And here we are all dandy and candy, toiling over meta thoughts and dead dutch people's writings. Do all these serve a purpose?

Or is it a luxury we indulge in, so as to blind ourselves from what we could actually do that would make a difference?

Philosophy as a rational investigation of existence, ethics and beliefs is quite fine with me. But as I see the real world around me I doubt if it will ever serve a noble purpose.

Pardon my pessimism, but I have just been to a mud-house in a village in Bihar,India. The house had a floor area of not more than 3 square meters. And in those 3 square meters a family of seven including 3 grandparents and 2 children lived. The village had about a hundred houses all that size, some even smaller. Those houses don't have any bathroom's, all natural calls are answered in the surrounding fields. My one bathroom alone is bigger than their entire home.

I am told half the world lives on less than $2 per day. More than a million live on less than a $1 a day. The only real question asked by half the world is, where do I get my next meal? How do we get our next meal?

And here we are all dandy and candy, toiling over meta thoughts and dead dutch people's writings. Do all these serve a purpose?

Or is it a luxury we indulge in, so as to blind ourselves from what we could actually do that would make a difference?

Philosophy as a rational investigation of existence, ethics and beliefs is quite fine with me. But as I see the real world around me I doubt if it will ever serve a noble purpose.

Pardon my pessimism, but I have just been to a mud-house in a village in Bihar,India. The house had a floor area of not more than 3 square meters. And in those 3 square meters a family of seven including 3 grandparents and 2 children lived. The village had about a hundred houses all that size, some even smaller. Those houses don't have any bathroom's, all natural calls are answered in the surrounding fields. My one bathroom alone is bigger than their entire home.

I am told half the world lives on less than $2 per day. More than a million live on less than a $1 a day. The only real question asked by half the world is, where do I get my next meal? How do we get our next meal?

And here we are all dandy and candy, toiling over meta thoughts and dead dutch people's writings. Do all these serve a purpose?

Or is it a luxury we indulge in, so as to blind ourselves from what we could actually do that would make a difference?

Or is it a luxury we indulge in, so as to blind ourselves from what we could actually do that would make a difference?

I've thought about this to many times. What do we achieve by thinking? From the children who have nothing, who work to build the houses we live in to make a little bit of bread. Us philosophers, we live in these houses and... Think. someone has to do it. Some people find it interesting, some people don't. Joes and Jims.

Think about this.... Celebrities get paid just to run around and act dumb as ****, hence, "Reality T.V". Are they helping the children in India? The kids living on the sidewalk? Nope. They entertain those who have a TV, and like to gossip, and find security in seeing that celebreties **** up, just as everyday people do. Philosophers are needed for peoples comfort, just as the entire entertainment business is. Philosophers don't just "Wonder". They create most of the ideas and concepts we have today. Most of the quotes, most of the guidelines, most of the psychological findings, yada yada. They understand human behavior, for the most part. Some apply logic to things. Some apply intuition. Some apply critical thinking. Philosophers don't just sit around and wonder comfortably all day, I know I don't.

I live in an apartment. I have advanced classes, and I have about 4 hours of homework a day, plus sports and musical extra curricular. I don't sit down in my magnificent red robe when I get home, take out a big cigar and just "Think about meta-stuff." I think about this in my spare time, and even when I'm forced to do the things of every-day life. Without philosophers, I have no doubt that the world would be guided to do the effective things that they do. Now, I like to think about whether the world is real or not. That's just fun. But things like ethics, logic, law, science (etc...) counts in the real life. Very, very, VERY indirectly, we help society as a whole.

What magnificent red robe are you referring to? Mine is a royal purple. That's higher than red, you know.

Philosophers create most of the ideas and concepts we have today.

No they don't, they just articulate them. Philosophers are reflections of society -- they do not create society.

Philosophy is not a luxury of the rich. In fact, it seems the richer or poorer people get, the less that philosophy matters. Rich people have the comfort of lots of money to not concern themselves with philosophical questions and poor people lack the comfort and necessities that are required to reflect on these questions. Of course, this is just a generalization to make a point, and that there are many exceptions in many different societies. But in general, philosophy only matters to those who have their needs met, but do not have an overabundance of comfort.

Certainly not. Only the very best of society.

really -- Heidegger represented the very best of society? A Hitler-fawning Nazi who turned Jews into the police?

Nietzsche, an insane mysogynist represented the best of society?

Plato who advocated slavery and taking children from their mothers (at least as he wrote in the Republic) represented the best of society?

Come on. Just because someone has the verbal moxy to write philosophy doesn't make them good or bad.

I meant, of course, those I hang with.

what's one thing we can do to make a difference?

No they don't, they just articulate them. Philosophers are reflections of society -- they do not create society.

... Heidegger....Nietzsche, ....Plato ....

Some people are poor because philosophy or art gives them so much pleasure that they forget to seek the traditional means of happiness. But they generally have food and shelter, and this is only poverty in a rich place like America.

I think philosophers reflect on society in a way that pleases them(the philosopher). They are not necessarily reflections of society.

What from the gibbet?

I would tell the whole world, if I knew a universal answer. But as I look around me, I do see what I can do to make small differences.I don't think I can answer for everyone.

Nevertheless, the above question you asked was my point. This is a "what" question, that has higher precedence over all the "why" questions asked by philosophers(IMO). In our process to answer your question, I feel most of our questions regarding our existence and thoughts are automatically answered. When we get our hands and feet dirty and actually go down into a society and work for it, amongst its lesser privileged, I believe many of our questions regarding "meaning of life", "why this, and why not" cease to exist. For purpose lies there, and not in a heavily caffeinated mind.






I think philosophers reflect on society in a way that pleases them(the philosopher). They are not necessarily reflections of society.



:sarcastic:. By world standards, if they have food and shelter, they are NOT poor. And food and shelter are not means of happiness. I am sure we can agree on that.