Posts categorized “Philosophy”

I read part of Hilary Putnam’s Realism with a Human Face for the class on metaphysics my advisor is teaching this semester, and was particularly struck by the following quote:

I take it as a fact of life that there is a sense in which the task of philosophy is to overcome metaphysics and sense in which its task is to continue metaphysical discussion. In every philosopher there is a part that cries, “This enterprise is vain, frivolous, crazy–we must say ‘Stop!’” and a part that cries, “This enterprise is simply reflection at the most general and abstract level; to put a stop to it would be a crime against reason.” Of course philosophical problems are unsolvable; but as Stanley Cavell once remarked, “there are better and worse ways of thinking about them.”

This is essentially why I am stopping my active study of philosophy; it’s too hard. It’s so hard that I feel the problems are intractable, that is, the first part of the philosopher above is winning out. But the second part is still alive, and that is why I am sad about it.

Now I just need to finish the last four commitments I have for my final term, and finish a thesis.

Apparently I should write in this more often. I’ve sort of been waiting to post until I can put together some really good ones, à la City of Sound, but it might also be worthwhile to mention what I’ve been doing, and what I will be doing in the near future. More… »

I think one can view education not only as a process by which one learns a field or discipline, but also as a process by which one learns what they find interesting. This process, for me, has been one where I stop convincing myself I’m interested in fields which I really am not. Lately, I think, I’ve finally determined what the truth of the matter is. More… »