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Albert Camus
 
Reply Mon 27 Apr, 2009 09:30 pm
So I have been thinking how I really want to learn much, much more about Existentialism but I am starting to realized that I probably need some "basic" understanding of Philosophy, so I am asking for any websites (please no books I cannot get books) that would serve as basics for someone looking into philosophy in general?
 
Catchabula
 
Reply Mon 27 Apr, 2009 10:22 pm
@Albert Camus,
What do you mean by "I cannot get books" ??
 
validity
 
Reply Mon 27 Apr, 2009 10:30 pm
@Albert Camus,
Philosophy Talk

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
 
jgweed
 
Reply Tue 28 Apr, 2009 06:37 am
@Albert Camus,
It can be said not without with some degree of truth that what philosophy IS can be found in what philosophers have written. Much of the philosophical tradition is accessible on-line at such places as Project Gutenburg or the Internet Public Library. There are also all sorts of Internet sites devoted to important philosophers;following the links found there will provide further reading.
The Meta-Encyclopedia of Philosophy provides a quick reference to individual philosophers and technical terms.

On the other hand, because of certain positions held by many "existentialists," much of their writing is addressed to a general audience and thus presupposes only a very general knowledge of prior theories. The novel, the play, the short essay, the public lecture are all seen as legitimate means to communicate philosophical ideas. One could arrive at a very good, or at least adequate, understanding of Existentialism by reading these.
 
gojo1978
 
Reply Tue 28 Apr, 2009 09:03 am
@Albert Camus,
Well, I would recommend a couple of good books, but you've said, oddly, that you can't get those... so, anyway, look online for stuff by Mary Warnock. I was having a hell of a time trying to get my head around Sartre, and I found a couple of books by her were extremely helpful in de-mumbo jumbo-ing his writings, put it in much more reader-friendly terminology and made it a lot easier to understand.


For the record, the books were 'Existentialism' and 'The Philosophy of Sartre'.
 
Albert Camus
 
Reply Tue 28 Apr, 2009 03:02 pm
@Albert Camus,
To explain the book situation, I should say that I live in a strict Christian home, my dad won't even let me read the old psychology books he has laying around. Pretty much it would be viewed as a corruption of my mind.
 
gojo1978
 
Reply Tue 28 Apr, 2009 03:09 pm
@Albert Camus,
Albert Camus wrote:
To explain the book situation, I should say that I live in a strict Christian home, my dad won't even let me read the old psychology books he has laying around. Pretty much it would be viewed as a corruption of my mind.


Dear lord..... very typical christian open-mindedness, that. Are you at school or what? Don't you have somewhere you could hide them, a locker some place or something?

Well, as I said, look for stuff by Mary Warnock, should be helpful. :a-ok:
 
de Silentio
 
Reply Tue 28 Apr, 2009 07:11 pm
@Albert Camus,
Albert Camus wrote:
To explain the book situation, I should say that I live in a strict Christian home, my dad won't even let me read the old psychology books he has laying around. Pretty much it would be viewed as a corruption of my mind.


Try reading Kierkegaard. He is a Christian Existentialist, your father should aprove of that.

As for sites:

Philosophy Pages

Kierkegaard, D. Anthony Storm's Commentary on (Background material on Kierkegaard's works)
 
jgweed
 
Reply Wed 29 Apr, 2009 05:31 am
@Albert Camus,
Sartre writes somewhere that the "fear of truth is the fear of freedom."

In addition using the original sources and on-line encyclopedias and dictionaries that have been mentioned, you could easily begin philosophical studies by acquainting yourself with "existentialism" and the major philosophers that have been grouped in that school (most of them, being independent thinkers, would avoid the label). By researching philosophical terms and philosophers with which you are unfamiliar you could increase your knowledge of philosophy.

While I have some reservations about some of the content, a very good general introduction to existentialist thinking can be found at The Existential Primer:
Existential Primer: Home Page

Following the links within the text and reading the discussions of philosophical positions may provide a point of departure for your own thinking.
 
kennethamy
 
Reply Wed 29 Apr, 2009 10:22 am
@Albert Camus,
Albert Camus wrote:
To explain the book situation, I should say that I live in a strict Christian home, my dad won't even let me read the old psychology books he has laying around. Pretty much it would be viewed as a corruption of my mind.


It is not hard to get hold of basic texts in philosophy on the internet. But for the newcomer, basic guidance is needed to understand the text. But, anyway. I would recommend some of the "Socratic" dialogues of Plato, like, the Apology, the Euthyphro, and the Crito, to begin with. You might then go on to read Descartes's famous, Meditations on First Philosophy which has been so influential and important to the theory of knowledge.

Go to,

www. Main Page - Gutenberg

For philosophy texts. You should find the Plato and Descartes on there.

You should also become acquainted with the basics of logic and critical thinking. There are logic sites and critical thinking sites on the internet. For example,

D-Ed Reckoning: Some Critical Thinking Skills Are Critical

Good luck. And ask questions. People will be glad to answer them.

Also, try

FRDB - Powered by vBulletin
 
Catchabula
 
Reply Wed 29 Apr, 2009 11:28 am
@gojo1978,
gojo1978 wrote:
Dear lord..... very typical christian open-mindedness, that. Are you at school or what? Don't you have somewhere you could hide them, a locker some place or something?


Albert, perhaps you could read that interesting novel called "Fahrenheit 451" by a certain Ray Bradbury. There must be some places in the house where you can hide a few of those most dangerous objects called books? Perhaps take a brick out of the wall, or find a loose plank in the floor? I'm truly flabbergasted again! This is the 21st century no? You cannot get books?? This horror is worth a thread on itself!
 
Labyrinth
 
Reply Wed 3 Jun, 2009 11:35 pm
@Albert Camus,
Albert Camus;60408 wrote:
To explain the book situation, I should say that I live in a strict Christian home, my dad won't even let me read the old psychology books he has laying around. Pretty much it would be viewed as a corruption of my mind.


What if a book is written by a philosopher who is Christian? If that's allowed, how about going over someone like Thomas Hobbes or John Locke until you get out of the house? How cruel of him to leave the forbidden books in full view!
 
meditationyoga
 
Reply Fri 19 Jun, 2009 06:48 pm
@Albert Camus,
Websites are useless man. It is like seeing a preview of a movie and hoping to get the whole movie.

Existentialism is a school of thought in it's own. Not really basic Philosophy. They are kind of seperate.

You won't get anything off the net. It is best to go dig into all of Plato's works to start. "Being and Nothingness" by Sartre is the Existential text, but much to hard to read if you don't know a great deal about the subject.
 
 

 
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