Do you consider yourself a philosopher?

DeeElf · Post by **DeeElf** » August 24th, 2012, 10:50 pm

If we mean by philosophy the pursuit of wisdom where wisdom is defined as the capacity for sound judgement, then yes, I consider myself a philosopher.

If we mean by philosophy mere clever intellectualism (or any kind of idealism) and the ostentatious arrogance it usually comes with, then no, I do not consider myself a philosopher.

Wolferick · Post by **Wolferick** » December 31st, 2013, 5:11 am

I consider myself a 'philosophy-enthusiast'. I started to do a great deal of reading lately, discussing around with people, and I'm taking a good deal of fancy into formulating my own views, be it only mentally. I consider myself a thinker, but since I don't write anything down (yet) and try to actively spread and revision my ideas, I can't call myself a philosopher.

Calrid · Post by **Calrid** » December 31st, 2013, 3:17 pm

I think everyone is to some extent. I am not a Philosopher in that I made a career out of it but who hasn't thought about the big questions, or the small ones for that matter?

Stormcloud · Post by **Stormcloud** » January 2nd, 2014, 7:37 am

Currently I dont really know what a philosopher is; does he/she have boundaries? Does he/she include spirituality, mysticism, metaphysics, psychedelic experiences and psychology in the sphere of philosophy or does he just speculate and argue about these? Does he/she seriously consider other people's subjective experiences without bias? Is it possible to enjoy the pursuit of knowledge and experience without having to identify with a label, without identifying with a particular clique? Is it possible for 'philosophers' to find common ground and reach a (W)holistic centre? I do not see myself as a philosopher. How do you define philosophy absolutely or is it just a now thing so to speak? I stumbled on this forum by chance and saw it as a place? to interact on a deeper level but I must admit, while I have read many logical and a few humourous contributions, I am a bit taken aback by the intellectual arrogance and intolerance of the subjective experiences of others; at least that is how it appears to me. Maybe that is all part of philosophising, is it? I tried another philosophy forum over December but was drawn back - I like it here and I particularly get alot out of those who project a bit of humour and feeling into their contributions. I have also learned a bit more about myself. I guess someone will tell me philosophy is deadly serious and not meant to be fun nor warm and fuzzy.

Post by **Misty** » January 2nd, 2014, 10:01 am

I think therefore I philosophize. Some philosophers are famous, other infamous, some not known at all except to their family and/or friends. Some philosophers make their living philosophizing and some not, some becoming wise after death. Even children are philosophers.

Theboombody · Post by **Theboombody** » January 7th, 2014, 8:55 am

I'm definitely a philosopher because my philosophy has a name - G-rated Shock Value. No one else thinks I'm a philosopher because they consider my philosophy to be a big joke. But there is definitely a dark side to G-rated things that I enjoy studying and perhaps one day teaching to others. I also think it's useful to the world because it gives bad people a chance to still be bad, but in a G-rated, law-abiding way.

Stormcloud · Post by **Stormcloud** » January 9th, 2014, 8:10 am

Hell, I did get carried away!!

-- Updated January 9th, 2014, 8:12 am to add the following --

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Calrid · Post by **Calrid** » January 9th, 2014, 12:16 pm

I consider myself a right idiot, I am not sure if that makes me qualified to philosophise, but it's a start.

-- Updated January 9th, 2014, 11:17 am to add the following --

Stormcloud wrote:Hell, I did get carried away!!

-- Updated January 9th, 2014, 8:12 am to add the following --

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Don't we all.

Belinda · Post by **Belinda** » January 10th, 2014, 7:21 am

If your thoughts are limited to the concrete you are not a philosopher . A purely concrete thinker may make adequate life decisions but only an abstract thinker who can articulate abstract ideas is a philosopher. To give an example, if you cannot understand maps or Venn diagrams you are a long way from being a philosopher.

A philosopher has a cognitive style which involves abstracting relationships between ideas from concrete facts. The philosopher may be warm and touchy- feely, or emotionally cold and distant, but is in each case is a philosopher if and only if she is able to understand and articulate abstract relationships between events.

For instance Princess Diana died in a road traffic accident. Concrete facts can be supplied by medical personal, police the coroner, photographs, witnesses, detectives. But philosophers ask e.g. "What did Diana's death mean to me?" If "Nothing" is what I answer, I ask "why not?" "What other deaths are similar to Diana's, and how are they similar?" "Does the similarity matter ?" "Why?" "Is there anyone from some cultural background where Diana's death would be a good thing? Is such a culture justified ? How?"

Michaelpearson · Post by **Michaelpearson** » January 10th, 2014, 2:01 pm

I guess a genuine philosopher creates original philosophical ideas. For me philosophy is a disease (not an original idea). An obsessive compulsive determination to come to terms with questions of philosophical significance. Unfortunately none of the medications which I have been prescribed for this 'disease' have been particularly efficacious. Not to worry.

Calrid · Post by **Calrid** » January 10th, 2014, 2:11 pm

Michaelpearson wrote:I guess a genuine philosopher creates original philosophical ideas. For me philosophy is a disease (not an original idea). An obsessive compulsive determination to come to terms with questions of philosophical significance. Unfortunately none of the medications which I have been prescribed for this 'disease' have been particularly efficacious. Not to worry.

I am guessing you like Nietzsche's philosophy, it's not a disease it's a meme, with all incumbent good and bad that comes with ideas.

I do agree though that hide bound philosophers who are just parotting better men have nothing to contribute whatsoever to the field, except to remind us perhaps of the words of better men. And let's face it 80% of human beings are herders, to which an original thought or idea is unusual, if it happens at all.

That's no bad thing society needs slaves to the system and people who just coast. And good luck to them. But philosophy is not about that, as you and everyone who really intends to pursue a philosophy should know. Now I am a bad philosopher, it's not my main area of study and I Freely admit I have a lot to learn. I am a dilétente, I dabble when I have time, but I know that much at least and am open to new ideas, well in as much as I Can be. Education is all very well but if you do want to really grasp what philosophy is about, the dead men that came before are only worthy of note, not worthy of worship. That said if I have to listen to one more parroted idea or free will argument which is someone elses' not your own, I will probably turn to drink, oh no wait too late.

Michaelpearson · Post by **Michaelpearson** » January 10th, 2014, 2:30 pm

Hazzarding a guess the devil would make a highly entertaining philosopher.

Present awareness · Post by **Present awareness** » March 26th, 2014, 11:01 pm

Philosophy is a trip taken by the imagination, with the destiny unknown, and a journey full of detours. It is said that Albert Einstein came up with his theory of relativity, by imagining what it would be like to travel through the universe at the speed of light. As children, our imagination was unconfined and free, but as we got older, the restrictions and realities of life pushed our tendency to fantasize into the background. Some however, have held on to their imaginative minds and return again and again to that burning question "what if"? Those people are philosophers.

Luisgmarquez1985 · Post by **Luisgmarquez1985** » May 2nd, 2014, 11:14 am

Personally I consider myself a philosopher, but publicly I have yet to declare it. If anything, I use the terms intellectual or thinker when describing myself to others. I believe the reason for my hesitation is that to be a philosopher is NOT JUST to debate your ideas with others just for the sake of it. I follow the idea of Karl Marx when he said that philosophers have only interpreted the world. The point is to change it. For me, I cannot consider myself a philosophers unless I have explicably send my ideas out there to others in the streets, usually in the form of publishing my ideas in books or journals. in other words I cannot consider myself a philosophers unless I 'physically' practice it in the same way as a person cannot consider himself to be a teacher if he never taught, even if that person is qualified to teach.

In addition I completely agree with Soulblighter that it is the duty of every person to be his or her own philosopher. every person not take things for granted and should ponder on things, at the very least of his/her own sake or what they should believe in and act on.

Ruskin · Post by **Ruskin** » May 2nd, 2014, 12:29 pm

Luisgmarquez1985 wrote:Personally I consider myself a philosopher, but publicly I have yet to declare it.

So how would do that? Stand up on a table and shout.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I SOMETHING TO DECLARE TO YOU! I AM A PHILOSOPHER!"

If you were genuinely philosophical you wouldn't really need to declare it because people would just know.

If anything, I use the terms intellectual or thinker when describing myself to others.

Again if you were an intellectual or thinker you wouldn't need to tell anyone about it it would just come across in who you are and everything you say and do. It's not like Socrates had to declare anything people just had him sussed out.