Philosophy and Democracy

what is philosophy? its hard to say in our capitalist social context, since philosophical consciousness is not exactly what's on the menu.

http://footnotes2plato.com/2012/03/19...

http://footnotes2plato.com/2011/08/16...

• Category

  Education

[87Julius]

Sorry not to be able to grasp your entire thought properly, but I'll say that I can't help but have the impression that there is a tremendous gap between your philosophical considerations and your thoughts on the socio-political. If I was to be a crass "marxist" (which you certainly aren't), I'll say that your views are merely a form of conservative ideology. I can just feel the jump where your mind just escape into the comforts of the abstract.

[87Julius]

You escape in the world of thought as if it had any importance - you try hard to convince yourself of the value of spirit (ivory tower nonsense) before all else, but this is just to make sense of your guilt and uselessness before alienation and misery (which I'm sure you know nothing of) . Harsh words perhaps, but I also apply them to myself as well, so take it as you will.

[0ThouArtThat0]

Thinking is the most powerful thing in the universe. Not only is it more than the brain, it is more than the human being. It permeates the cosmos. Our spirit perceives ideas just as the eye perceives light. Like light, ideas pre-exist thinking. That said, thinking becomes conscious and so free only in individual human beings, and so sociopolitical revolution depends upon universal education of the spirit. Public education in the US systematically stifles creativity; Waldorf education might work

[0ThouArtThat0]

Waldorf education, or something like it, would do a better job raising free spirits capable of enacting a participatory democracy. Without proper education, society has no hope. The ivory tower must be brought to the streets. I think America was especially poised for this possibility in the 19th century, with thinkers like Emerson and Whitman showing the way; but we became sidetracked by industry in the 20th century, and the longing of the spirit took a back seat.

[0ThouArtThat0]

I think freedom can seem abstract when described philosophically, but really freedom is the most concrete of feelings. Why the need for "abstract" philosophizing? Because the feeling of freedom cannot come to be conscious until the nature of dialectic is understood (i.e., until the individual has learned to think). Philosophy emerges as one becomes conscious of one's alienation (from nature and from one's own labor). There can be no sociopolitical revolution until this consciousness emerges.

[0ThouArtThat0]

Absolutely. I think education has been privatized in this country, in the sense that one has to be privileged to receive an education. It is not given away for free in public. In public, there is only consumerism.

Philosophy has been forced into the closet in this country. When the country was born, real philosophy was being wielded by presidential candidates from the political debate stage; nowadays you'll be lucky to find a politician offer anything but a focus-group approved sound bite.

[ugoodHomeBoy]

I agree. Philosophy is a lot of fun dude, I love the shit, but for philosophy to have any value you gotta live a little. Philosophy and life/experience go hand in hand. Get drunk, fuck a couple of college girls, join a band and be too drunk to play, go travel. Books are nice, but there's more to life than philosophy. You're a young guy, go to do something else, because when you get to the end of the line you'll have wished you did something other than read. Don't give it up altogether though!

[threeofwands]

You hit upon something that we used to talk about in the 1980's, in that Adam Smith is more or less a joke, but if you want to really learn about capitalism, Marx teaches you how to do it.

[Maxwell Springer]

The question you've highlighted is always in the back of my mind. What types of social institutions and social structures create the conditions for which individuals learn freedom? How can society and culture lubricate people towards self-actualization?

[SuperSionSister]

Got to sing a song Matt

[Gloria Compton]

shouldn't u b out raising hell. had a hard time hearing u. all volume controls were turned up.

[Peters521]

Although I don't agree with Chomsky's metaphysics, I think his 1970 lecture on political philosophy titled "Chomsky: Government in the Future" is brilliant and worth wrestling with! I'd love to hear your thoughts on it Matt. This seems to me to be one area where a more Analytical approach works very well with a Participatory model.

[harrymjackson]

You look a bit like Philipp Otto Runge.

[patternsinchaos]

before you know... you must remember...

[outoftheboxinsight]

Enjoying this dialogue! Just a direct question: how can the masses be encouraged to explore not only the various worldviews which philosophy strives to define, but also the implications of applying one philosophical view over another? Example: Kant's view of the categorical imperative as it could be applied to car sales and environmental impacts.