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From: FFreeThinker2
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  • @DeathBringer769 Hear, hear

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  • Classic comedy! But why did you omit the punch line? You know, the bit at the end where Hugh Laurie appears wielding a copy of ‘The Critique of Pure Reason’ and proceeds to beat Fry about the head, saying: “well, that at least refutes Berkeleyan Idealism!” After which both in unison turn to the camera like naughty schoolboys, as if to apologise for pretending there was a sketch there, when in fact there wasn’t. Timeless! Though not, of course, in a Spinozist sense. Doh!

  • Absurdism - Albert Camus. Please look it up..

  • I know what he means about Hegel being like a salmon! I thought I got it yesterday but then I tried to explain it to myself and it didn't seem to work!

  • One of the finest minds in our time. Thanks Stephen for entertaining, educating and informing intellectual travelers like me.

  • The trick to philosophy is understanding it without buying it.

  • @SimulacraMan well put

  • What's ridiculous is the fact that you just cut Stephen Fry off in the middle of a sentence. Again.

  • how the f--- do you invent 'logic'? ;d

  • @teequlah

    How do you invent logic? You have just proved your ignorance! Get your head out of your ass and buy “logic for Dummies” so you will understand how Aristotle invented syllogism. Here is an example of logic:

    Let G = God exist.

    Let P = God has confirmed his existence to man with conclusive evidence.

    (G ↔ P)

    Gods confirmation is invalid/unsound, therefore the contrapostive is

    (¬P ↔ ¬G)

    ¬P

    Conclusion ¬G

  • @oregonsheepherder head out of my ass? dude, seriously. dont be one of those internet kids who post aggression towards your fellow man. if you believe in any of this, you know were all equal and deserve respect.thanks for the info you posted but be less in my face next time and offer advice for me to seek.

  • It's soon comes to my attention that the question is the answer

  • All I know is that I know nothing

  • wow

  • 36 people succeeded in capturing a salmon.

  • no mention of Pyrrho or any of the Skeptics though; no wonder he finds Hegel slippy

  • stephen fry is not an intellectual god, he is just some bro who got a 2:1 in english from cambridge and reads an autocue on a TV show about trivia. this video demonstrates his propensity to talk a bit of nonsense, but people submit to what he's saying due to some kind of public perception of his mastery.

    you're just as, if not more intelligent than he is. think for yourselves.

  • @gorgolyt As someone who has never known him as anything more than an actor; he seems pretty intellectually-sound. I don't know that I'd call him a "master", but he is certainly a thinking individual. That's more than can be said about much of society.

  • The loathsome Fry. 

  • Fry needs a chiropractor

    

  • @dougcapehart

    -I've got a degree in homeopathic medicine.

    -You've got a degree in baloney.

  • @MrMonkeyInk A degree in homeopathic medicine is like a degree in astrology

  • @MrMonkeyInk lol.. homeopathic medicine. 

  • anybody come here cause this guy was in the movie "V for Vendetta"? :)

  • best nose iv ever seen

  • This guys nose.

  • The idea that Aristotle's influence on the Medieval mind was "pernicious" is unfortunate. I think it was more the Augustinian/Platonic/Christian influence on the Middle Ages that was pernicious; the cold reasoning of Aristotle, reintroduced towards the end of the Middle Ages, was mostly responsible for the rebirth of logic, science, secularism, empirical inquiry and everything else that came with the Renaissance and Enlightenment.

  • Oh and it's funny how he's saying that people hold "hard work" to be dull when a philosopher he mentions, Bertrand Russell, wrote "In Defence of Idleness". Of course, that had a different historical context: the capitalists in the age of industry advocated that their wage slaves, especially the children, be kept working else they'd become delinquents. Russell argued that they'd devote their time to hobbies such as his, philosophy and mathematics, but his conception was pre-facebook.

  • Oooh err, I hope he isn't a fan of Nietzsche. It would explain some of his more vitriolic outbursts, Nietzsche was a smart chap, but relying on impulse as a guide for morality is ultimately impossible: if anyone holds that we should replicate nature, it would be more moral to rape an attractive woman than to give a coat to a freezing homeless person. I do like his comment on Buddhism though: the precepts are nice, but why must we label ourselves? I'm not a Fryan or Millian or Dawkinsian...

  • I like the idea that they cut him off at the end before he dug his hole any deeper. Nice chap but not as knowledgeable about philosophy as one might believe. Although, having actually read any of the Enlightenment philosophers puts him head and shoulders above the majority who would, as he pointed out, would disregard it all as a waste of time.

  • Philosophy is a MASSIVELY interesting topic on which to converse and I am unfortunate because I cannot do this with my own father. My dad is a Christian who won't talk about any absolute truths without bringing up the bible. I talk about the purpose of consciousness and he talks about Matthew 4. I talk about the meaning of love, he talks about John 6. It cuts off the conversation. Maybe I should be more open minded and listen to what he's saying instead of which God he's attributing it to...

  • @tpstrat14 show him a fossil

  • @tpstrat14

    Just keep asking him questions.. if all he wants to do is quote the bible then ask him why he thinks the bible is true, then question his reasons for thinking the bible is true etc. get him to think about what justification he has for what he believes in a non-confrontational or aggressive way.

  • @tpstrat14 A good thing is also to question their conclusions, as for Matthew 4 like you would ask "where do you know from that your conclusion is right ? i could interpret that sentence in a way where it means... etc. etc. forces him to come up with a reason on why his interpretation is true. And usually the defend with "i just know it or feel it" and thats where you know its time to stop. They dont want to argue, they want to believe.

  • @tpstrat14

    Look, you're not going to convince him that atheism is the way to go, in spite of what some frankly quite arrogant people on here are advising. Rather than concerning yourself with Bible references, consider how your father's (Biblical) principles tie in with other supposed 'absolute truths' and discuss/debate on those terms. No need to worry about the existence of God, nor the failure of religion.

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  • yeah you could say its affecting my life, I also hear that the faggot David Cameron is thinking of making shit stabbing compulsory in Britain.

  • @timmye00 Oh, see, you had me before, i actually believed you meant it. Well done. I was returning here with the express purpose to argue this some more before reading that you apperently 'believe' that the PM is about to make gay sex *mandatory*.

    Quasi-Poe's law, i guess

  • @JhericFury Anyway thanks for the grammar lesson.

  • Yeah sticking your dick in another guys ass,thats logic and reason is it you sick perverted shitstabbing moron.

  • @timmye00 How strange and horrible the world must look through your eyes, to hate someone so passionately for something that will never, and was never intended to, affect your life in any way.

  • @JhericFury I like to watch TV but every fucking time i switch the box on there is some poofter bum bandit standing there talking he's filthy mouth off,and when i buy a news paper all i can read about is some shit stabber kissing he's poofter boyfriend. The faggots are everywhere. Children come home from school,and say there teacher said it was natrual for a another man to stick he's penis up another mans ass.

  • @timmye00

    A lot of what men and women do isn't "natural" in the sense of leading to having children, either - including doing all the things that gay men can do. What does it matter what consenting adults do for fun? And some animals, like bonobo apes, are just as inventive about it as humans are for that matter (if you think human's aren't part of nature).

  • @orlando098 Another fucking godless bastard,stink in hell pervert.

  • @timmye00 You are the worst kind of bigot, which ever religion you follow you have not right to pass judgement on another. That privilege is reserved for God, what sort of image so you think you're portraying of your "forgiving" religion? Get an education on how to act in society you fundamentalist wack job. Also if you are going to take your Lord's name in vane do it properly, God is always capitalized.

  • @laurenceT141 Are you a shitstabber to,oh no another one.

  • @timmye00 No I'm not gay if that's what that vulgar term means.But don't worry I've worked it out, you're still in the closet and are too afraid to come out. Don't Worry Timmy00 you're in a safe place, we'll accept you...just say it "I'm gay!" go on it wont hurt you and you'll feel better for it.

    twisted wierdo

  • @laurenceT141 It means your as bent as a ten bob note.

  • @timmye00 Yeah I got that, try reading the comment. We all know you're just a closet camper, just admit it to the world and stop hating yourself.

  • @laurenceT141 You talk like your'v been out the closet for some time now. You must hate your self for being a bumboy.

  • @timmye00 Yeah that's it, I pick you up on the totally unacceptable way you're behaving on a public forum so that means I'm gay. All you've been is rude and disrespectful. If you think your views are justified then explain them clearly and concisely, preferably with no references to "shit-stabbing". And if you cant do without saying "it aint natrul!" then just assume you are officially of sub-human intelligence and go and hang out with the monkeys until you evolve a bit.

  • @laurenceT141 Go and take some Hemlock.

  • @laurenceT141 Have you taken the Henlock yet.Asshole.

  • @laurenceT141

    @timmye00 You're embarrassing yourself Timmy, just stop.

  • @JhericFury You fucking godless bastard,i hope you stink in hell.

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  • @youdontknowxpand Love my shitstabbing neighbor like myself,no thanks thats sick and peverted and corrupt.

  • @timmye00 hahaha

  • HEY, IT'S THE DUDE FROM V FOR VENDETTA !

  • I believe one true universal philosophy is Intellectual Adaptation, for if each man were unable to differentiate, between what is right, to a point and what is wrong, to a point, then we would be unable to mentally conceive what we must change. We are all catalyst to an ultimate cause, weather we know or accept that fact.

  • Philosphy is of where we stand in time and space at this present nil time moment. And then in the next nanosecond your philosophy changes, if you get me?

  • LET HIM FINISH!!

  • I wish he was my teacher. How much for tutoring . Lol

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  • 'Reason is no more than a set of rules developed by the race; it takes no account of anything beyond sensory impressions.There is no possible escape from the vicious circle that we can register only the behavior of our own instrument.' - Master Therion

  • @MajikPanda

    Sucks for us then that reason is the only thing that has yielded demonstrably useful and accurate results, then.

  • @Kinin4 reason is only accurate at measuring what we decide to measure, within the rules that the race created. and whatever that is will always be within the capacity of our instrument. it is known that our senses are adapted to receive only an infinitesimal fraction of the possible rates of vibration. is reason useful? no doubt, tho we must humble ourselves intellectually and appreciate the infinite that is beyond our perception.

  • @MajikPanda

    Well said.

    Philosophy is still very valuable and indeed fun. But is is purely based on human logic, and reality often defies logic. It should be used only for examining artificial constructs.

  • I agree with Stephen on the Aristotle point. Aristotle was clearly a truly brilliant individual even if his writing style left something to be desired but the way that he has been used over the years by people like Thomas Aquinas. However there are philosophies with rules that you must follow and Aquinas' precepts are a good example of this even if they do commit the naturalistic fallacy and are, in my opinion, a load of rubbish

  • I think the field of philosophy has evolved into science. Science utilizes both rationalism and empiricism. Your specific paradigm is your rationality, and your evidence is empirical.

  • "Logic" and "reason", the two buzzwords for wannabe scientists who will hang on every word that people like Stephen Fry say, yet have absolutely no thoughts of their own because they're actually thick as shit. But yeah... logic and reason.

  • @Riiye Where are your logic and reasoning for this statement? :P

  • @Riiye rofl, you illogical unreasonable fool

  • @DaKrazyKatt That was a really good point to counter what I said, well done.

  • @Riiye Thanks, although I wasn't really countering what you said, I was just making fun of you. Maybe if you invested more time into logic and reason you would have realised that. "buzzwords" indeed.

  • that's ridiculous. Philosophy does very often give a way to live your life, and especially Kant does this.

  • @korpscomacho

    So does a meth additction, doest make it a good thing

  • @BleedingSunday Are you implying that thinking is bad?

  • @LunarFuror

    How did you came to that conclusion?

  • @BleedingSunday Seemed like you were comparing philosophy to meth.

  • @LunarFuror

    Please read the comments again..

    I was only stating the faults in his logic; where something that gives u a way to live your life is a good thing.. Thats failed logic. Meth gives you a way to live your life and so does religion..

    Logic debunked.

  • @BleedingSunday Ah I see. I appologize, I only saw the one comment and your reply. That's a good point.

  • @korpscomacho I disagree, I see no way to live by Kantian ethics. Any absolutist philosophy is doomed to fail. It's ironic that Kant places so much weight on reason and empiricism yet advocates living in the noumenal realm, an idea stolen from Plato for which he has no scientific evidence.

  • @korpscomacho Yes but not the philosophies he values.

  • @korpscomacho

    I think he was referring more to ascribing the term "philosophy" to simple principles such as, as he said, not being late. Could you possibly call it a philosophy to, I don't know, brush your teeth every night?

    That's what I got out of it anyway, but I of course may have come away a little short.

  • @korpscomacho

    Absolutely. Nietzsche and Socrates too, amongst innumerable others; not very good examples from a man whose opinion I usually value greatly.

    I did, though, enjoy the analogy of reading Hegel being like attempting to grip a salmon.

  • @korpscomacho kant believed he was a brain in a tank. lololol

  • @korpscomacho

    Yes, he does.

    But especially Aristotle!

    But especially Locke

    But especially

    OK, basically this gag works by me listing a load of moral and political philosophers.

  • @korpscomacho Kant was concerned mainly with metaphysics, the laws governing our world, not really an individual's guide to the everyday business of living.

  • The only true ground philosophy holds is whether or not your opinionated ego accepts it. 

  • All roads lead to Rome. It does not matter your strengths or what road....we are in ROME!!!! chao

  • 'Philosophy a really important dimension....in our age we tend to be rather sloppy about it'

  • It is important to identify the issue at present. The glorification of “speed of thought” as opposed to “depth of thought” is the idea and problem. A transition is underway to depth that I can see and hope to have helped along as a fellow human. A condensed version of Philosophy and psychiatry in everyday sense need to find popularity and a transgression on the norm. sorry for the grammar…Gray

  • @inwardfraction well said =)

  • May I say edit free if you know what I mean…The idea that a philosopher has no philosophy is absurd to me. I believe in my years of quest the emersion and thoughts become internalized. Saying that it has occurred to me that name dropping will not solve issues nor will psychiatry. 

  • he was on bones

  • Yes, people are lazy about philosophy these days....that's exactly why they ask people like Stephen Fry to churn out some winsome cliches and catchphrases on the subject, instead of getting someone who knows what they're talking about.

  • his nose is crooked...

  • One can't help but feel that Plato, Kant and Locke might be a little surprised to learn that they had said nothing about how to live one's life - and having possibly been the first to coin the phrase "the good life" Socrates might be a triffled miffed to hear he had said little about ethics.

  • Although I disagree with fry that philosophers haven't tried to give us imperatives to act in such and such ways, I do observe the same thing as he does with the way people confuse the expression of their point of view with a philosophy. I was always taught that philosophy is about good argumentation.

  • The concept of living your life by Philosophy see Confucius it is like wax melting on your woman’s a..lol

  • Wait doesn't Kant give exactly that, a simple way address ethics? "Treat others as an end not as a means."

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  • i love you

  • Why is Stephans Frys name shown below people should know who he is.... because he is god.

  • @Pr0pagandaFilms Haha too bad he doesn't believe in God.

  • jew hater

  • @todanes he's not ...

  • @todanes Only muslims really hate the jews nowadays

  • @Mandragara Go down to the bible belt of the United States, go over to the former Yugoslavia, antisemitism is still hugely popular...

  • @bl91978 You're probably right

  • Philosophy tends to be blind to many things,and basically focus on the ability to ignore things with very very empty reasons that just obscure one things while giving extra attention to another.

    The eventual true meaning is...people are bored,they start to think...then they think too much,then they invent philosophy in order to block many things they were thinking of...Since it is known that the eventual result of pure thinking is-everything means nothing at all.

  • @Wharwulif

    Most philosophy tries to bundle ideas and concepts and try to somehow patent reality. However philosophers arent just out in the blue and vague. Many governments use philosophy and social anthropology in very tangible ways to organise society and make it less like living in a rulebook.

  • @Janusha The eventual social structure will collapse anyway,no matter what the people philosophy and values are.

    Yeah,philosophers do focus on many ideas and things and trying to unite them so that people will argue less over very idiotic reasons,yet...the overall focus of philosophers tends to be on Humans,and humans in nature,and rarely on nature itself WITHOUT the human point of view.also,It's not logical to organize a society which is in endless growing growth,unless you have a hive mind.

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  • @zuby555 Explaining my mind brings no joy,it just proves that I'm who I am.Joy part comes from the feeling of -I MANAGED TO DO SOMETHING...Has for the rest,the need for joy and explore,drives from boredom itself.The results of philosophy are an important things for survival,since many people reach a point where they just can't carry on with many many horrible things,so...they need some sort of explanation to calm themselves.Philosophy explains nothing but human views upon things.

  • Pretty sure Kant decided that we 'should' live according to the three points of the categorical imperative, in order to achieve the kingdom of ends. That's how it should be to him. Just like Aristotle thought that every human 'should' strive to fullfill their potential of a social, rational animal in order to achieve eudemonia (I think) from where happiness is possible.

  • I wish this guy would talk right.

  • @SethThoms420

    Are you seriously criticising his way to talk ? Hes Oxford educated and one of the smartest public figures out there. Go watch a few episodes of QI.

  • @Janusha Cambridge educated I think you'll find.

  • @richardtheteague

    Yes yes I ment Cambridge. Hell Ive even been there.

  • Ponies

  • You know that analogy of trying to grab a slippery bar of soap, when Fry wants to make the same point, he exchanges the soap for a salmon. That's how you know he's posh, innit.

  • Doesn't Kant tell us to live our life by the Categorical Imperative?

  • @oali94 No categorical imperative, as Kant prescribe its use, was to judge whether some thing was moral or immoral. Think of it as a 'barometer' of Kantian morality.

  • These philosophy things are full of grammar Nazi's

  • @TheGreenante Try to remember the full stop next time. Thanks.

  • @jacksawild Thanks, it's a good the letters didn't run away.

  • As David Hume alluded(HU132), "Aristotle's metaphysics (hoax) should be committed to fry", or was that barbiecue, a fantasy world awaiting its Aqua to be ken, life in static plastic. The HU132 is about underworld flamens of Imperial death cults deifying the state and its Great Leader dictators who pick facts to confirm irrational emotional biases.

    Hume correctly identified only two schools of philosophy, of opposite natures: originally Socratic Olympic-Theist versus Aristotle's Titanic-Satanic.

  • Wow! This guy is hella philosophical. How does he know so much philosophy?

  • @dmh497 Anyone can name names. True thinkers think about thinking. You can read too much and think too much. The more you know the the realize how much you do not know! Just enjoy life in all its fulness.

  • what a nose LOL

  • @mitraljez mine is bigger.

  • Steven fry is good, but he's not that good else he wouldn't act camp

  • The pre-socratics certainly did concern themselves with how to live life. Half the extant quotations are moral precepts. Aristotle wrote on ethics (2 books IIRC). Only when logic was seen as a way to ultimate truth higher than and independent of experience did 'how one should live' recede as a topic. This reached its apotheosis in Aquinas, Decartes, Spinoza et al, was questioned by Kant and shattered by Russell. The moral question may be all that is left of philosophy - not metaphysics...

  • funny thing i always found is a lot of people equate philosophy = bible thumper lol...thankfully a lot more know better

  • there is so many philosophies in this world ...we blame religion and claim there is too many of them yet we have philosophy and there is too many of them. what is true? why do we make life so complicated trying to answer questions we will never know they are true or not and while we are trying to figure all this out....lying in your death bed you will realize how big of a fool you were . Trying to figure out life for so long that you missed on life itself.

  • @KingDcome11 For some, living life every day discovering new ideas, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and thinking outside of the box is the most exciting way to live life. You've heard that cliché 'It's not the destination, it's the journey that counts'? It doesn't matter that the answers may never be found. I'm sure these people would die quite contented with the way their lives have played out.

    Just because you don't value thought as much as action, doesn't mean that others feel the same.

  • I have never seen Stephen Fry look as camp and 'gay' as when he says the word 'spirit' - it's fantastic.

  • He's obviously never read anything on Existentialism.

  • intended for Yourm0msuxmybigcock. Its apparent from your comments that you fancy yourself an intellectual finding enjoyment playing the role of scholar casting condescending messages upon the other youtubers youre certainly entitled to your fun but I thought Id mention that you give yourself away with your choice of name.Your clearly not in a position to play psychologist in fact you probably need one due to your appaarent disasosciative personality disorder but dont mind me, carry on.

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  • @hugotuga100 You've reacted to this as if it was meant to be an educational video on philosophy. He was asked to give a list of philosophers, that's why he did that. Stephen Fry isn't the average TV celebrity, he reads about all sorts of interesting things.

  • @Trumagmur I'm sure that he is a brilliant man but i would rather have someone qualified answering proper questions about philosophy such as what is the relationship between philosophy, arts and science. what is philosophical enquiry; what is philosophical logic, etc. someone who doesn't know philosophy must get bewildered after watching such. i did not want to hurt celebrity cult religion

  • @hugotuga100 Who are you to tell someone that they can't talk about something that they're interested in just because they aren't 'qualified'?

  • @hugotuga100

    Climb of your high horse. Stephen Fry was asked this question, not someone else. If you want to listen to the experts go and watch videos where they are interviewed or read their books. For someone with a degree in philosophy you sure seem unable to think further than your own nose.

  • @hugotuga100 but what you say isn't totally true, because I do read a lot of books and would say that they offer much more information that a 3 minute video on youtube, but I like to see other people's opinions about life and phylosophy, and Stephan Fry is very much educated and what he says is quite smart, plus you shouldn't judge him just because he goes on a television , I mean look at David Attenborough he's on TV all the time and he passes on a lot of wisdom onto his viewers

  • Check out my forum for philosophy students or anyone with an interest: papers.net76.net

  • athiests love to argue WAYYY to much

  • @SuperTroII and trolls dont? hush child

  • @SuperTroII The word is DEBATE.

  • stephen fry. im hetro/asexual but i'd totaly label myself Gay for you.

    i am honored to live in the same world as you.

  • STEPHEN FRY national treasure

  • @Qeerious looking out the window of his loft at night!

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  • Since @TomFynn and @Piatasify have followed me down the low road, (Ad Hom) here then allow me to take things up a notch. Fry blatantly has abused his position as a minor celebrity and oxbridge fecund to look down his big nose and made some glib statements as to the rigor and intellectual veracity of Buddhism which are unfounded. He assumes that because Indian Philosophy was NOT INVENTED HERE he can advance his position as a popular academic. Trouble his, his own words have found him wanting.

  • @yogawiki you mad

  • dude, you go it right. I have been waiting for someone to come around and to finally put some God and Science logic into the world. contact me at sebastian_osborn@yahoo.com, and visit my channel on youtube

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  • Philo-sophy in Greek really means "unheavenly love of the emergent property of wisdom" and presents as the deification of wisdom, plus self-defeat by unchallenged delusion; wisdom's necessary precursors, like 4-sided reason ✝ use of truth abstraction dynamics, are not only ignored but suppressed. This is what Aristotle's Imperial bilge comprises. 99% of philosophy is philosophistry.

    As Hume summed up (HU12.3): School metaphysics (=Aristotle): Commit it to flames✓ Aristotelized fake divinity too.

  • Oh - how ignorant - Buddhism has integrated an Indian philosophy as rigorous and "unspiritual" as the pre socratics. Fry you are an ignorant fool, Indian philosophy is as much hard work and as intellectually rigorous as anything you will find from Ancient Greece. These "eastern things" are not about being nice and spiritual if only you were not so lazy to actually read the Suttas you would not denigrate so quickly these traditions. You really are a despicable fecker. Just STFU

  • @yogawiki

    I think, what Fry was getting at was the intrinsic dogmatism of Buddhism - something like Buddhism of course, has complex mythology and indeed dogmatism so in a sense, it's divorced from say, Kantian philosophy which really is fundamentally about the very act of questioning.

    Of course, that's just my reading of it. Incidentally, for someone as absurdly well-versed on Religion as Fry, I *highly* doubt he isn't educated on Buddhism.