Who is your favorite philosopher? What was your favorite reading?

[psm1580b]

8 minutes ago, MVSCZAR said:

I say this as a total Plato devotee, but you might be the only person in the world to list the Euthyphro and the Crito as favorites. I read them in English and in Greek, and will likely read them again and again, but... favorites? Nah. Especially the Euthyphro. The guy's a dweeb. 

I believe I said I was a fan of the writing; as a teacher, I find them incredibly stimulating for discussion and reflection. Especially the Crito, which when paired with something like Letters from a Birmingham Jail, can lead to some rather interesting discussions on the nature of duty and justice. 

And of course Euthyphro is a dweeb--that's the point

[MVSCZAR]

1 minute ago, psm1580b said:

I believe I said I was a fan of the writing; as a teacher, I find them incredibly stimulating for discussion and reflection. Especially the Crito, which when paired with something like Letters from a Birmingham Jail, can lead to some rather interesting discussions on the nature of duty and justice. 

And of course Euthyphro is a dweeb--that's the point

Yeah, I guess you're right. Plato is pretty great. I don't mean to say that I don't like them or they aren't super, but comparatively, they're not my favorites. 

 

Euthyphro is just too much of a dweeb for me to not get insanely annoyed. Same goes for Ion. I prefer it when Socrates has a better sparing partner, if you will. Structurally, I also haven't found what makes the Euthyphro a stunning dialogue. I can see that in the Crito, for sure, but I'm still at a loss when thinking about the importance of the Euthyphro. But obvs, you're allowed to love it as much as you need to. So long as you don't not love Plato, we can still be best friends. 

[Schwarzwald]

8 minutes ago, MVSCZAR said:

Yeah, I guess you're right. Plato is pretty great. I don't mean to say that I don't like them or they aren't super, but comparatively, they're not my favorites. 

 

Euthyphro is just too much of a dweeb for me to not get insanely annoyed. Same goes for Ion. I prefer it when Socrates has a better sparing partner, if you will. Structurally, I also haven't found what makes the Euthyphro a stunning dialogue. I can see that in the Crito, for sure, but I'm still at a loss when thinking about the importance of the Euthyphro. But obvs, you're allowed to love it as much as you need to. So long as you don't not love Plato, we can still be best friends. 

Me and my friend got tattoos one night after a few beers at the bar and talking about Euthyphro. He ironically got W.W.E.D (What would Euthyphro do) tattooed on his wrist, I non-ironically got W.W.E.D tattooed on my wrist, because I honestly believe that the proper reading of Euthyphro is of a snark but desperate Socrates pleading for life to the only person he believes can connect him to a higher power to save him, Euthyphro. However, Socrates' own narcissism and frustration gets the best of him, and in an intermediately conscious attempt at seeking redemption, Socrates pleads with Euthyphro the only way he can, the over-rationalization of the world, which he does to combat the seemingly irrational injustice taking place (which is his inevitable sentence of death.)

[MVSCZAR]

2 minutes ago, Schwarzwald said:

Me and my friend got tattoos one night after a few beers at the bar and talking about Euthyphro. He ironically got W.W.E.D (What would Euthyphro do) tattooed on his wrist, I non-ironically got W.W.E.D tattooed on my wrist, because I honestly believe that the proper reading of Euthyphro is of a snark but desperate Socrates pleading for life to the only person he believes can connect him to a higher power to save him, Euthyphro. However, Socrates' own narcissism and frustration gets the best of him, and in an intermediately conscious attempt at seeking redemption, Socrates pleads with Euthyphro the only way he can, the over-rationalization of the world, which he does to combat the seemingly irrational injustice taking place (which is his inevitable sentence of death.)

I'll re-read it tomorrow and let you know whether I think you're talking shit. But, useful and tragic shit, nonetheless. Perhaps a better and more holistic approach than trying to be "right". I, for one, am particularly well versed in the art of Lully. 

 

I do highly appreciate that you got that WWED tattoo. Pretty kickass. 

[currentphilgrad]

I'll depart from the themes of this thread. Ruth Millikan is kind of my hero. I love Language, Thought, and Other Biological Categories. For an even clearer view of her theories, I recommend Language: A Biological Model. I used to do a lot of work on Millikan and I genuinely miss it. I think I'll return to that soon.

[majorshake]

Kant's An Answer to the Question: What is Enlightenment? 

To me, this is the text that encapsulates everything that the Enlightenment stood for, and has so little of what was bad about it.
It has everything in it, and I'm pretty much writing my (MA) thesis about it.

[gughok]

8 hours ago, currentphilgrad said:

I'll depart from the themes of this thread. Ruth Millikan is kind of my hero. I love Language, Thought, and Other Biological Categories. For an even clearer view of her theories, I recommend Language: A Biological Model. I used to do a lot of work on Millikan and I genuinely miss it. I think I'll return to that soon.

Regarding the latter: my second writing sample argues that while she's definitely heading in the right direction, don't think she took her model far enough. I draw out a fully evolutionary model by which convention doesn't exist except as an emergent property.

Edited February 19, 2016 by gughok

[bechkafish]

Schopenhauer's World as Will and Representation. There is nothing like it in the whole world. Reading it is like being in very deep water, but not being afraid - everything is okay, everything is clear, everything is obvious; it doesn't indulge in any of the obscurist, narcissistic b.s. that characterizes German philosophy of the era. It's pessimistic, but kind somehow, I've never felt hopeless reading it. You wanna talk about books that have gotten you through some shit...

[Siegfried42]

8 minutes ago, bechkafish said:

Schopenhauer's World as Will and Representation. There is nothing like it in the whole world. Reading it is like being in very deep water, but not being afraid - everything is okay, everything is clear, everything is obvious; it doesn't indulge in any of the obscurist, narcissistic b.s. that characterizes German philosophy of the era. It's pessimistic, but kind somehow, I've never felt hopeless reading it. You wanna talk about books that have gotten you through some shit...

 

I admit to my shame I still haven't read the World as Will and Representation, though I've been meaning to do so for a long time. I did read his essay on the freedom of the will, which I thought was fascinating and extremely well written. 

By the way: I just noticed the title/subject of your writing sample, it sounds fascinating! I'd love to read it sometime, if you don't mind. 

[bechkafish]

1 minute ago, Siegfried42 said:

 

I admit to my shame I still haven't read the World as Will and Representation, though I've been meaning to do so for a long time. I did read his essay on the freedom of the will, which I thought was fascinating and extremely well written. 

By the way: I just noticed the title/subject of your writing sample, it sounds fascinating! I'd love to read it sometime, if you don't mind. 

Thank you, that's very kind of you! I'm actually thinking of uploading it to Academia.edu; if you like, I can send you the link once it's there?

And if you're going to read Schopes, I say jump right into the World as Will; Schopenhauer himself will say, whoa whoa whoa slow down, have you read The Fourfold Root yet?! but just ignore him. The latter is slow going and painfully boring; the former is magic.

[Siegfried42]

4 minutes ago, bechkafish said:

Thank you, that's very kind of you! I'm actually thinking of uploading it to Academia.edu; if you like, I can send you the link once it's there?

And if you're going to read Schopes, I say jump right into the World as Will; Schopenhauer himself will say, whoa whoa whoa slow down, have you read The Fourfold Root yet?! but just ignore him. The latter is slow going and painfully boring; the former is magic.

Sounds good, I look forward to it . I'll be sure to jump straight into the World, then. Hopefully I can find the time sometime soon to start reading it. 

On a side note, I may be misinterpreting your interests based on the title of your writing sample - but, as somebody who seems interested both in Schopenhauer and music: have you listened to the works of Richard Wagner? Though he was undoubtedly a thoroughly unpleasant character, he always cited Schopenhauer as his greatest inspiration. And I daresay his music is one of the greatest achievements in the history of Western art. 

[currentphilgrad]

3 hours ago, gughok said:

Regarding the latter: my second writing sample argues that while she's definitely heading in the right direction, don't think she took her model far enough. I draw out a fully evolutionary model by which convention doesn't exist except as an emergent property.

That sounds super cool!

[bechkafish]

16 minutes ago, Siegfried42 said:

Sounds good, I look forward to it . I'll be sure to jump straight into the World, then. Hopefully I can find the time sometime soon to start reading it. 

On a side note, I may be misinterpreting your interests based on the title of your writing sample - but, as somebody who seems interested both in Schopenhauer and music: have you listened to the works of Richard Wagner? Though he was undoubtedly a thoroughly unpleasant character, he always cited Schopenhauer as his greatest inspiration. And I daresay his music is one of the greatest achievements in the history of Western art. 

Oh my goodness, yes! Wagner is excellent. Parsifal = heart eyes. You know, there's actually a story about how Wagner reached out to Schopenhauer when he (Wagner) was fairly young? He sent him a copy of the score of The Nibelung and wrote him a little dedication of "gratitude" for having been such a strong influence, and Schopenhauer - being as equally unpleasant in his old age as Wagner was renowned to be - was all like, "STEP OFF, BITCH" and never wrote back. Well, sort of. He did say through a mutual acquaintance that Wagner should stop writing music.

[SamStone]

41 minutes ago, bechkafish said:

Schopenhauer's World as Will and Representation. There is nothing like it in the whole world. Reading it is like being in very deep water, but not being afraid - everything is okay, everything is clear, everything is obvious; it doesn't indulge in any of the obscurist, narcissistic b.s. that characterizes German philosophy of the era. It's pessimistic, but kind somehow, I've never felt hopeless reading it. You wanna talk about books that have gotten you through some shit...

 

I've been wanting to read Schopenhauer for a while...but I just haven't seemed to find the time yet. While I definitely wouldn't characterize German philosophy in the same way that you have, it is helpful to know that World as W&R is clearly written; or at least less of a slog?

I read Nietzsche's Gay Science during the fall and that quickly became one of my favorite texts (it, along with Human, All too Human, and Daybreak are my favorite philosophical 'trilogy'). Other than that, I really liked Alva Noë's work on perception for a while. But strangely I have found myself less interested in Noë's work as he has shifted to write about art, even though art is something I love as much as philosophy. I also always enjoy reading Walter Benjamin (his "Theses on the Philosophy of History" is incredible) and Giorgio Agamben—I find both authors' writing style at once beautiful, almost hypnotic, and sharply critical. I also love reading Culture and Value from Wittgenstein...There are so many others! Its hard to try to figure out who my favorite is...

[MVSCZAR]

9 minutes ago, bechkafish said:

Oh my goodness, yes! Wagner is excellent. Parsifal = heart eyes. You know, there's actually a story about how Wagner reached out to Schopenhauer when he (Wagner) was fairly young? He sent him a copy of the score of The Nibelung and wrote him a little dedication of "gratitude" for having been such a strong influence, and Schopenhauer - being as equally unpleasant in his old age as Wagner was renowned to be - was all like, "STEP OFF, BITCH" and never wrote back. Well, sort of. He did say through a mutual acquaintance that Wagner should stop writing music.

Schopenhauer...Wagner...

 

[Siegfried42]

15 minutes ago, bechkafish said:

Oh my goodness, yes! Wagner is excellent. Parsifal = heart eyes. You know, there's actually a story about how Wagner reached out to Schopenhauer when he (Wagner) was fairly young? He sent him a copy of the score of The Nibelung and wrote him a little dedication of "gratitude" for having been such a strong influence, and Schopenhauer - being as equally unpleasant in his old age as Wagner was renowned to be - was all like, "STEP OFF, BITCH" and never wrote back. Well, sort of. He did say through a mutual acquaintance that Wagner should stop writing music.

I heard the story about him sending the score, but never realized Schopenhauer responded like that! Glad Wagner didn't listen to him . Parsifal is incredible. There are days I prefer the Valkyrie, though, because of this: 

And the Ride of the Valkyries is awesome for when you're having a bad day. 

[blacklake]

Not a huge Plato fan. I really like Aristotle, especially Nichomachean Ethics, Physics, and Poetics. 

I'm reading Kant's Critique of Pure Reason for the second time (sitting in on a grad course). 

And Nietzsche, especially Birth of Tragedy. 

Edit: grammar. 

Edited February 19, 2016 by blacklake

[MVSCZAR]

2 minutes ago, blacklake said:

Not a huge Plato fan...

Hello, enemy...

[blacklake]

1 minute ago, MVSCZAR said:

Hello, enemy...

[MVSCZAR]

1 minute ago, blacklake said:

[psm1580b]

4 minutes ago, MVSCZAR said:

same

[MVSCZAR]

25 minutes ago, Siegfried42 said:

I heard the story about him sending the score, but never realized Schopenhauer responded like that! Glad Wagner didn't listen to him . Parsifal is incredible. There are days I prefer the Valkyrie, though, because of this: 

And the Ride of the Valkyries is awesome for when you're having a bad day. 

Tannhäuser Overture for bad days, bro: 

 

 

Edited February 19, 2016 by MVSCZAR
never gonna figure out umlauts on a mac

[notorious_biv]

I am particularly fond of William Lycan's writing style. 

[historicallinguist]

Probably Kant, Marx and Feuerbach. I am not a philosophy major, but I love to read philosophy works. 

The three Critiques by Kant would be highly recommended. Besides the three Critiques, I would also recommend the Metaphysics of Morals by Kant. It is a very interesting work, I think. 

For Marx, I would recommend a lot. Those that immediately come to my mind would include German Ideology, Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right, Theses on Feuerbach.

For Feuerbach, I would recommend The Essence of Christianity. Great work on materialism that debunks the spuriousness of religion in general.

[historicallinguist]

9 hours ago, blacklake said:

Not a huge Plato fan. I really like Aristotle, especially Nichomachean Ethics, Physics, and Poetics. 

I'm reading Kant's Critique of Pure Reason for the second time (sitting in on a grad course). 

And Nietzsche, especially Birth of Tragedy. 

Edit: grammar. 

This Critique is one of my favorites. I am not a philosophy major, nor do I take any grad course in philosophy. But I do enjoy reading it.