My thesis for this thread:[/b] You’re probably really fucked-up right now-even as you read this. As a modern-day philosopher you may have been initially introduced to the discipline of philosophy through an altered state of consciousness brought about by art, involuntary chemistry, through mind-altering drugs or just an undeniable urge to escape.
I think part of the essential footprint of a philosopher is an urge to escape.
I don’t know if it genetic, but we live in an age is everything, and I say everything including my aunt’s teacup is genetically suspect. But no I am not high right now, and it is not the high that brought on the desire to study philosophy, au contraire it was the low. That’s right the low. I always felt he bible inspirational, and when the preacher raised his good book and preached the return to the garden, I really tryied to find out how I can do it, to at least get a glimpse, as to, whether it looked like it was made out to be. However the deeper I dug in the bible, the less prophetic I got about being able to literally walk there. I really didn’t want to stay there, because I was still young, but I was curious.
Philosophy wasn’t a long stretch from there, and I thought maybe this time I will get it. So here I am, still trying to get back, (like beatles sang) and sometimes I feel I am back. But back where?
So everybody let’s get stoned? How does that feel? (Now that your on your own?)
I have met incredibly few people who use drugs to “escape” - maybe with the exception of downers (and I use this broad term, as it encompass everything from opioids to alcohol, tranquilizers to muscle relaxers, pain killers to sleeping pills)…
But certainly mind enhancing drugs - psychedelics, entheogens, phenethlyamines, trypitamines and the like, most people seem to use drugs to enhance reality, not to escape from it.
As to the last time I got high - I’ll plead the 5th
Well enhancing reality IS a form of escapism. When one takes those types of drugs, what is one doing if not escaping from boredom and from the mundane ?
Being high as an escape is like the worst old folk psychology bit I’ve heard in a while bill. I’m high all the time. For real all day every day. Its not an escape. I just do it because it feels good. I’ve gone nowhere. I’m still here. Escape what?
When was the last time you let go of the crutch of self righteousness of sobriety? Are you afraid to face your mind if it were unfettered by your own presumptions? Don’t be so shallow dude.
Hmm… If this were the Colbert Report’s “Tip of the hat, wag of the finger” section, you’d get a wag of the finger.
Humans do not perceive something as “good” or “bad”. We perceive things as “better than” or “worse than”.
Is 10 lbs heavy? Compared to a gram it is. Compared to a ton, it is not.
At the end of a day at work, you are fulfilled, having done a good job and made contributions to society… now you want to smoke a joint, and watch South Park.
Much different than
Just broke up with fiancee, lost my job, can’t find my wallet… At least I have my whiskey.
Yeah - that was actually a terrible analogy - but good enough to get my point across. (I hope. One of the subject I VERY much want to research is that of “Counterfacts” - what you compare your facts to determines what you perceive. Like the experiment with 3 buckets of water - HOT on the left, ICE cold on the right, and room temp in the middle. Let your Right hand sit in the right bucket for 15 secs, while the left hand is in the left bucket for 15 secs. Put both in the middle. At the same time, you will perceive this middle bucket to be both hot and cold - as each hand is comparing it with something else)
By that logic, Going to the amusement park, or doing ANYTHING fun, is escaping from boredom and the mundane.
But I think this is a misuse of definitions. Going to the amusement park seems like adding excitement to ones life.
I suppose that would mean going into a coma is a good way to escape from too much excitement?
Seems a lot of “philosophical questions” I see are really “If I change the definition of this word, then what does this sentence, which uses the redefined word, now mean?”
I forget who - but some philosopher made a big deal about linguistics. Someone remind me. (Yeah, I could google it - but this is a philosophy board, someone should know off the top of their head)
Aside from how much more emotionally salient the second situation might be, are those two situations really fundamentally different ?
Let’s be real for a second, if you smoke a joint you think that smoking a joint will make you feel better then not smoking a joint. So, in a very real sense you are escaping reality. Escaping reality doesn’t mean you are sad or depressed. You can be perfectly content but want more. Want something different.
If you do not see those 2 examples as fundamentally different (which is fine - you are allowed that), then your question is totally valid - and taking drugs, regardless of the reason, certainly is an escape from reality.
So, for the sake of argument - lets accept that. Regardless of the reason, taking drugs is an escape from reality -even if it is to add excitement to a mundane life. BUT - with this being the case, what do you say to one of the other questions I had posted:
Is going to the amusement park, or doing ANYTHING fun, escaping from boredom and mundane realities?
If so, how is doing a fun non-drug activity different than doing something fun on drugs?
And if it is not, please explain why, as I am at a loss as to how that could be the case.
There is a difference between the drive to explore reality, and to escape it. Philosophy originated from the need to have a deeper understanding of reality. I don’t see most people intending to escape REALITY itself (except maybe truly suicidal ones), but many do feel overburdened by unpleasant/painful aspects of it, and may try to escape those particular parts of it.
Drugs can be used as a method of ‘escape’ or as one of the tools to understand one’s self.
Some Buddhists believe that there is no escape from reality, so instead, their aim is to spend their lives being happy, with what they have. The assumption is that everything has been pre-planned (pre-determined) and is happening as it supposed to. So, by being happy and content with what they have, they believe that they are embracing reality, not trying to escape it. Because you cannot escape reality.
I don’t think it’s that different. In fact, doing something “fun” can sometimes have similar effects to taking certain kinds of drugs. ( To a smaller degree, of course)
