I wanted to say hello and mention why I joined this forum. Last summer I started to read philosophy for recreation. I don't have any ambition of becoming a professional or making a contribution to the field, but I do take my study seriously. The philosophical problems that I know about seem to be important, and I hope to come to my own view on them some day.

I am starting from the beginning, and am reading what seems o be a basic book, The Problems of Philosophy, by B. Russell. Parts of this book are understandable and interesting, but others are incomprehensible and frustrating. I may never understand this book, and a study of philosophy for recreation may not be turn to be fruitful for me. But I believe it might be that, even as an introductory book, it is difficult to fully understand without a teacher. I'm not reading Russell's book as part of a class, and I don't know anyone whose understands philosophy. So I decided it may help me to post some questions on this forum. I look forward to what will come of it!