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General discussion (archive)Absurdism and its contemporaries?(14 posts)(14 posts)
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Posted January 04, 2014
So I have looking around at different philosophies, in particular Absurdism, and it dawned on me that the GOG community has few philosophers amongst the ranks, so I was wondering.

Have you tried dabbling in Absurdism thought and/or its philosophical cousins like nihilism, existentialism, and the like? If so what is your experience with it? Just wondering because I find interesting myself.
Posted January 04, 2014
Philosophers? In here?

Jesus, how long have I been out? What year is it?
Posted January 04, 2014
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tinyE: Philosophers? In here?

Jesus, how long have I been out? What year is it?
Eh. Good point. People who dabble in philosophy?
Posted January 04, 2014
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tinyE: Philosophers? In here?

Jesus, how long have I been out? What year is it?
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MrWilli: Eh. Good point. People who dabble in philosophy?
I think Vestin dabbles in philosophy :)

He'll be your best bet for your original question :)
Posted January 04, 2014
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tinyE: Philosophers? In here?

Jesus, how long have I been out? What year is it?
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MrWilli: Eh. Good point. People who dabble in philosophy?
I did study philosophy in college so maybe I was a bit harsh there. It's a good thread and you are bound to get some good replies.
Posted January 04, 2014
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MrWilli: Have you tried dabbling in Absurdism thought and/or its philosophical cousins like nihilism, existentialism, and the like? If so what is your experience with it? Just wondering because I find interesting myself.
Absurdism, like its cousins which you mention, uses a lot of complicated essays to describe some very simple truths (mainly that there are things that we cannot possibly know, or know for sure). In the decades around 1900 it was probably necessary to write whole books over such simple matters, since several opposing worldviews had to be deconstructed. In the 21st century, I nod my agreement, shrug, and proceed to do something which puts food on the table.
Posted January 04, 2014
yeah, I do think there's no ulterior/higher motive/purpose in/to life, the universe and everything, but that's cool because we can make our own designs instead. I think pure Nihilists go a little too far because the lack of an intrinsic meaning to life doesn't mean there can't be meaningful meanings we create ourselves.

Empirism/Scientism (yes, Science is the only way to extract knowledge out of the universe) is my philosphy of life, and the way I see it that goes hand in hand with an existentialist outlook (as I defined in the first sentence of this post).
Post edited January 04, 2014 by Tychoxi
Posted January 04, 2014
I hold a Ph.D. in philosophy, although with a different research focus, so I don't claim expertise on those -isms.

They're, well, pretty loose -isms, invented somewhat for academic convenience; one scholar once wrote a textbook called Existentialism: A Reconstruction, because he thought getting an 'existentialist' philosophy out of the writings of Sartre, Heidegger, etc. amounted to reconstructing their insights in a unified form. Consequently it's hard for me to think of any definitely pureblooded Absurdists, Existentialists, etc. (Well, Robert Solomon did describe himself as an existentialist, but I don't know much about his life.)
Posted January 04, 2014
I would have thought that tinyE would have been your epiphany here. Absurdism at its finest! :>

A little philosophy is good. A lot of philosophy can turn you into one of those people (intellectual trolls) who try to argue the pointlessness of everything, effectively turning them into pointlessness itself in the process. Take the good points, know the bad points, and don't dwell on the impossible quandaries. ^^
Posted January 04, 2014
Absurdists... are those like the hipsters among agnostics?
Posted January 04, 2014
A question for everyone...would you say that there is more good or bad in this world? If that's hard to answer right away, try looking at it by degrees of bad and good. Capacities for bad, capacities for good. Do people generally look for the easier way to live their life, or the harder way?

Now, whether or not you believe in the/a Creator (and you damn well should, but hey, who am I?), the fact is hierarchy is ever present in consciousness of any and all forms. Creators/Sustainors (if you will) create and sustain for a purpose, but for what purpose? Put yourself in the shoes of the/a Creator/Sustainor for a second. As a Creator, what would you want from your creations? Would you want them aimlessly living out their lives not even acknowledging you as their Creator, or would you want them to feel like they've been created for a reason? Maybe it's not a matter of wanting, but that of needing. Why create something if you don't need it?

I believe creation is Love. Love of life, love of possibility, but love can be harsh, so very harsh. It is a two-way street, after all. Speaking of humanity now and all that we are capable of, as in sensing and manipulating that which has provenance, wouldn't you, as the Creator, expect a certain degree of respect (for lack of a better word) from your creations? Seems fair, doesn't it? Now how can fairness from the perspective of the Creator be understood by that of its creations? Carnality is a good place to start. Wants versus needs.

Is there a purpose to our existence? That is the mystery, isn't it? Are mysteries easy to solve? I hope not, but answers are always out there for seekers. Duality regulates all. Fair, no?
Posted January 04, 2014
I've never *tried* to be an absurdist, but back when I actually thought it was important to try to classify my views, I flirted briefly with the idea that I might already be one. But eventually I realized that this was a pointless exercise, that I didn't fall into any identifiable belief system, and that ultimately I was a happier, healthier person because of it.
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Thiefer: A question for everyone...would you say that there is more good or bad in this world?
It rather depends on what you define as "good" or "bad". In that sense, I would say that there is exactly as much good and bad in the world as you think there is.
Post edited January 04, 2014 by Azilut
Posted January 04, 2014
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Azilut: I've never *tried* to be an absurdist, but back when I actually thought it was important to try to classify my views, I flirted briefly with the idea that I might already be one. But eventually I realized that this was a pointless exercise, that I didn't fall into any identifiable belief system, and that ultimately I was a happier, healthier person because of it.
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Thiefer: A question for everyone...would you say that there is more good or bad in this world?
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Azilut: It rather depends on what you define as "good" or "bad". In that sense, I would say that there is exactly as much good and bad in the world as you think there is.
Based on what though? What you're aware of and experience yourself, because that could be much or almost nothing at all, or do you perhaps mean as a co-contributor? How about I replace "good" and "bad" with "wants" and "needs", as in "is the world in the state it's in because of the wants of man, or its needs?"
Posted January 04, 2014
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Thiefer: Based on what though?
Exactly.

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Thiefer: "is the world in the state it's in because of the wants of man, or its needs?"
Yes. And also because of other things.
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General discussion (archive)Absurdism and its contemporaries?(14 posts)(14 posts)
(14 posts)