/philosophy/ - Philosophy

>>2389

I started religious, went through a nihilist phase (far more total and complete than a mere fedora). I despised the neoatheist movements for being full of double standards. "My life has meaning because I can say so. When I can no longer say so, it doesn't matter." Intellectual dishonesty, moral dishonesty...

Now I'm trying to get into religion, but without a community it falls on its knees over and over again. The world is too deliberate in the cruelty, irony and evil for it to be mere chance. Even the madness of the masses serves a purpose.

Why is it that it gets harder to reach, or even see beauty, justice, joy or truth? Why are there so massive forces trying to pull one out of them?

I get to rationalize that there indeed is, or should be a purpose, but fail to do anything beyond that.

>>2410

Did someone create you just to piss me off?

>>2412

Yes.

Your god. He hates you.

>>2415

So you DO acknowledge his existence.

>>2416

do i acknowledge my poop when i take a shit? do i acknowledge my fedora when i tip for m'lady?

I would like to think that I was different, but not so much, I was never really a christian though, as nobody is, I was always watching porn, I still do. After that I was really just in limbo, I guess, no real defining belief in that area. My life is defined by a constant dazed, and lethargic slothfulness that can't be too well specified in detail. So bear with me, while I act like I know my past. After limbo I sorta just did what I ever I wanted with belief, I looked into magick, and stuff. Satanism was cool, but it had rules which sorta irked. Like are we talking about satan, or the one you like. Doom, slayer, devil worship, all cool stuff, but satanism, is just sorta silly roleplay, join a real cult you know. I dabbled in voodoo a little bit, got some old ladies skull from Skulls Unlimited. The skull told me I had to kill people to for the good grades it gave me though, so, I guess I had to stop. Skim this and that, for a while until I get to radical skepticism, that turned into a the " illusion is reality " thing, I am okay there. But now, I am going to let the drugs do the philosophizing for me.

>>2426

wow you trumped OP in terms of faggotry

>>2428

hey dont talk to him that way, hes the next hunter s Thompson!

>>2429

You know to be completely honest, I really wish I was, life becomes very interesting when you are out of it. I am going to be taking a lot of psychedelics soon, I hope I am going crazy again, and read more metaphysics.

>>2430

i hope you od

>>2442

Is that Jerry Seinfeld?

>>2445

>he never saw the gum episode

>>2504

Einstein was a leftist like most scientists and philosophers, but remember the guys who run the fortune 100 have enough in to get there. The difference is they use their brains to be assholes.

>>2504

>every intelligent person has been leftist

thats quite a theory you got there

>>2504

>the fortunate must not be restrained in the exercise of tyranny over the unfortunate

If this were true, slavery would still be legal.

>>2549

1 laws changed to make slavery illegal

2 wage slaves still exist

>>2558

Sure, if you're into ottermode faggots.

>>2561

Funny guy. Mike Mentzer was an objectivist, this is about as capitalist as it gets. Steve Reeves never had a lot to do with politics and he certainly was no fascist. Bet you didn't even know that was Steve Reeves. Fucking idiot.

>>2566

Fuck off, Mentzer belongs to us! We can share Jamie Lewis 50:50, he's a self-professed libertarian.

I was raised Catholic, really into it as a kid and shit, wanted to be a priest until something like 17. Then I ended up going to a super charismatic Catholic college, mom paid for it so whatever. Well that was the nail in the coffin for religion for me. That and I actually was studying a bit of theology.

However I realized after studying religion just cause, that I didn't have a beef with religion, had a beef with people.

Religion is just shit people believe, because sometimes they need to. Even more simply, just a belief system.

So I continued to study theology, and all them smatterings of religion, neat shit, still got a long reading list.

Most of them pretty much tell everyone not to be a dick, but you are right about everything and are justified cause me, the crazy man in the sky/pantheistic equivalent. Again, huge topic in and of itself, separate discussion.

So now I'm an agnostic deist. Also don't ask about my definition of god.

>>2392

>get into religion

How do you do that? How do you chose? When do you decide to settle on a specific faith? When does your preference/inclination turn into full-fledged conviction?

>>2392

>>2392

>get into religion

How do you do that? How do you chose? When do you decide to settle on a specific faith? When does your preference/inclination turn into full-fledged conviction?

>>3182

>>3183

>submitted once, posted twice with over half a minute delay

>only the bottom one says "(You)"

>still same ID

wtf happened?

>>3182

Find faith with compatible morals to your own.

Engage in communal ritual practices(or personal ones)

Reap communal spirit( or personal meditative focus)

In my experience though it gnerally only crosses the boundary to full fledged believer at times of personal crisis, its why old dying people suddenly go full Jesus on people or a ships captain caught in a storm might pray to god for deliverance, even a literal baptism by fire would trigger it.If they get through it they're believers now, if it doesn't they're probably too dead to reject the religious aspect.

>>2723

Logic/Symbolic logic. I hate math but I enjoyed those classes a lot. All the years teachers told me I would use math, those were the classes I wish I had taken growing up. I actually use what I learned in them.

>>3277

>>3277

I appreciate your post.

I have suffered from depression for some time, and after using meds for a little while I decided they were only prolonging the problem. So Ive tried to revisit my childhood faith; Christianity.

The problem I have with it as a faith though, is that I believe that it is compatible with my own morals without being too strict - I actually live a fairly good life in the eyes of most Christians. However - I do not believe in God. Or the God we are told exists.

I think because I've told myself for such a long time that it is total rubbish, that I cannot commit myself to blind faith in God as he is presented to us in the bible.

What I take from Christianity is that when I look back, I see that I was a much happier person. Granted I was much younger, but I think in general, the moral boundaries still suit be greatly.

I am due to study the Philosophy of Christianity next year at uni, and I hope that it gives me some sort of clarity on exactly how I feel.

Anyway, sorry to rant, but if someone here could give me solid guidance on how to deal with my dilemma then I would be grateful.

>>2723

i know youve probably already picked something, but im going to reccommend this http://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/great-ideas-of-philosophy-2nd-edition.html heres a 85%off priority code 118937

its not a phil101 class per se, but i would recommend it to newcomers.

>>3688

Read Thomas Aquinas' confessions, I think that's the right book, I don't remember exactly. Anyway he makes a good case for the idea that to be a Christian is to come to know god through empiricism and contemplation.

>>3689

Ouch. That's a lot of money when you can watch philosophy professors lecture on youtube for free.

>>3691

they put various courses on sale every month, just not this course this month, it seems. they send me a sales catalog, and they have a another sale going on right now so i figured one of those two sales would have covered this course. sadly it didnt but ill keep an eye out and post the relevant priority code if it does go on sale.

i bought the course for 80, which is absolutely cheaper than any of the college classes he listed, and probably wouldnt even cover the coursebook for any of those classes. and in all honesty, i do think this course is worth a little over half of what they are asking for it, as it engendered me with a genuine love an interest for philosophers and philosophies i never would have looked twice at before viewing it, but you might as well wait for a sale since they have shit on sale monthly.

i should also point out that this course is made and lectured by a bona fide philosopher, and not just a head of a philosophy department.

>why pay for this when you can get something that is similar for free

i hear this argument quite frequently in regard to ancient writings, and quite frankly, you get what you pay for. that said, i would be interested in any lectures you know of that are youtube, as i havent found any that piqued my own interest.

i hope you dont take this as me looking down my nose at your for not wanting to spend a large amount of money on educational resources. i am by no means well off, and was only able to buy this thanks to birthday money, but i would like to leave you with a bit of muh boi Marcus Aurelius "From my great-grandfather, not to have frequented public schools, and to have had good teachers at home, and to know that on such things a man should spend liberally. "

>>3692

I guess I'm not crazy about online classes when there are alternatives. Where I live I could go to a community college and take a philosophy course for $200. Being able to interact with the professor, participate, have my work graded and tell my classmates they're idiots is more rewarding. Also, there's a torrent for the 1st edition of this lecture.

>>3694

It's a lecture series, not even a class. Also to your point about preferring a classroom, I am the polar opposite; I've always been more of a book-learner, nor all that sociable, and I generally find the classroom experience to be a hindrance more than a help.

As for the torrent, I am unfazed. I don't date of anyone torrents it, because why should I, I just couldn't share it in good conscience because i believe the product is of value.

>>3695

*I don't care if anyone torrents it

Not really grew or of left since ive almost always been an centreist slightly leaning More on the right, and i have views of turning the dials to make it nicer for people. But With religion, I used to try to point out flaws in ones belief because it was an art of being logically correct, but were all hu man so that means stupidity trumps all and you'll see rage or reinforcing the belief even more as they can't let go. How can you fix this? Don't confront their views and give advice on how to think correctly, but either ask questions that leads in the direction you want, and use the environment to shape their thoughts.