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I seem to be struggling with something in my head right now that I cannot get over. I am very interested in philosophy and I hope that I may be able to create a future for myself in it. Problem is that education keeps getting in the way. My question is this. How far will I get by independently learning about philosophy? Is college a necessity? I guess what im trying to get at is that right now all I have is an amazing passion for philosophy but I don't know if that is enough. :brickwall:
I seem to be struggling with something in my head right now that I cannot get over. I am very interested in philosophy and I hope that I may be able to create a future for myself in it. Problem is that education keeps getting in the way. My question is this. How far will I get by independently learning about philosophy? Is college a necessity? I guess what im trying to get at is that right now all I have is an amazing passion for philosophy but I don't know if that is enough. :brickwall:
Passion is a good start...If you do it well you will do it often, for no one does often what they do not do well as they cannot enjoy it, and and if they do enjoy it, to this they will give they will give the chief of all their days... You would have to be me to try so often what is unknown to be so often met with failure, and still, there are many things I can do even if I could not make my living at them..
Passion may be a good start, but it is nothing to keep running on. Sooner or later you have to get down to learning stuff, and you may find some of it not so passionate, like propositional logic. Since, trying to philosophize without knowing logic is like trying to row a boat without without oars.
I think you'll find this thread relevant:
http://www.philosophyforum.com/lounge/general-discussion/8375-formal-education-philosophy.html
My question is, what do you think your passion might not be "enough" for? What kind of future are you talking about?
Are you trying to learn?
Or are you trying to teach?
Are you trying to be fulfilled?
Or are you trying to fulfil others?
People trust doctors more than shamans.
If one wants to be a lover of knowledge forget being a logician, and consider a rational sampling of all that is known...I either had to live in the library or make my home a library...I chose the later, and I still have my library card...You will never know what you need to know until you need it and don't know it...
I am talking about a future where I may bring a child into the world and have him/her go to school, have clothes to wear, and food to eat. I want to own a house of my own as well. But after experiencing philosophy I cannot imagine myself doing anything else.
---------- Post added 04-21-2010 at 07:58 PM ----------
I want to fulfill myself and hopefully others as well (not necessarily teach them).
My advice to you is to get married, and if you find a good philosopher you will be happy, and if not then you will become a philosopher.
I really have no idea what any of this means. I imagine you think you do, though.
My advice to you is to get married, and if you find a good philosopher you will be happy, and if not then you will become a philosopher.
The object of philosophy and the proof of philosophy is a well lived life... Look at how many philosophers have lived down right lonely and miserable lives...They're lives were big failures like most of their philosophies; but look at all the happy people who can enjoy family life, and take the good with the bad....Is it possible that their lives were not the result of a good personal philosophy???
---------- Post added 04-21-2010 at 10:47 PM ----------
If you are not happy before getting married, you will not be happy after...Marriage is a cure of sorts for loneliness, not for mental illness or any other misery... It takes good health, mental and physical to maintain a relationship... Love is not for the weak in body or will....It is often a test of both...
---------- Post added 04-21-2010 at 10:54 PM ----------
For you, I will try to explain...If you want to know, learn...Logic without knowledge is more GIGO... Logic works in the physical world...In the moral world where many live, the world work when people act illogically, and it is for that reason that virtue cannot be taught... When something is taught, it is the logic of it which is taught...There may be a logic to morals, such as social survival, but when individual survival is logical, and nothing can be logical without life, then social survival, whether it be moral or not cannot be logical...
Your quote [If you are not happy before getting married, you will not be happy after...Marriage is a cure of sorts for loneliness, not for mental illness or any other misery... It takes good health, mental and physical to maintain a relationship... Love is not for the weak in body or will....It is often a test of both...]
This does seem to be reasonable to a point. My health is not the best as I do have a problem that I have never seen before. My wife seems to be crazy but dont they all. LOL We are all very different than each other and that seems to me to be our greatest challenge. Both my grand parents were married for life but from what I understand it was not without great problems. Next month will be 26 years for me and my wife. This may seem as a crazy philosophy but any ways the question is if your kids thought differently than you would you stop claiming them? What if after time you see that you and your wife do not share the same thoughts would you stop claiming her?:detective:
The object of philosophy and the proof of philosophy is a well lived life... Look at how many philosophers have lived down right lonely and miserable lives...They're lives were big failures like most of their philosophies; but look at all the happy people who can enjoy family life, and take the good with the bad....Is it possible that their lives were not the result of a good personal philosophy???
I would like to point out a certain philosopher in history maybe you have heard of him. Does the name Baruch Spinoza ring any bells? This man was banished from all human contact and had the wrath of god thrust upon him and like you said he lived out his days miserable and alone. How is it that he became arguably one of the top 2 or 3 greatest writers to appear in the European tradition since the time of the Greeks?:a-thought: