;98583 wrote:

I hope, though, that you will also join in discussions in other philosophical areas and thus both increase your knowledge of general philosophy, and by contributing, exercise your thinking and writing skills.

Definitely.
This year as well as doing all the gap year funnage I've also started to broaden my areas of knowledge in philosophy so I have more of an all rounded base rather than just based around the philosophy of mind and Descartes.

So excited to start studying philosophy and I'm sure this forum will help me become even more intrigued and enthused by the subject Smile

:bigsmile:

@Spoons phil,

Welcome to the forum!! There are tons of topics about the mind, and you can start your own too!!

@Zacrates,

Zacrates;98642 wrote:

Welcome to the forum!! There are tons of topics about the mind, and you can start your own too!!

Though he shouldn't. The level of the discussion is so low that he ought not to add more low-level discussion to it. Instead he ought to read some philosophy of the mind and then start posting. Most people here seem to do it the other way around: Posting and talking without having a clue. Discussion is not the best way to learn; Reading is.

Anyway. Hello Newcomer. If you have questions about logic and reasoning, hop over to the logic forum. I'm sure there are a few of us over there that are able to help you out. (Though don't expect us to do your homework for you!)

Smile

@Emil,

Emil;98750 wrote:

Though he shouldn't. The level of the discussion is so low that he ought not to add more low-level discussion to it. Instead he ought to read some philosophy of the mind and then start posting. Most people here seem to do it the other way around: Posting and talking without having a clue. Discussion is not the best way to learn; Reading is.

Anyway. Hello Newcomer. If you have questions about logic and reasoning, hop over to the logic forum. I'm sure there are a few of us over there that are able to help you out. (Though don't expect us to do your homework for you!)

It is better to have some background in what you are discussing. You would not expect to discuss successfully on a physics site without knowing any physics, so why would expect to discuss successfully on a philosophy site without knowing any philosophy?

@kennethamy,

kennethamy;98755 wrote:

It is better to have some background in what you are discussing. You would not expect to discuss successfully on a physics site without knowing any physics, so why would expect to discuss successfully on a philosophy site without knowing any philosophy?

I agree. People seem to think that no background knowledge of philosophy is needed.

@Emil,

No background in philosophy is needed in order to have a productive, enlightening conversation about philosophy - especially on this forum. We are all here to learn something. Learning is the driving purpose of this forum.

What library did Thales use before he began to discuss philosophy? None, yet his contribution to the subject is beyond serious doubt.

At philosophy forum, we welcome people of all levels of education, and people without any education or background in philosophy. All you need here is an interest, a desire to contribute to the community of discussion.

Spoons - we're very glad to have you. I look forward to reading your posts. Man, 18 years old, that wasn't long ago for me. College is a great time, a real blast.

@Spoons phil,

While some reading in the philosophic tradition is as useful as some level of formal education in the subject, it is by no means a prerequisite for participation in Philforum. There is a difference between learning philosophy and doing philosophy, and the latter is open to anyone willing to provoke his own thinking and framing his responses in a clear, careful, and distinct manner, providing rational argumentation for a position or idea.

What makes Philforum unique is that it attempts to provide a "clearing" for discussion between "professional" philosophers and an interested general audience as well as a "training ground" where one can both learn the tradition and attempt, by communication of thoughts, improve the ability to think in a philosophical manner. And this without intellectual violence or personal insults.

What is needed, to echo Heidegger, in this age when everyone has "thoughts" about everything under the sun, is to encourage genuine, articulate, and philosophical thinking about significant questions perennial to mankind.

What is also needed is a place where "beginners" whether students or individuals, can both learn the tradition and practice the skills of philosophic discourse and thinking through discussion, argumentation (in the best sense of the word), and debate about ideas.

I take this to be the import of this forum's Mission Statement; it is certainly the reason for my being here.

@jgweed,

Welcome to the forum Spoons. I'm in the same vote as you, and I've found this forum to be a great learning experience, and a place to make friends.

I don't see why philosophical background is required. We all have to start somewhere, right?

This reminds me of an interview of Elie Wiesel. (go to minute 3:20 to see the part I mean)

Wiesel was a survivor of the holocaust, and won the nobel peace prize due to his influential writings. I think he shows a good example of how a philosophical background cannot simply be in books, and learning.

@jgweed,

jgweed;98779 wrote:

While some reading in the philosophic tradition is as useful as some level of formal education in the subject, it is by no means a prerequisite for participation in Philforum. There is a difference between learning philosophy and doing philosophy.

There is also a difference between learning physics and doing physics. But you can't do physics without knowing some physics. Of course, you can discuss physics without knowing any physics. In case you think that's worth doing. And, of course, only if someone else thinks that's worth doing. But, I agree discussion on an internet site does make some difference in what is expected. And no one is obligated to reply to anyone, or even bother to read what anyone posts.

@Spoons phil,

Welcome to philforum! I'm new myself and I'm already having a wonderful time. You'll find all sorts of stimulating debates and discussions here. Hope our minds meet in the same thread sometime.

-James

@Spoons phil,

Don't worry spoons...I've formally studied some philosophy at this point, and I just feel dumber than I used to. The more philosophy you read, the more confused you become. :bigsmile:

Just stick to what you definitely know, strive to know what you don't know, and don't rely on an authority unless they can back up what they say with ample evidence and logical reasoning. That's the best you can do...

@Spoons phil,

Spoons.;98587 wrote:

Definitely.
This year as well as doing all the gap year funnage I've also started to broaden my areas of knowledge in philosophy so I have more of an all rounded base rather than just based around the philosophy of mind and Descartes.

So excited to start studying philosophy and I'm sure this forum will help me become even more intrigued and enthused by the subject

:bigsmile:

Descartes is really someone good to discuss. He made all the very best mistakes, and you can learn a lot about philosophy finding them, and trying to say what it was that Descartes believed that caused him to make those mistakes. For example, why did he believe that unless it is impossible for you to be mistaken, you cannot know?

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