Thursday, July 31, 2008
Week Seven: the Modern Philosopher
As you watch the video think carefully about the role of philosopher and theorist in modern society. Does such intellectual depth fulfill any real role in our technological money grubbing survival of the fittest driven moder lives? Why does making an academic argument require that you reference the thinkers, for lack of a better word, that have come before you? Is it true that if we don't remember the past we are doomed to repeat it? Or as humans will we just repeat it anyway? Or worse yet, are the heinous lessons of history - and theory- just an inspiration to the next generation of "monsters"? Do you care about anything but yourselves - does anyone?
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Philosophy is something I can really get into. I prefer deep meaningful conversations and debates over small talk any day. I think about my relationship with the rest of the world and its events all the time. I think about where man has been and where we are going.
As a waiter, I had the opportunity to observe many people in many varied states. I could tell who was used to going out and the guy who takes his family out once a year. I observed the differing reactions to typical questions that came up in the course of their meal. It is horrifying to me how many people are oblivious to the world around them. Many people hear what they want to hear having a very narrow spectrum of vision.
I think about the state of affairs in the world today. Everything is about money. It is man's only motivator. Most people (Americans, anyway) have no altruistic goals in their lives. They live, breath and die to accumulate as much money and property as they can. Amusingly, most people have no idea how to reach this superficial goal. Way too many people would lie, cheat, steal, and stomp all over you to get ahead rather than let someone ahead of them in line at the grocery store. There was a time when we were neighbors. We helped each other out. We remembered birthdays and anniversaries. People today are afraid of each other. This fear breeds contempt and anger. Hate is present in every culture in the world, yes, the church too.
That leaves religion and politics. They each deserve their own blog so, I will post another day.
First off, ŹiŹek Slavoj is one intense man, yet his words inspire deep thought.
Secondly, great questions Joleen!
Does intellectual depth fulfill any real roles in our technological-money grubbing-survival of the fittest driven modern world? Well, according to a very famous philosopher, ŹiŹek Slavoj, philosophy does not solve any problems instead it solidifies that there is a problem. With that, in my personal opinion I believe that your question answers itself. I personally would believe that "money grubbing" is of excess and things of excess are a problem and if it is a philosopher's job to solidify a problem then wha-la.
Okay, I know that wasn't exactly what you were expecting... so...
Of course a philosopher will always have a role of importance in society! As long as humans exist we will need someone to analyze exactly what we are doing and where these actions or lack-thereof can and might take us. I think that they are evaluating where will humans be if we continue our current technologically, fear and money driven lives.
When asked if there was truth, ŹiŹek Slavoj stated "what does it mean when you say this is true?" So, is it true that if we don't remember our past we will repeat it? ŹiŹek's comment really made me think, well, that makes since, what does one mean when they say that something is true? Something can be many things, what is truth in relation? From there I believe that it is entirely possible for us to repeat our past, just as much as it is not. That regardless if we know of our past or not as long as we don't mentally/emotional progress from what previous generations (in which we are in contact with) have experienced then we are very likely to make similar good or bad situations which have the same outcomes as past events. It is a thought progression, we must adapt and become mature in our thoughts.
I should probably stop this thought and move onto another question. =D
Does intellectual depth fulfill a role in this technological money grubbing survival of the fittest driven moder lives? Well I think it depends on what we are looking at. The Government yes because they or we always have to be on top with technology, economy fixes. So I think that the government has to be on a intellectual depth. Even some of the things that are drawn up seem so dumb and you ask your self is this going to work.
I thing that if we do not remember the past I do not think that we are doomed to repeat it. When I look back at my life in the last twenty seven years I can't remember a lot. One is I can not for the life of remember the year I was twenty four. I don't know if it is because of the parting that had accord that year. I think the years in 2005? Man my math is not working. I need the left side of my brain to work some times. In not remembering I do not see my self doing the things that I did that year but then again I can remember that year so I do not know dumb things I did. Maybe it's a good thing that I can't remember. In repeating the year that was not remembered I see that happening. I see this because the things I remember when I was twenty five can resemble the same things and action that I did. I feel It's true that the majority of the population will think for them selfs then thinking of other people first. I find that a lot when your driving. One example is when you are trying to make a right turn out of a gas station. The gas station is on a corner of two major street and there is a light at this intersection. So your trying to make right turn and the light is red on the side you are trying to turn on. Traffic is stopping and no one will not let you in! They pull up and block you in. Thats thinking for them selfs. It kills me!! Why can't anyone let you in. Your not wasting any of there time because there stuck at a light!!! I find my self caring about others more then I should for me. I'm working on that.
My first experience with philosophy came in high school when I read Plato's "Republic" for class. If you're not familiar with it, I highly recommend it. It's a quick read, for the most part. I'll try to summarize what I remember of it.
Basically, it was a group of Greek philosophers (Socrates, and some other less notables) who wanted to define morality and its role in society. Easy right? Well they decided to try and create a hypothetical civilization from absolute scratch. The real basic stuff. The first inhabitant was a farmer I think, then came a craftsman. The interesting part is that no matter how much they tried to create a pseudo-utopian society, it all kept coming apart. Who was to blame? Man of course and his morals, or lack there of. I wish I could remember a good example, but it has been a really long time. This is a spoiler if you ever pick up the book, but they never did come with a working definition for morality.
So, what role does philosophy play in modern society? First thing comes to mind is an undergraduate major that doesn't lead to a job.
On a more serious note, I heard a comment recently that has to do with modern philosophy.
What role does morality play in the world food crisis? I guess some modern thinkers have decided to philosophize over this growing unbalance. On the one hand, our technology is to the point where we Can produce enough food to feed all 6 billion or so people in the world, yet we don't. Money, power, and politics have become bigger influences on world leaders and "the deciders" than plain ole moral conscience.
I guess I would argue that modern philosophers could act as a moral compass, much the same as they did in Ancient Greece.
I'm not sure that we can as individuals ever say deifnitively that we know the "truth" about anything in this world. We have the "truth" our senses tell us, but common slight of hand conquers that. We have words of another that may resonate with "truth", but the greatest deceivers throughout history have relied on that notion. We also have scientific "truths", which I believe are the easiest to test in real world terms, but still you have those who refuse to believe the Earth is round or that dinosaur bones are older than 10,000 years...so, I suppose "truth" is relative to the person who perceives it. Perhaps, with limited awareness and finite senses we are only able to glimpse pieces of the greater truths in life.
It's tough for me to try to understand phiiosophy let along a phiosofer explaining his theories. Do I believe that people should talk about theories and phiolsphy? Of course I do. It gets people to think in different ways about socity and life. Slavoj is amazing at the way he thinks of things. But on the second hand, from my point of view he might as be a rambling madman. I do not understand any of what he talks about. People who study philosphy might have a better understanding of his point, but as for me, I do not think that deep ever. Maybe that's bad of me but it hurts my head to listen to him. The world has a place for these types of people in this socity. I'm just not one of them nor do I ever plan to be.
Philosophy is a type of religion in itself. people want to feel secure,. they want there to be both an asnwer and a reason. these things we will never find as they are concepts not real things, they are ideas we wish we had because there is no manual, life is hard and noone knows what the goal is. philosophy tries to rememdy this, but really doesent and in the end is usually alot of rhetoric in my opinion. granted it has areas in morality where it seems to be good, and it is, but it really doesnt have much effect on the overall picture, people know good from evil.
I agree with contrado. We as humans like to have the answers for everything. So far as philosophy goes for me... I'm totally lost. I guess it's just hard for me to put myself in that mental position. All of that would take too much mental effort on my part, and frankly I just would rather use it for other purposes.
The movie was interesting and I was intrigued by what Slavoj was talking about, when I could understand him. Unfortunately most of the film, I just could not understand what he was talking about. Between the broken english, the accent, and the massive vocabulary he uses; I just couldn't grasp most of his lectures. I guess I'm just too simple minded to understand him.
Research continues... more internet research this week, along with some articles research. The best thing I found this week was that in Sweden the heart symbol is an old symbol that used to stand for unisex toilets. I definately got a kick out of that.
Hi there! I think Philosophy is just as important now than was before. I doesn't matter if we live in a crazy, tech, money driven world, we need intellectual tought, we need people thinking and alalyzing ourselves, our actions and behaviors. Philosophers, even if we dont't need them, even if they just express a personal opinion or other thinkers in the past, they must be there. We need in the future to have an intellectual reference of what we are doing today.
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