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 What good are philosphers?


  • mudgod
    Jun 5 1:51 PM 2007
    Reply
    Give me a no nonsense person of foresight and action (FDR, Churchill, Lincoln, etc) over a ponderer who can never come to a conclusion anytime.

  • Weydon
    June 5, 2007
    Reply
    But foresight means being prudent and thinking things through first.

    Looking back on major political leaders, especially during times of war, it's easy to perceive them as someone who didn't sit around and think about decisions. You can learn pretty much everything essential about their Presidency/Prime Minister term in a few dedicated hours. This doesn't mean they didn't hesitate and think. Bare bones history courses and documentaries don't, and often couldn't if they wanted, account for the hours or days of deliberation.

  • mudgod
    June 5, 2007
    Reply
    You miss the point. Of course a man of action must ponder and plan before acting, but philosophers, by and large, only ponder. Without action, what is their value?

    • Orange seedsandpeel
      June 15, 2007
      Reply
      Ghandi was a ponderer and not really a man of action

      i would say plenty but none of which you will know because the thinkers often dont win the wars

      o wait
      -hitler
      -lenin
      -diefenbaker(lol.. o, many wont get this)
      or all them cultural leaders
      -robbie burns etc.
      -artists, poets, all of which i like much better than arrogant soliciting doer's

  • Applehead
    June 5, 2007
    Reply

    What is their value?

    To ponder for the decision makers maybe.

  • Kazrith
    June 6, 2007
    Reply
    i agree with apple. Most decision makers dont ponder enough and often turn to the ponderers for advice.

    everybody needs their enabler

  • Kazrith
    June 6, 2007
    Reply
    also, a ponderer may say something of interest that helps the action makers do the right thing.

    in the end, we all rely on each other.

  • Weydon
    June 6, 2007
    Reply
    Famous philosophers, remembered solely as philosophers rather than leaders, ALSO aren't shown in history for the other sides of their life. Depending on the philosopher, I'm sure many were occasionally impulsive and men of action. But on something not historically major, because they were in no role to do such.

    Most of the memorable forefathers of the country were very much philosophers.

  • Orange seedsandpeel
    June 15, 2007
    Reply
    damn forefathers!
    .....i'm a loyalist

  • Dwn
    July 13, 2007
    Reply
    Everyone is a philosopher, its what determines those things we vallue in life and are willing to strive for, the question then becomes ,who is a good philosopher, or what is a good philosophy for me, the person that I am, and even that becomes a circle , because in order to make that determination, we must first have a philosophy

  • T500ks
    April 11
    Reply
    It's hard to explain. Our philosophy is each person's opinion, motto, his/her American flag. Differences in opinion are what make society so diverse. Take Weydon vs. Orange seedsandpeel for instance.
    Weydon says: "Most of the memorable forefathers of the country were very much philosophers."
    Orange says: "I'm a loyalist."
    What if Orange said "I agree"?
    If you ask me, that isn't very interesting...
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