I hope these guys never leave:
@weareacouple

"But does it exist?" Laugh all you want this shit is so fucking important to me, that I feel like I have to write a paper sometime in the future, just to get invited to talk with professional philosophers.

Literally me. I have asked that very same question. And I am currently completing an undergrad degree in philosophy-so trust me when I say, people laugh, my parents laugh (cry) as they pay for schooling they think is well-useless.

Why the turnover rate?
1. Philosophy isn't viable. Theres enough stress on young adults to secure funding for education/job training and then to secure a stable job...let alone secure educational funding for a path that doesn't guarantee them any payback in return. I am in a dual degree program currently; have done two years of undergrad philosophy, and now in my first year of law school...does law school (currently) speak to me on the same level as philosophy did? Do I feel engaged in class? Excited to do the readings? No...but I can't sustain myself on a minimum wage job...I won't be able to afford to go to grad school (for philosophy) without securing a job for myself, law is a practical degree; I try to see it as a stepping stone. As much as I love philosophy, I also want to live a quality of life; I'm not materialistic, I don't expect to be rich, but I want to be able to support myself, and travel, and enjoy life while I'm here...

2. Philosophy is under-taught/badly-taught. I have held that almost everyone has the right mindset for philosophy when they are children, I've worked in kindergarten classes and the curiosity, imagination, and tenacity of these children is shocking; the honest, the realism, the engagement...where does it go? Crushed by the education system for the most part; critical thinking is not something pragmatic to teach children in this system we live; we can't have people asking WHY we do things; let alone if the things we do are REAL...that would destabilize the very basis that our lives are built upon. We are taught to merely answer the questions, follow the rubric ect. There is very little room for creative thinking (especially high school level) let alone critical thinking; therefore people suppress these skills, lose them, become complacent and indoctrinated, and subsequently lose the interest in knowledge for knowledge's sake...knowledge is an investment = money. Thats all.

3. Philosophy is hard and time consuming. Not to sound like a boomer (I'm actually gen Z) but our reality has changed-we are assaulted with messages, media-all day-everyday, we are over-connected, constantly connected, and this allows for very little room for long periods of reading, reflection, and deep thought-it takes stupendous effort (and practical allowances like not having to go to work) to set aside chunks everyday-uninterrupted, to give philosophical texts and ideas the studying and contemplation that they warrant and deserve. I have a list of 100+ philosophy books I want to read-essays I would love to write; an anthology I started the planning and researching for this summer, but never finished. Philosophy is a past time accumulating dust; despite its practical application in everyday life (philosophy is everything) - it is not seen as necessary, it is seen as silly, it is not given the same weight it was given (to some degree) throughout other periods in history. Most people don't even know what philosophy is when I tell them.


I am with you. I hear your pain. Philosophy is beyond words-important to me too, not in any dogmatic way; its just the way I think, talk, question.
I tell all the younger people I know to try to take a philosophy class in high school; my school had one for grade twelve students; and most of the class hated it and failed...you either hate it or love it at that point. For me it changed my life and made me realize I had been doing philosophy long long long before I learned the words and terminology for it. It is inescapable part of who I am; I have always considered myself a writer of some sort, I've wanted to be a writer (or a teacher in some cases) since I was six or seven... now I realize philosophy; doomed or not, is also interwoven. I would love to read, and write, and teach-philosophy.

Can we do something?
Ya. I mean, of course we can. I always try to bring up philosophy into everyday conversations (annoyingly sometimes I admit), I try to apply it to people's lives, I try to use it to help people with their problems, I give people philosophical books as presents that I think are relevant to them...I 'dumb' down abstract concepts, I make philosophy jokes and post philosophical content on my social media. I get people high and then force them to watch documentaries and podcasts on metaphysics or formal logic, I 'blow' their minds.

Well, on the bright side, you've managed to use Feedback to get one of your random chats on the front page. And I'm sure no-one will notice.

@Grre noticed because she cares about me. We had a fictional marriage that was ordained by Plato. He just told us no sex. I said no problem, but Grre got angry and demanded a prenup. I had nothing to offer so, she said Marx has to be the ordainer.

:snicker:

Turnover rate here, you mean?

I abstained from the forum for some time but returned eventually, as Jesus will do to this world, so it is said, though presumably with greater fanfare, riding a white horse I think though I don't know why. My absence had no effect, nor I would guess does my presence. Both, though, are indicative of turnaround, and so we may say that turnaround makes no difference, really, or is a wash; but I suspect turnaround 's due to the fact that topics in this forum and in philosophy generally recur and become dull to many until interest revives in either the topics or chance to debate them.

If history is any guide, the turnaround will continue until Jesus makes his reappearance which if I recall correctly will result in the end of the world, and thus of turnaround generally. Something to look forward to, then.

riding a white horse I think though I don't know why — Ciceronianus the White

Because white horses are the master race of horses, of course.

I'd have thought that would be a German breed of horse.

A high percentage of new members who actually post something seem to be cranks.

Most of the long-term regulars can be really dickish and annoying, exacerbated by inflated egos. That includes the mods just as well as the rest of us. Sometimes the newbies join in this just as readily.

We need to figure out how to attract new, active members who aren't cranks, and we need to figure out how to not be such bigheaded jerks.

I like turnovers with apples.

Oh you and the Germans. Visit the country and then tell us what you think.

We need to figure out how to attract new, active members who aren't cranks, and we need to figure out how to not be such bigheaded jerks. — Terrapin Station

Neither cranks nor bigheaded jerks will survive the return of Jesus, though it seems at least one horsee will. My return, of course, only added to their number. Well, not the number of horses.

Everyone seems to be achieving remission around here. But, here I am some 15 years of online interactions with people, and I feel like I want to spend my life here. My being is so imbued with these 'why' questions that I can't stop thinking philosophically.

Heres a fun fact from my CALC II class I had. My teacher asked me some question about the tangent to some plane existing in tangential slope, and I the philosopher that I am asked "But does it exist?" Laugh all you want this shit is so fucking important to me, that I feel like I have to write a paper sometime in the future, just to get invited to talk with professional philosophers.

Anyway enough about me, what's with the turnover rate, can we do something about guiding newbies into phil 101 threads and then having them graduate into higher abstractions? — Wallows

So, (1) you want to know the turnover rate here, (2) you had a foundational question in calculus class you wished addressed prior to your dealing with an applied calculus question, (3) you wanted to know why the turnover rate was high, and (4) you want to know whether we can create a poster hierarchy, limiting certain threads to certain posters based upon ability.

(1) I don't know. (2) Interesting story. (3) If we don't know #1, how do we conclude #3? (4) That's a really bad elitist idea and I don't see how it would resolve #3, assuming #3 is true.

As noted, this is the feedback section, so you're welcome for this feedback.

My absence had no effect, nor I would guess does my presence. — Ciceronianus the White

I like having you around. Reminds me of the good old days when we used to argue about stuff. The fifties I think it was.

@Grre noticed because she cares about me. We had a fictional marriage that was ordained by Plato. He just told us no sex. I said no problem, but Grre got angry and demanded a prenup. I had nothing to offer so, she said Marx has to be the ordainer.

Marx needed the money so he was willing. But then Engels got mad because the family is just a unit of the bourgeoise economic oppression - I agreed with him, on the basis of Emma Goldman's marriage is oppressive to women (it is) ... then we all decided to trip balls with Joe Rogan instead

I like having you around. Reminds me of the good old days when we used to argue about stuff. The fifties I think it was. — Baden

Thank you, I like seeing you, and others, are still around as well. I have a tendency to be silly, I admit, but am generally stable except of course when H-H-H....when Hei...well, I try to avoid mentioning the name. "The Nazi" I'll call him, to avoid any trouble.

:lol:

Thanks Wallow for the welcome. This is the wife half of "weareacouple" and don't have the time right now, however I will post an intro post when I have more time to introduce myself and my husband. We are going to try to share this profile and hope that is OK. Have a great day!!!

Tell your husband that his pecker needs to stay in his pants if he wants to post here. But then again you two look like you just conquered K-2.

I think this will be a fun forum to spend some time on!!! You will find that it takes quite a bit to offend us and so it will be interesting to see what everyone has to dish out in discussions.

Well, we welcome all sorts of people around here. Marxists, exhibitionists, Randians, you name it.

And no insult was meant to your husband. :snicker:

Welcome. Your name looks like wear-a-couple to me, by the way, which you do extraordinarily well. :razz:

then we are in the right place. You will have to work harder than that to offend him, however I will make sure he sees your comment when he gets home.

Yes, it would be sad to see you leave like @funcouple 4 months ago.

I guess it is how you look at it Praxis.

all I know is one day we were banned. very sad about it.

Must have been penis envy by @Baden when seeing the profile pic of your naked and exposed husband's pecker.

oh really, good to hear. I am not sure who Baden is but hope to get to know everyone in a short time.

I guess it is how you look at it Praxis. — weareacouple

It seems to me the point is to look at them.

Mmmilk