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Author Topic:   Western Philosophy and cracks...
nator
Member (Idle past 2169 days)
Posts: 12961
From: Ann Arbor
Joined: 12-09-2001


Message 16 of 24 (34887)
03-21-2003 8:45 AM
Reply to: Message 11 by funkmasterfreaky
01-25-2003 4:57 PM


quote:
This is why people with artistic minds are the better philosophers.
If you mean "creative" when you say "artistic", then I agree. However, creativity and analytic thought are not mutually-exclusive.
quote:
Unfortunately it takes like minded people to see what they are getting at. If you take analytical thinking too far you ruin the whole idea of philosophy. This is where the semantic games come in. I find that metaphor is a more effective way of expressing an idea than a mathematical equation.
You might want to read some Douglas Hofstadter. He a brilliant philosopher of mind who started out in Physics. He wrote a Pulitzer-prize winning book called "Goedel, Escher, Bach" which is full of both mathematics and metaphor. (He wrote this book while he was a graduate student, BTW) His later books deal with music and language, all containing math and metaphor.
quote:
Although I guess that depends on who you are trying to express your idea to. If you are trying to convey an idea to a mathematical mind then I am quite wrong in saying metaphors are more accurate. However if I am discussing an idea with a creative mind then I could not be more right.
The thing is, it takes a very creative mind to be a good mathematician, and creativity without rules and process (math) is senseless.

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Replies to this message:
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caligula
Inactive Member


Message 17 of 24 (35224)
03-25-2003 12:33 PM
Reply to: Message 16 by nator
03-21-2003 8:45 AM


I like to read Jung and Cicero,Camus and E. Kent,Nietzsche,David Hume and Lao-Tze, not to mention Socrates (Platon) and Gautama. Cheeers !
------------------
If you like this topic tell all your friends about it,if you don't,keep your mouth shut.

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John A. Davison 
Inactive Member


Message 18 of 24 (35346)
03-26-2003 4:08 PM
Reply to: Message 2 by caligula
01-22-2003 11:10 AM


The first truly great philosopher was Pythagoras in my book. My views are not very popular around here however. salty

This message is a reply to:
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Replies to this message:
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Mike Holland
Member (Idle past 483 days)
Posts: 179
From: Sydney, NSW,Auistralia
Joined: 08-30-2002


Message 19 of 24 (35401)
03-27-2003 6:13 AM
Reply to: Message 18 by John A. Davison
03-26-2003 4:08 PM


My favourite is Omar Khayyam.
Drink! For once dead, you never shall return.
Mike.

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caligula
Inactive Member


Message 20 of 24 (35431)
03-27-2003 9:21 AM
Reply to: Message 18 by John A. Davison
03-26-2003 4:08 PM


Tell me more about Pytagoras

This message is a reply to:
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caligula
Inactive Member


Message 21 of 24 (35432)
03-27-2003 9:22 AM
Reply to: Message 19 by Mike Holland
03-27-2003 6:13 AM


May I know wht he wrote ?

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Mister Pamboli
Member (Idle past 7576 days)
Posts: 634
From: Washington, USA
Joined: 12-10-2001


Message 22 of 24 (35450)
03-27-2003 11:24 AM
Reply to: Message 18 by John A. Davison
03-26-2003 4:08 PM


Lao Tzu would be my first choice, but he is so mysterious a character that I doubt hecan be pinned down historically.
I guess my vote would be for Confucius - a contemporary of Pythagoras of Samos. It's wonderful to think of these two great men living at the same time, divided by thousands of miles and unbridgeable cultural divides.
Makes you wonder what other great people go unknown to us. There were no doubt thinkers of genius in the South Americas civilisations who are unknown to us. Even today, there will be among the pastoral tribes of Africa or the hill people of South East Asia, men and women who are the Einstein or Curie of their science, the Aquinas or al-Ghazali of their religion, the Sojourner Truth of their society, their Mozart, their Leonardo.
It's all cultural, really.

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NeilUnreal
Inactive Member


Message 23 of 24 (35466)
03-27-2003 1:01 PM


Inverting the original topic, I think one of the most recent great philosophers is D. T. Suzuki. I think Zen has a lot to say about why art and philosophy intertwine and why semantics can lead to a quagmire.
-Neil

  
caligula
Inactive Member


Message 24 of 24 (36207)
04-03-2003 12:28 PM
Reply to: Message 22 by Mister Pamboli
03-27-2003 11:24 AM


All these great thinkers, just as the greatest artists of all times,in my opinion,share divinity in their thoughs and ideas.Almost as if they were especially sent here to illuminate mankind.

This message is a reply to:
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