Do you consider yourself a philosopher?

Use this philosophy forum to discuss and debate general philosophy topics that don't fit into one of the other categories.

This forum is NOT for factual, informational or scientific questions about philosophy (e.g. "What year was Socrates born?"). Those kind of questions can be asked in the off-topic section.
Post Reply
philoreaderguy
Posts: 50
Joined: March 3rd, 2007, 11:40 am

Do you consider yourself a philosopher?

Post by philoreaderguy »

Do you consider yourself a philosopher? Do you think other people do? Why or why not?
MindFreeza
Posts: 19
Joined: March 1st, 2007, 10:36 am
Location: New York

Post by MindFreeza »

I do consider myself a philosopher, as do most others who know me. Every properly functioning human being is a philosopher of one sort or another, whether they realize it or not. Simply claiming to know the difference between right and wrong, as most people would, is a philosophy.
Bk2Kant
Posts: 47
Joined: March 1st, 2007, 11:22 pm

Post by Bk2Kant »

I think that other people (mostly my freinds) consider me a philosopher. I do think an aweful lot and I am always ranting about Kant and the like but I don't know that I would actuallaly consider myself a philosopher unless it was a career for instance if I ever get that book out or if I was a major art of a camain against an injustice. I just don't think I've earned the title yet. For now I am just a student of philosophy.
captain_crunk
Posts: 41
Joined: March 1st, 2007, 5:45 pm
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Contact:

Post by captain_crunk »

I like to think of myself as a philosopher, but I don't know what "credentials" or "qualities" I need to have in order for others to look at me as a "philosopher." Then again, I don't care if others see me as a philosopher or not, I'll keep enjoying philosophy either way :)
Johannes Climacus
Posts: 73
Joined: March 6th, 2007, 6:59 am

Post by Johannes Climacus »

I don't consider myself a philosopher if the group of people called philosophers includes Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Kierkegaard, or Quine.

I do however, consider myself a philosopher if the group of people included are my prof, Johnny, and the mailman.
MyshiningOne
Posts: 202
Joined: March 7th, 2007, 9:51 pm

Re: Do you consider yourself a philosopher?

Post by MyshiningOne »

philoreaderguy wrote:Do you consider yourself a philosopher? Do you think other people do? Why or why not?
Some of my friends consider me to be a philosopher
since I'm always giving a synopsis on what life and
death is about. I don't really know if I'm qualified to
be a "philosopher."
It's not what you know that makes
you smart, it's knowing what you don't know.
eskimokiss20
Posts: 3
Joined: March 9th, 2007, 2:58 am

Yes, I long to find all those answers!!!!!!!

Post by eskimokiss20 »

I like to consider myself as a liberalist as well as a philosopher. Just somebody who speaks what is on her mind, and is strong on her standpoints. I like to make sure my voice is heard, and people know my opinion. It's important for people to understand philosophy because its always great to know why things happen and how they happen. I think it's important to have your own definiton of why things are the way they are. Thats what makes us human.
Soulblighter
Posts: 10
Joined: March 12th, 2007, 6:39 pm
Location: Terra Firma
Contact:

Post by Soulblighter »

I consider it the duty of every living Human to be a philosopher. Of course, the level of dedication differs, but if you've ever pondered the question "why?", you're pretty much on the right track.
thestateimin
Posts: 9
Joined: March 3rd, 2007, 7:06 pm

Post by thestateimin »

I don't really consider myself a philosopher exactly. I have very involved conversations where I share my philosophy, but I havn't exactly devoted my life to it. Others call me a philosopher; some of my teachers call me the campus philosopher.
DanteAzrael
Posts: 74
Joined: March 13th, 2007, 7:39 pm
Location: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Contact:

Post by DanteAzrael »

I would consider myself a philosopher. I have always been a thinker on every aspect on life and that is how I spend the majority of my time. Most people would also see me as this since it is what I talk about every day.

I agree with a former post that people who live and breathe are philosophers in one way or another. To live, one must have a rational and logical philosophy to guide one's life rather it's self-created, someone elses you've tweaked to yourself, a basics one, or completely following one by everything it says...I think it is a necessity in life.
When a man declares: "There are no blacks and whites [in morality]" he is making a psychological confession, and what he means is: "I am unwilling to be wholly good—and please don't regard me as wholly evil!" - Ayn Rand
kyle_schmidt
Posts: 5
Joined: March 26th, 2007, 8:15 pm

Post by kyle_schmidt »

I do think that i am a philosopher of sorts. i do not hold myself to be a master philosopher. having a philosophy, or a basic set of beliefs that we adhere to all of the time, makes me a philosopher. Do i understand everything that is being said in these forums? No, but i will be doing research on these topics in order to better formulate my opinion.
Daemon
Posts: 12
Joined: March 20th, 2007, 8:46 pm
Location: EU

Post by Daemon »

Soulblighter wrote:I consider it the duty of every living Human to be a philosopher.
I think that philosophy and science is the very essance of humanity. We have the tools available to us to question and seek enlightment, and we must use them if we are to claim we are anything more than animals.

That is the kind of world I want to live in. A world where people think rationally about their decisions, where we have the time, and take it, to ponder on the "why"'s in life. To be a philosopher, to me, means mostly being able to question and daring to do it. It does not have to be abstract or metaphysics, there is many ways to think philosophically about things. I do love the origin of the word, literally meaning "lover of wisdom" and that is how I view it. I consider myself a philosopher, as I am constantly questioning ideas around me and seek logic and knowledge. Although I would never compare myself to the grand masters.
MyshiningOne
Posts: 202
Joined: March 7th, 2007, 9:51 pm

Post by MyshiningOne »

Daemon wrote:
Soulblighter wrote:I consider it the duty of every living Human to be a philosopher.
I think that philosophy and science is the very essance of humanity. We have the tools available to us to question and seek enlightment, and we must use them if we are to claim we are anything more than animals.

That is the kind of world I want to live in. A world where people think rationally about their decisions, where we have the time, and take it, to ponder on the "why"'s in life. To be a philosopher, to me, means mostly being able to question and daring to do it. It does not have to be abstract or metaphysics, there is many ways to think philosophically about things. I do love the origin of the word, literally meaning "lover of wisdom" and that is how I view it. I consider myself a philosopher, as I am constantly questioning ideas around me and seek logic and knowledge. Although I would never compare myself to the grand masters.
Me neither. Those guys thought deeply.

You have some good words there. You sound to me
like you are leaning on the scientific end of things.
Rationality and wisdom are two things we need to have
to help us through life. Rationality, to me, is
the more objective side of life; wisdom is the
more subjective side. It's okay to let feelings
guide your decisions as long as they are used
within the walls of rationality and wisdom.
It's not what you know that makes
you smart, it's knowing what you don't know.
cynicallyinsane
Posts: 118
Joined: March 3rd, 2007, 11:58 am

Post by cynicallyinsane »

It's okay to use feelings, but that's still not rational.
yohami
Posts: 4
Joined: April 22nd, 2007, 1:14 am

Post by yohami »

I do consider me a philosopher in the same group as Plato, Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Kierkegaard, etc
Post Reply

Return to “General Philosophy”

2023/2024 Philosophy Books of the Month

Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise

Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise
by John K Danenbarger
January 2023

Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul

Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul
by Mitzi Perdue
February 2023

Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness

Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness
by Chet Shupe
March 2023

The Unfakeable Code®

The Unfakeable Code®
by Tony Jeton Selimi
April 2023

The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are

The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are
by Alan Watts
May 2023

Killing Abel

Killing Abel
by Michael Tieman
June 2023

Reconfigurement: Reconfiguring Your Life at Any Stage and Planning Ahead

Reconfigurement: Reconfiguring Your Life at Any Stage and Planning Ahead
by E. Alan Fleischauer
July 2023

First Survivor: The Impossible Childhood Cancer Breakthrough

First Survivor: The Impossible Childhood Cancer Breakthrough
by Mark Unger
August 2023

Predictably Irrational

Predictably Irrational
by Dan Ariely
September 2023

Artwords

Artwords
by Beatriz M. Robles
November 2023

Fireproof Happiness: Extinguishing Anxiety & Igniting Hope

Fireproof Happiness: Extinguishing Anxiety & Igniting Hope
by Dr. Randy Ross
December 2023

Beyond the Golden Door: Seeing the American Dream Through an Immigrant's Eyes

Beyond the Golden Door: Seeing the American Dream Through an Immigrant's Eyes
by Ali Master
February 2024

2022 Philosophy Books of the Month

Emotional Intelligence At Work

Emotional Intelligence At Work
by Richard M Contino & Penelope J Holt
January 2022

Free Will, Do You Have It?

Free Will, Do You Have It?
by Albertus Kral
February 2022

My Enemy in Vietnam

My Enemy in Vietnam
by Billy Springer
March 2022

2X2 on the Ark

2X2 on the Ark
by Mary J Giuffra, PhD
April 2022

The Maestro Monologue

The Maestro Monologue
by Rob White
May 2022

What Makes America Great

What Makes America Great
by Bob Dowell
June 2022

The Truth Is Beyond Belief!

The Truth Is Beyond Belief!
by Jerry Durr
July 2022

Living in Color

Living in Color
by Mike Murphy
August 2022 (tentative)

The Not So Great American Novel

The Not So Great American Novel
by James E Doucette
September 2022

Mary Jane Whiteley Coggeshall, Hicksite Quaker, Iowa/National Suffragette And Her Speeches

Mary Jane Whiteley Coggeshall, Hicksite Quaker, Iowa/National Suffragette And Her Speeches
by John N. (Jake) Ferris
October 2022

In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All

In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All
by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
November 2022

The Smartest Person in the Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity

The Smartest Person in the Room
by Christian Espinosa
December 2022

2021 Philosophy Books of the Month

The Biblical Clock: The Untold Secrets Linking the Universe and Humanity with God's Plan

The Biblical Clock
by Daniel Friedmann
March 2021

Wilderness Cry: A Scientific and Philosophical Approach to Understanding God and the Universe

Wilderness Cry
by Dr. Hilary L Hunt M.D.
April 2021

Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute: Tools To Spark Your Dream And Ignite Your Follow-Through

Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute
by Jeff Meyer
May 2021

Surviving the Business of Healthcare: Knowledge is Power

Surviving the Business of Healthcare
by Barbara Galutia Regis M.S. PA-C
June 2021

Winning the War on Cancer: The Epic Journey Towards a Natural Cure

Winning the War on Cancer
by Sylvie Beljanski
July 2021

Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream

Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream
by Dr Frank L Douglas
August 2021

If Life Stinks, Get Your Head Outta Your Buts

If Life Stinks, Get Your Head Outta Your Buts
by Mark L. Wdowiak
September 2021

The Preppers Medical Handbook

The Preppers Medical Handbook
by Dr. William W Forgey M.D.
October 2021

Natural Relief for Anxiety and Stress: A Practical Guide

Natural Relief for Anxiety and Stress
by Dr. Gustavo Kinrys, MD
November 2021

Dream For Peace: An Ambassador Memoir

Dream For Peace
by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah
December 2021