Philosophy Is Sick

[Mary+Immaculate<3]

That is all.

[Fr. Antony Maria OSB]

LIES!!!!!!!!!

 

Edit: Although it depends on what you mean by 'sick.' Are you using it in the literal sense of the word, or the metaphorical sense, which means that the thing it is describing is actually super awesome? 

 

What does it mean to 'be sick?'

Edited October 30, 2013 by NazFarmer

[Mary+Immaculate<3]

LIES!!!!!!!!!

Edit: Although it depends on what you mean by 'sick.' Are you using it in the literal sense of the word, or the metaphorical sense, which means that the thing it is describing is actually super amesome?

What does it mean to 'be sick?'

Case and point. This thread is on philosophy, so you tell me your opinion. What is sick?

[Fr. Antony Maria OSB]

(Serious mode) We first need to clarify something that is explicit in your question: you asked me my "opinion" on what it means to be sick. Philosophy is not about opinions. Philosophy is about seeking wisdom and living one's life in accord with that wisdom which is found but which, at the same time, only increases one's desire for it. In the Christian perspective, when one considers God as Wisdom (Holy Wisdom personified in the Wisdom Books of the Bible represents Christ, the Hagia Sophia being dedicated to Holy Wisdom in Byzantium, aka Christ, etc.) the purpose of philosophy takes on a very holy tone. I say this as a sort of disclaimer, because as much as I love getting into completely ridiculous philosophical conversations (such as "what is sick?"), I think it also needs to be kept in mind that philosophy is a truly wonderful thing, which can also be frustrating. 

 

That aside, less serious mode: what is sick?

 

Philosophy is sick insofar as it causes dysfunctional thinking around it to become sick: it makes sickness sick, and that is truly sick (in the metaphorical usage, that is).

[Fr. Antony Maria OSB]

I took too long in writing this edit of my above post, so I couldn't edit, so here it is in another post:

 

Edit: Just to be clear (and I'm probably ruining the lame board with all of this serious talk about the nature of philosophy and clarifying why I wrote the above, so sorry about that!), I wrote the above disclaimer because of my own love for philosophy and my understanding that many people don't appreciate its amesomeness. I also get the impression that many people nowadays (including some philosophers!) view philosophy as a mere opinion, which goes against what the ancient and medieval philosophers thought of philosophy as. Stepping down from my philosophical rant stand now. *Steps down*

[Mary+Immaculate<3]

I took too long in writing this edit of my above post, so I couldn't edit, so here it is in another post:

Edit: Just to be clear (and I'm probably ruining the lame board with all of this serious talk about the nature of philosophy and clarifying why I wrote the above, so sorry about that!), I wrote the above disclaimer because of my own love for philosophy and my understanding that many people don't appreciate its amesomeness. I also get the impression that many people nowadays (including some philosophers!) view philosophy as a mere opinion, which goes against what the ancient and medieval philosophers thought of philosophy as. Stepping down from my philosophical rant stand now. *Steps down*

Serious: I don't like how much the word "philosophy" is thrown around like it's some subjective game to make people feel like they are above. Ironically I just read Plato's Apology and Socrates talks about how he's the only wise one because he doesn't claim to know anything (though that is a rather self-contraction in a way, but also not).
Lame: Is sick sick because it causes calamity and unhealthfulness (physical), is sick sick because it denotes feelings of awe (modern slang), or is sick sick because is denotes cruelty or injustice (moral)?

[Luigi]

PhilosPHERs can be sick, but philosPHY cannot be sick. 

[CrossCuT]

Ive never taken a philosophy class.

[Desert Walker]

Well...

 

Philosophy isn't really anything specific.  It's just a word thrown around that refers to something everybody does.  It's just that some people (such as Immanual Kant, Aristotle, Thomas Nagel, Jurgen Habermas, Imre Lakatos, etc.) decide to spend enormous amounts of their time doing that particular thing... to a degree some other people may find unendurable.

 

I am a senior in philosophy at a secular, state university.  Sometimes it is unendurable.  Unfortunately, though, such mental exercise must be done by some people.

 

My only challenge has been to stay rooted in faith in Christ and the Church.  Big one.

 

It was simple in the Middle Ages because nobody took seriously the idea that one could think clearly unless one grounded one's thoughts in Revelation (scripture and tradition).

 

It's not so simple now because philosophers just start from wherever the heck and run with it to the bitter end.  It's an endless stream of papers and counter-papers...

[WillT]

Metaphilosophy is sicker.

[r2Dtoo]

SuperMetaPhilosophy is the shizzle yo.

[Fr. Antony Maria OSB]

Serious: I don't like how much the word "philosophy" is thrown around like it's some subjective game to make people feel like they are above. Ironically I just read Plato's Apology and Socrates talks about how he's the only wise one because he doesn't claim to know anything (though that is a rather self-contraction in a way, but also not).
Lame: Is sick sick because it causes calamity and unhealthfulness (physical), is sick sick because it denotes feelings of awe (modern slang), or is sick sick because is denotes cruelty or injustice (moral)?

Serious: That is true, and something that should not happen, but does. Reminds me (somewhat) of a story about St. Antony of the Desert that St. Athanasius writes in his Life of Antony: 

 

 

 

Some others of the same kind [philosophers] met him again in the outer hills and thought to mock him because he had not learned letters. Antony said to them, "And which is the cause of which, the mind of letters, or letters of the mind?" When they answered that the mind is first and is the inventor of letters, Antony said, "Then to one whose mind is sound, letters are needless." This answer astounded both them and the listeners. They went away marveling to see such wisdom in a plain man. (Athanasius, Life of Antony, trans. Dom J. B. McLaughlin, O.S.B., Tan Books: Rockford, 1995: 85-86.)

Lame: I don't quite see how this is lame, because now we're getting into philosophical discussion, albeit defining the word 'sick,' but still, lol. It reminds me of the time a friend and I had a discussion about what constitutes weirdness for an hour or so, lol. Good times, good times....

But sick! All of what you said seem to make sense in the terms that you defined them as lying within. The question then becomes "What is the underlying theme which embodies all of those definitions?"

 

Well...

 

Philosophy isn't really anything specific.  It's just a word thrown around that refers to something everybody does.  It's just that some people (such as Immanual Kant, Aristotle, Thomas Nagel, Jurgen Habermas, Imre Lakatos, etc.) decide to spend enormous amounts of their time doing that particular thing... to a degree some other people may find unendurable.

 

I am a senior in philosophy at a secular, state university.  Sometimes it is unendurable.  Unfortunately, though, such mental exercise must be done by some people.

 

My only challenge has been to stay rooted in faith in Christ and the Church.  Big one.

 

It was simple in the Middle Ages because nobody took seriously the idea that one could think clearly unless one grounded one's thoughts in Revelation (scripture and tradition).

 

It's not so simple now because philosophers just start from wherever the heck and run with it to the bitter end.  It's an endless stream of papers and counter-papers...

Desert Walker, I've got two questions for you. Before I ask them, let me say this: I majored in philosophy in undergrad, so I know some of what you're saying (although my alma mater is a Catholic university, so there would definitely have been some differences in what philosophy we studied more). 

 

My questions: 1) You said that "philosophy isn't really anything specific," but merely "a word...that refers to something that everybody does." You reference later that "such mental exercises must be done by some people," thereby implying that philosophy is a mental exercise. Combining these premises, a logical conclusion would be that philosophy is a word which refers to a mental exercise which everybody does. What characterizes this mental exercise? Do those characteristics define philosophy as philosophy? 

 

2) Regarding specifically the second premise I quoted above, why must these "mental exercises" be done by some people? And what makes this unfortunate? 

 

I have some ideas, myself, but I would like to hear what your thoughts are on this. I will say, though, that I disagree that philosophy is an unfortunate thing. Perhaps such a discussion would be better placed in Transmundane or the Debate Table, and if you think so just let me know and we could start a thread in one of those sub-forums. 

 

Also, please be assured of my prayers for you as you complete your philosophical studies in undergrad at a secular university: it must be very difficult to stay grounded in Catholicism, and I commend you for that. Keep plugging along and living as God wants us to live.

Edited November 2, 2013 by NazFarmer