Philosophy etc. Book Club

[The One and Only...]

Originally Posted by ArtificialBrandon

Philosophy to me has always been a search for understanding of my own existence, rather than a quest for verifiable "truth," but I guess everyone has different reasons. In my opinion, unless trying to know something "for sure" improves the conditions of my life, it's a worthless exercise.

Understanding existence is only one aspect of philosophy.

Life itself directly opposes reason, since to live when one must die is utterly absurd. But life exists, does it not?

It is not absurd just because you say it is. Life exists because it is possible for it to exist. That is not absurd.

I never once said that *I* conceive of logic as an end in itself. My attack was on people who have made it so in their own lives, such as Socrates, who felt that man must be rational at any price.

Every man must be rational at all times. You are using reason right now. Don't you get it? Socrates never claimed that rationality was the end. That would be a logical absurdity itself. It's simply that reason is the best, if not only, way to meet the set end, and therefore we should strive to be rational.

So to you, knowing the "truth" will automatically make you happy, even if it is just limited to theoretical ideas that can be rationally proven?

I am a very curious person.