Why turn your back on the wisdom of the ages?

[Alexander's Horse]

Ah - a sophist

Look, these motivation arguments remind me of people who say they don't give money to beggars because it encouraging begging.

Its logical I guess - coldly so - but wouldn't you feel so much better about yourself if you gave a freezing man a few lousy coins

What do your problems compare to his?

"And so have many entertained angels unawares"

[Aeson]

Well, you can assume anything you want about my personality or the effects of this philosophy on my actions. You're pretty far off though. This line of logic refutes any sort of judgement of people or personal pride.

[Alexander's Horse]

Originally posted by Aeson
Well, you can assume anything you want about my personality or the effects of this philosophy on my actions. You're pretty far off though. This line of logic refutes any sort of judgement of people or personal pride.

Sorry I didn't read your philosophy - I don't read long posts

[Imran Siddiqui]

Sure you can go on the wisdom of the ages (a very Burkian view of the world) because tradition is what comes out from experience and what has worked. But sometimes experience needs to be destroyed. Nietzsche is the ultimate personification of this. Experience needs to be cast aside sometimes so new ideas come to the fore.

And yes, humanity is a selfish creation. It is in our genes to think only for ourselves or our 'tribe'.

[Jon Miller]

but not all action is selfish

Jon Miller

[Alexander's Horse]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
(a very Burkian view of the world)

Okay I changed my view.

I wish people would stop painting this as an either/or situation. You can learn from the past, you can discover new ways, the two things are not necessarily contradictory. In fact we should be striving to find new insights.

For example, you don't have to be a practicing Jew or Christian or even a theist to get something out of Leviticus. At its heart its a timelessly beautiful poem or meditation on the human condition.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Jon - Yes it is .

I wish people would stop painting this as an either/or situation. You can learn from the past, you can discover new ways, the two things are not necessarily contradictory. In fact we should be striving to find new insights.

But that isn't what you said . You should have been more discerning in your opening post, because you made it sound like an either/or... and furthermore, either/or debates are much more fun .

[Alexander's Horse]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui


But that isn't what you said .

Oh? Where?

[Imran Siddiqui]

This isn't a plug for any particular religion or philosophy but I have noticed a lot of people today say they can work life out for themselves according to a set of beliefs and guiding principles which they craft themselves.

I think this is the height of foolishness. In fact when people say this to me, I think, "you conceited fool". That idea really makes me laugh.

Why? Because even if you make the most cursory study of religion or philosophy or politics or history you will find so many great people who have gone before you and blazed the trails to better ways of living and thinking. People who are much wiser than you, that came to some understandings after many years of struggle and study, that made all the mistakes and can tell you how to avoid them. Stories and lessons that have stood the test of time, universal truths. To quote Leviticus, there is nothing new under the sun.

You will also find so many beautiful ideas and so much inspiration for your daily life. Drink at the well of human experience and be grateful that others have gone before you. This is like the greatest journey you could ever go on and now you're part of the story.

[CygnusZ]

Some of you seem rather confident you are capable of undertaking truly "selfless actions". Well, I'm an individual and certainly don't feel that I haven't done anything intentionally selfless in my entire lifetime. Perhaps I'm wrong.

So, tell me of a good deed that you did on purpose that didn't make you feel good.

[CygnusZ]

Originally posted by Lars-E
Wisdom from the horse again... Got it from the pulpit??

I agree with you. It was not until "the age of enlightenment" that man started discarding old wisdom publicly, especially the wisdom found in the bible.

And we all know man accomplished MORE during the period of time when he was a slave to the Bible.

There exists an inverse relationship to science and christianity. The more people question the church, the more development mankind can undertake.

[Jon Miller]

hmm

or not

Jon Miller

[Alexander's Horse]

Originally posted by CygnusZ
Some of you seem rather confident you are capable of undertaking truly "selfless actions". Well, I'm an individual and certainly don't feel that I haven't done anything intentionally selfless in my entire lifetime. Perhaps I'm wrong.

So, tell me of a good deed that you did on purpose that didn't make you feel good.

Yes well this is all very clever but its the outcome that matters not the motivation.

I think I heard someone say once that "the road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Go and read the constitution of the Soviet Union, all very worthy and high minded, probably some of the strongest guarantees of personal liberty and human rights ever written. All very well meaning.

The trouble with your kind of obsession with motivation is that it leads to self absorption and a kind of moral paralysis. It justifies topor, ennui and doing nothing.

[Lincoln]

Originally posted by CygnusZ


And we all know man accomplished MORE during the period of time when he was a slave to the Bible.

There exists an inverse relationship to science and christianity. The more people question the church, the more development mankind can undertake.

Considering that the founders of many of the major fields of science were Christians I think you missed something there.

[Alexander's Horse]

Originally posted by CygnusZ


And we all know man accomplished MORE during the period of time when he was a slave to the Bible.

There exists an inverse relationship to science and christianity. The more people question the church, the more development mankind can undertake.

What a load of nonsense

When were people "slaves" to the bible?

And even if this were true, how is it relevant to today?

I think you're showing more than a little blind personal prejudice there