I am an active member of the forum for about two days now and, naturally, the next question popped up while pondering about it as a whole: do we ever really find definitive answers to the topics we post ? Invariably, one posts a new topic when he has something on his mind that bothers him, or wants to know other people’s opinion about it; but are we ever pleased with what we get ?
There are two points of view here:
Is the utilitarian. From this perspective, a thread is a complete structure only when all dissensions mold into an unanimous agreement, so that every person (or at least the majority) who took part to the discussion remains satisfied with the conclusions drawn. This way, conversations acquire the shape of synods of the Church, where the high-ranking clergy discuss incessantly, until they come up with a solution, which remains nailed to the dogmatic wall until, maybe, the next synod. Finality is the main word here. Otherwise, if threads remain open all the time, and no final line is drawn, the whole thing becomes useless and we have all just wasted our time, because nothing has changed, and everyone sticks to the same ideas as before.
Is a more rhapsodical approach, and counts exactly on this dynamic perceival - that there is nothing more to gain than leaving the subject always open for interpretation. It centers on the openness of the subject and consists chiefly of categories of thinkers posting their opinions, leaving the readers to chose which is more suitable to their expectations. This has a lot of advantages, although of a more subtle nature. Favouring a certain liberalism and open-mindness, not forgetting that it is also an excellent tool for young upbearers to sharpen their reasoning weapons.
In conclusion, the question arises : can the forum be of any real use to philosophy, or it is just a rifle range for mid-class intelectuals ?
I believe this to be an interesting topic, because it stimulates meditation.
When thinking about the actual importance of your work on the forum, remember this : you are Caliban looking in the mirror.
I am eager to hear the reaction.
Perhaps ILP is nothing more than just a rifle-range for those who think. Let us assume it is: now the question becomes:
“Is this a legitimate or even worthwhile activity for us philosophers to partake of?”
I’d argue that it is in fact a worthwhile activity. The true philosopher must be the first to admit that his intellectual endevours rarely (if at all) provide him with any “definitive” answers. This is simply something we must accept. We should not let it discourage us to the point that we do away with thinking philosophically all together.
It is true that many of us post new threads just to get others opions on it. But, is this not also a form of philosophizing (if that’s even a word… )? I post a new thread to hear the views of other people. Listening and seeing how other people view the topic allows me to “broaden my horizon”. It gives me the ability to “think outside of the world of BMW-Guy”.
And, sometimes, we are together able to come to a conclusion we all agree on.
Most probably, we will not have the oportunity to read the ideas of a new "Critique of Pure Reason " on the forum, to come across a new and exciting philosophical system that will shake philosophy from is foundation (although… who knows ?), but we may assist the birth of a new Kant or Kierkegaard, rising among his posts, emanating from his threads, discussing matters of existentialism with intelectuals from all around the world and thus broadening his spirit.
After all, what better catalist for one’s own thoughts, than liberal discussions ?
And in that sense, I guess that it doesn’t even matter that discussions are left with no strict conclusion.
Exactly. And, it is to my opinion that no true philosopher can never “remain completely solo” forever. He must take his thought to the next level. And usually, the only way he can do this is by being philosophically motivated/stimulated by other philosophers.
It can be compared to a Christian attending Church. Church is not a requirement to be saved, but no true Christian will not want to spend time in fellowship with other people of like mind.
I would add that the best of discourse in the forums is stimulating questions. We all have the correct answers for any given subject in a particular moment in time, but on occasion, we may have failed to ask the right questions… Another’s ‘answers’ may be my questions - a way of seeing that I may have missed or never thought of in the first place.
I think it’s largely a tool of explorative learning. I’d take the 1st stance in that you only reach a good thread if everyone involved is satisfied with the conclusions reached, even if they are to differ.
“…it seemed to me that I could learn find more truth in the reasonings that each person makes concerning matters that are important to him, and whose outcome ought to cost him dearly later on if he has judged badly, than in those reasonings engaged in by a man of letters in his study, which touch on speculations that produce no effect and are of no other consequence to him except perhaps that, the more they are removed from common sense, the more pride he will take in them, for he will have to employ that much more wit and ingenuity in attempting to render them plausible.”
I had my copy of Descartes’s Discourse on Method handy.
Basically, he says we don’t invest anything in what we write here, so it can not affect us. Logically then, this is all just for fun.
I definitately agree with this. A thread is no fun if the question has already been asked a gazillion times in the past month. And it is no beter if the question’s answer is so obveous that it leaves everyone with virtually no room to differ.
I think that if you were able to do a kind of factorial analysis of every thread on the site you could make some interesting conclusions. I also believe that if an alien mind could read it then they would be able to tell us a lot about ourselves.
If we were ever to say; “alright, well we figured that out” would we be satisfied in doing so? I think what makes all of you thrive (my mind is still in the ripening process) is that no one is necessarily looking for the distinguishable answers, rather, yet another idea to present everyone with and to be able to build upon that.
Whether that has any bearing upon it all, I find it simply wonderful that this has come up, and trying to decide whether or not we are to come to a “definitive” answer is indeed pleasing
)? I post a new thread to hear the views of other people. Listening and seeing how other people view the topic allows me to “broaden my horizon”. It gives me the ability to “think outside of the world of BMW-Guy”.