Do you all think that the act of discussing and/or debating on a philosophical level can become futile in the long run? We are all on a search for enlightment (I would hope so), and this search leads us towards other like-minded individuals in order to discover the knowledge we have acquired. But can constant discussion lead us nowhere?
i’m not convinced that anything can lead to nowhere. i mean, everywhere is somewhere. that will be pretty freaking amazing if nowhere can be created through discussion.
everything begins with an idea. my college program is focused on looking at exactly that relationship. rebellions, for example, all had well-known and pre-established goals (usually expressed by repected philosophical thinkers) that were enacted by other members of the society. in general, ideas drive everything.
i suppose things get messy on a smaller scale, when one person can figure out, in theory, the best way to allocate money to the poor but in practice the program crubbles, if enacted at all. ideas are like this. what we discuss now, what we figure out now, may never be enacted or may be irrelevant when they can come to fruition.
this doesn’t mean that these ideas are not important. it means that it is more important on us to get these ideas heard – and if no one will listen, to write them down for future generations. think of all the philosophers who recieved no notice during their life, but made a huge impact after their deat (neitzsche is an example).
ideas will always live on and effect change when the times are ready. we need to be sure that the ideas are available when such times come into being.
Okay Trix, I could always depend on you to put me back into perspective and remind me to watch in which way I word things. Speaking only in the small scale, can these subjects actually lead us to higher wisdom? In the six months or so since I’ve been on this website I feel like it has helped me a lot. But lately I’ve been getting on (besides my military obligations that have probably contributed to this) and not caring too much for deep philosophical pondering. And that bugs me.
Is it possible that my interest for expanding my mind is leaving me or is it that I must have discussed all there is to discuss. Which I doubt, I’m only 23.
Point taken rather smoothly[pun intended]
Wittgenstein said something similiar once and got a good laugh. To disregard anything I say when I say my philosophy. Funny, its hard for a skeptical linguist to say anything at all, eh?
You know what I’ve noticed, Smooth, is that if and when someone participates long enough to establish an “internet” relationship with someone else, there will inevitably come a time where they sit motionless on their agreements, and ignore their disagreements. I believe this is precisely because a pair will argue during a period in which they get to know each other, but instead of concluding it they abandon it. This, my friend, is not because we cannot agree with each other indefinitely, but rather that we have failed in communication. It is a price to pay for internet philosophy.
How does someone define a word with more words? I’m shit out of luck if I want to know what something means without the use of words…I can “think” it, but in order to communicate it without it being ambiguous i.e., more words, the term couldn’t just be a proximity. It would have to be precise.
Now take an entire sentence and for every word that the sentence progresses, loose just a tad of accuracy and meaning.
The price to pay to talk.
[sigh]
If only we were computers. If there were a syntax error, the program would stop. With human language we tend to go on and on regardless of any coherency.
Ah, its good to be alive.
Oh my God Smooth, a black hole is opening in the ILP matrix, we are actually going nowhere, oh no, it’s worse than that, we’re not actually headed anywhere. 
You give me hope my friend.
I remember about a month or so ago, thinking something similiar. It was like I just wasn’t connecting or something. It’ll pass, probably just sun spots or something.
smooth:
i think it just indicates that you’re getting bored/too comfortable with you present philosophic outlook. try exploring different perspectives, like reading other books, etc.
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So many books!
So little time…
if you want to look at it: ALL CONVERSATION IS POINTLESS!!! WE JUST PING BACK AND FORTH OVER AND OVER AGAIN. no…no i don’t think so. i like talking myself about philosophy and as long as ther is new ideas it’ll never get boring.
My philosophical brothers have spoken truly. Variety, in philosophy as well as life, is not only a spice, it is an essential ingredient.
Does that include women?
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I guess my mental stasis is getting to me. I should explore more venues of thought, but like Marshall said, so many books… so little time. Which is why I log on this forum religiously. I learn more and more everytime. I could sit down now and talk about Nietzche (spell check please) to anybody without being lost. But have a read anything he’s written? Nope. Only through these posts.
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When man ceases to look into the boundless heavens. When man stops working toward a better future, or thinking, or taking into account his fellow man. When man lacks a goal and simply lives for the moment. That will be the day of the hollow men, the last men, the men who could, but would’nt. That will be the day that philosophy will die, and with it, man.