Philosophical Quotes The Largest-Ever Survey of Philosophers: What Do They Believe? Last year, David Bourget and David Chalmers conducted an exercise in the sociology of philosophy, the largest survey of philosophers ever (3000+ respondents): the PhilPapers Surveys. Now that new results have been released, let’s look back at the findings. First, it’s worth noting, as the editors do, that (1) the survey focuses mostly on Anglophone analytic philosophers, and (2) answer choices were often too brief for respondents to know how to answer, and that (3) though the response rate of 47% was pretty good, there is inevitably some selection bias, probably toward younger analytic philosophers. More survey design thoughts here. Basic results The results for some of the questions of wide interest include… (note that ‘other’ includes answers like ‘I don’t know’) Ethics: realism or anti-realism? Ethics: deontology, consequentialism, or virtue ethics? Abstract objects: Platonism or nominalism? External world: idealism, skepticism, or non-skeptical realism? Atheism or theism? Correlations
Introduction to Philosophy through Science Fiction, a Free Online Textbook What is Philosophy? An Omnibus of Definitions from Prominent Philosophers by Maria Popova “Philosophy is 99 per cent about critical reflection on anything you care to be interested in.” Last week, we explored how some of history’s greatest minds, including Richard Feynman, Carl Sagan, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and Isaac Asimov, defined science. Kant famously considered philosophy the “queen of the sciences” — whether or not that is true, philosophy seems even more elusive than science to define. From Philosophy Bites, the book based on the wonderful podcast of the same name, comes an omnibus of definitions, bound by a most fascinating disclaimer — for, as Nigel Warburton keenly observes in the book’s introduction, “philosophy is an unusual subject in that its practitioners don’t agree what it’s about.” The following definitions are excerpted from the first chapter of the book, which asks a number of prominent contemporary philosophers the seemingly simple yet, as we’ll see, awfully messy question, “What is philosophy?” Another running theme — sensemaking:
Assembled Philosophers Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Philosophy Mission: Develop thrivable agents and a flourishing network to co-create a more thrivable world. We work with a 5 point model, considering the individual, their environment (at many scales), the social interactions involved, the feedback and metrics to enable adjustment of the course, and the conditions for creativity. Thrivable Elements Creative Through exploring cycles and process, future pacing, active listening, and individual vs. group dynamics, Thrivable seeks to uncover what factors promote creativity and emergence. What is stimulating people to be playful? Collaborative Network theory, collective intelligence, Appreciative Inquiry™, agreements, social media, community formation, and social science are important factors in understanding the interplay between peers, groups, and larger networks. What allows and encourages people to interact? Physical Our situatedness impacts our ability to create, evolve, and collaborate. What is the difference between a rival, non-rival, and ally?
Process philosophy Process philosophy (or ontology of becoming) identifies metaphysical reality with change and development. Since the time of Plato and Aristotle, philosophers have posited true reality as "timeless", based on permanent substances, while processes are denied or subordinated to timeless substances. If Socrates changes, becoming sick, Socrates is still the same (the substance of Socrates being the same), and change (his sickness) only glides over his substance: change is accidental, whereas the substance is essential. Therefore, classic ontology denies any full reality to change, which is conceived as only accidental and not essential. This classical ontology is what made knowledge and a theory of knowledge possible, as it was thought that a science of something in becoming was an impossible feat to achieve.[1] History[edit] In Ancient Greek thought[edit] An early expression of this viewpoint is in Heraclitus's fragments. Twentieth century[edit] Whitehead's Process and Reality[edit] [edit]
Philosophical Quotes, Thought-Provoking Sayings Related Quotes Hmmm Philosophy Truth Wise Words We are more often treacherous through weakness than through calculation. ~François VI de la Rochefoucault A man with one watch knows what time it is; a man with two watches is never quite sure. Begin at the beginning... and go on till you come to the end: then stop. Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who find it. Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow. Only that in you which is me can hear what I'm saying. I am a part of all that I have met. There's more to the truth than just the facts. The obscure we see eventually. Even a clock that does not work is right twice a day. Losing an illusion makes you wiser than finding a truth. If a man who cannot count finds a four-leaf clover, is he lucky? We are all but recent leaves on the same old tree of life and if this life has adapted itself to new functions and conditions, it uses the same old basic principles over and over again. The obstacle is the path.
Portal:Philosophy Glossary of philosophy A glossary of philosophy. A[edit] the position that in a particular domain of thought, all statements in that domain are either absolutely true or absolutely false: none is true for some cultures or eras while false for other cultures or eras. These statements are called absolute truths. A common reaction by those who newly criticize absolutism is the absolute truth statement: Absolute truths do not exist. Enlightened absolutisma form of governing by rulers who were influenced by the Enlightenment (18th-century and early 19th-century Europe).Moral absolutismthe position that there are absolute standards against which moral questions can be judged, and that certain actions are right or wrong, regardless of the context of the act.Political absolutisma political theory that argues that one person should hold all power. Absurdism philosophy stating that the efforts of man to find meaning in the universe will ultimately fail because no such meaning exists (at least in relation to man). Acosmism
10 Mind-Blowing Theories That Will Change Your Perception of the World Reality is not as obvious and simple as we like to think. Some of the things that we accept as true at face value are notoriously wrong. Scientists and philosophers have made every effort to change our common perceptions of it. The 10 examples below will show you what I mean. 1. Great glaciation is the theory of the final state that our universe is heading toward. 2. Solipsism is a philosophical theory, which asserts that nothing exists but the individual’s consciousness. Don’t you believe me? As a result, which parts of existence can we not doubt? 3. George Berkeley, the father of Idealism, argued that everything exists as an idea in someone’s mind. The idea being that if the stone really only exists in his imagination, he could not have kicked it with his eyes closed. 4. Everybody has heard of Plato. In addition to this stunning statement, Plato, being a monist, said that everything is made of a single substance. 5. 6. Enternalism is the exact opposite of presentism. 7. 8. 9. 10.
7 Lessons From 7 Great Minds Have you ever wished you could go back in time and have a conversation with one of the greatest minds in history? Well, you can’t sorry, they’re dead. Unless of course you’re clairaudient, be my guest. But for the rest of us, we can still refer to the words they left behind. Even though these great teachers have passed on, their words still live, and in them their wisdom. 1. “If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.” - Lawrence J. In order for us to achieve our dreams, we must have a vision of our goals. Action: Visualize a life of your wildest dreams. 2. “It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, “Always do what you are afraid to do.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson The best way to learn something is to dive right in to it. Action: You must define your fears in order to conquer them. 3. “All that we are is the result of what we have thought. Our thoughts determine our reality. Action: Create a list of your intentions and desires. 4. 5. 6. 7.