#740: "Sorry." - Page 4

Kurosen · 09-08-2006, 08:48 AM

1) I majored in English Literature with a minor in Philosoph because I enjoyed them.

2) I used the phrase, "At academic gun point," in the newspost. Does that sound voluntary?

The short story is that a long, long series of the university's screw ups forced me into a position where they made me take a Philosophy major against my will. It was that or be kicked out of school. Surely you can see how that might sour one on the experience.

Grimrider · 09-08-2006, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurosen

2) I used the phrase, "At academic gun point," in the newspost. Does that sound voluntary?

The short story is that a long, long series of the university's screw ups forced me into a position where they made me take a Philosophy major against my will. It was that or be kicked out of school. Surely you can see how that might sour one on the experience.

Wow. That must be a very complex series of mishaps. I've never heard of anybody being forced to major in a subject against their will before.

Massacre · 09-08-2006, 03:56 PM

I feel sorry for you, Brian. You must've had a pretty lousy professor. I, personally, took on Philosophy courses during my English Major - I'm a writer, so that's what I take to improve myself - and I've got an excellent grasp of a number of philosphical views. My top pick for that would have to be Existentialism. Why, you might ask? (Even if you don't I'm going to answer anyway.) Because...in what other view of the world could you place yourself above god and heaven, greater than all and important to the whole of the cosmos as the center of all things? None that I know of. And since I am what I am, being of the evil and pissed off at high powers persuasion, this is most ideal for the likes of ME!

*Looks around suspiciously before continuing*

Yes, I realize that that rant was completely insane, but my views are quite jaded, so this is an inevitable consequence of being the way that I am! MWA HA HA HA HAAA!!!

wuhpah! · 09-08-2006, 11:51 PM

Isn't that solipsism? It's interesting that "I think therefore I am" only applies to oneself, because you can never be sure anything else thinks and therefore exists.

Massacre · 09-09-2006, 12:30 AM

Ah, no. I don't think so. As the first rule in Existentialism is "Existence preceeds essence" - which means your existence before everything else - it is its own reasoning there. And I'm afraid I've found that Descartes' "I think, therefore I am" business does not relate, in truth. His way of thinking is essence before existence, believing that a singular non-perfect being such has himself must have conceivably come from a most-perfect omnipotent being. It is the exact opposite of Existentialism. Of course, taking it from the perspective of others, I can see why this would give a multitude of headaches. So, I don't hold any grudge towards Brian's views.

Kaarin · 09-09-2006, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wuhpah!

Isn't that solipsism? It's interesting that "I think therefore I am" only applies to oneself, because you can never be sure anything else thinks and therefore exists.

No. Solispsism is, strictly speaking, the doctrine that one's own mind is the only thing that exists.

The Cogito (which Descartes never actually wrote in the Meditations) doesn't establish that one's mind is the only thing that exist; it's a sort of first principle, or meant to be, that I cannot doubt my own existence (interesting sidenote: there's one professor out there who actually has seriously defended the view that he cannot demonstrate his own existence) because there has to be somethign there to be doing the doubting. It's part of the Cartesian view of knowledge, but not the whole of it.

And Massacre... you might consider changing your name to Masochist if you like existentialism.

Just because no matter how well developed it is, Existentialism has to be the single most depressing worldview that I've ever come across.

*has flashback*

Brian, just remembered an experience like yours. Asking when, by adding a single grain of sand to a pile, we've created a heap of sand. And the guy who gave that lecture is a world-class intellectual in philosophy of mind.

Heliomance · 09-10-2006, 03:40 AM

The reply to that is "Do it and I'll tell you when you get there"

09-08-2006, 03:56 PM	#33
Massacre Evil Madman and Writer Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: In a shadow behind every human's mind... Posts: 388	I feel sorry for you, Brian. You must've had a pretty lousy professor. I, personally, took on Philosophy courses during my English Major - I'm a writer, so that's what I take to improve myself - and I've got an excellent grasp of a number of philosphical views. My top pick for that would have to be Existentialism. Why, you might ask? (Even if you don't I'm going to answer anyway.) Because...in what other view of the world could you place yourself above god and heaven, greater than all and important to the whole of the cosmos as the center of all things? None that I know of. And since I am what I am, being of the evil and pissed off at high powers persuasion, this is most ideal for the likes of ME! Looks around suspiciously before continuing Yes, I realize that that rant was completely insane, but my views are quite jaded, so this is an inevitable consequence of being the way that I am! MWA HA HA HA HAAA!!! __________________ *I am the thing the Darkness fears.*

09-09-2006, 12:30 AM	#35
Massacre Evil Madman and Writer Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: In a shadow behind every human's mind... Posts: 388	Ah, no. I don't think so. As the first rule in Existentialism is "Existence preceeds essence" - which means your existence before everything else - it is its own reasoning there. And I'm afraid I've found that Descartes' "I think, therefore I am" business does not relate, in truth. His way of thinking is essence before existence, believing that a singular non-perfect being such has himself must have conceivably come from a most-perfect omnipotent being. It is the exact opposite of Existentialism. Of course, taking it from the perspective of others, I can see why this would give a multitude of headaches. So, I don't hold any grudge towards Brian's views. __________________ *I am the thing the Darkness fears.*

09-10-2006, 03:40 AM	#37
Heliomance Shyguy Join Date: May 2006 Location: England Posts: 230	The reply to that is "Do it and I'll tell you when you get there" __________________ Official NPF Thread Killer! 7 Threads killed so far. 98% of the internet population has a Myspace. If you're part of the 2% that isn't an emo bastard, copy and paste this into your sig.

09-08-2006, 11:51 PM	#34
wuhpah! Goomba Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 2	Isn't that solipsism? It's interesting that "I think therefore I am" only applies to oneself, because you can never be sure anything else thinks and therefore exists.