I guess I should proceed and do what the forum subject says / indicates, and introduce myself to the community. :p

I think most of what and who I am is expound in my profile in a (not-so-)short biography.

For those who are too lazy, or as I prefer to put it, uninspired to take a look over there, I am a 19 year old student from (well, I'm technically still in) South Africa. I have a particular interest in philosophy, and specifically Continental Philosophy and the giants such as Descartes, Hegel, Kant, and the other significant thinkers such as Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Sartre and Marx.

I decided, or I was looking, rather, for a forum to join which would enable me to discuss philosophy because I am currently knee-deep in the subject matter. I am taking Philosophy: An Introduction to Continental Philosophy this semester (first half of 2007) and am doing some extra reading.

I have always been interested in Existentialist thought and started reading up on Kierkegaard, but as I had always suspected / known and saw in practice, philosophy and philosophers do not function / exist (did not exist? :p) in a void. Within the first few chapters of "The Arguments of Philosophers: Kierkegaard," by Alastair Hannay (19: 1982) Kierkegaard is described as an "unhappy consciousness" and although the author sets out to, adequately, describe Hegel's label I could not help but want to know more about Hegel and his philosophy. So I, somewhat reluctantly but also enthusiastically, abandoned Kierkegaard and am now reading "Phenomenology of Spirit [Mind]." And I guess one could say that it is this work that inspired me to look for a discussion forum.

It is an intense piece, to say the least, and I would like to discuss it with someone (if any willing exist) as I progress through it. I am, however, still currently stuck in the first paragraph of A. Consciousness, I. Sense-Certainty.

I am reading it in English (Hegel, 1979 [1807]) although I can speak, read and write German (among other languages).

Well, I hope that my stay here would be pleasant and I am looking forward to becoming a part of this community.

Regards,

- Marius

References:

Hannay, A. 1982. The Arguments of Philosophers: Kierkegaard. Routledge & Kegan Ltd: London.

Hegel, G. W. F. 1979 [1807]. A. V. Miller (Translator). Phenomenology of Spirit. Oxford University Press.