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Looking to Philosophy for Answers: Where to Begin?

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snazzy_sn

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Feb 15, 2007
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Sorry. Drugs and message boards with intellectual superiors don't mix.

I'm simply interested in philosophy. It's been recommended as a remedy for many of my problems (including the drug use) by a number a number of people I've spoken with lately, but I'm not really sure where to start or what I'm capable of comprehending.

I'll elaborate later when my heads clear if need be, but that's really about it.

Sorry for the clutter.
 
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I'm not sure what I was asking either. Heh, sorry bout that.
I edited this post. I always make an ass out of myself on P&S x.x

or i thought i did anyways
 
qwe said:
how about Sophie's World (book)?
Click to expand...

^oh wow, had not heard of that !
or the movie;)

"16.) I was bound, though I have not bound.

17.) I was not recognized. But I have recognized that the All is being dissolved, both the earthly things and the heavenly.

18.) When the soul had overcome the third power, it went upwards and saw the fourth power, which took seven forms.

19.) The first form is darkness, the second desire, the third ignorance, the fourth is the excitement of death, the fifth is the kingdom of the flesh, the sixth is the foolish wisdom of flesh, the seventh is the wrathful wisdom. These are the seven powers of wrath.

20.) They asked the soul, Whence do you come slayer of men, or where are you going, conqueror of space?

21.) The soul answered and said, What binds me has been slain, and what turns me about has been overcome,

22.) and my desire has been ended, and ignorance has died."

Gospel Of Mary
its good stuff...
 
You said you are seeking answers and are trying to look to philosophy, but you never specified as to what your questions are and what answers yoyou are trying to seek.

If you are seeking answers to the questions such as: who am I, why am I here, and where am I going, then i would recommend The Bhagavad Gita. The Bhagavad Gita is the essence of all vedic literature, and details all of these questions with answers given by the supreme personality of godhead, Lord Shri Krishna himself. I would recommend this as the highest authoritive scripture on spiritual matters and questions.
 
I tried to explain what I was looking for when I first posted, but I was unable to articulate my ideas (I'm still struggling with this, actually) very well erased everything and now I'm waiting till I'm a little more clear headed to post much else.
I don't do my mind any justice when I post while abusing stimulants. Nobody takes me seriously either.

As far as the answers I'm seek

Pretty basic stuff, how to find purpose in my life, how to counteract an unhealthy obsession with objectivity that's ruined my life, how to find myself and be ok with it.
I dunno, I want to think in a completely different way than I do now.

I read a book in jail by ayn rand and it set the foundation for a way thinking that I can do whatever I want as long as it feels good not only is it good but it's right.
My life has been a spiral of self-destruction ever since. So I'm trying to figure out how this can be counteracted.

The only thing I'm not open minded to are supernatural or superstitious concepts (a god of creation, energies, vibrations, angels etc.) Unless they can be redefined in a way that doesn't require faith supernatural concept are the only thing I'm not open to.

Right now I'm trying to find a new definition for spirituality because the concept of spirits kind of seems silly. But there's probably a more logical explanation of spirituality out there
 
I think you may be better suited to reading psychology related material first rather than philosophy.. read up on theories about how we think the mind may work, people such as Jung for example. You can pick up a book on basic psychology from any library and there is tons to read, all very interesting, all very relevant if you want change your thinking. When it comes to philosophy there is again a lot you can read, personally i never liked reading philosophy because there's so much fluff and personal stuff that gets in the way from the author. I'd recommend just exposing yourself to overviews and snippets of the main philosophical thinkers.. just youtube it and you will find loads to listen to.. try one or two and then just think about it for awhile (ie days, not minutes).
 
-=SS=- said:
I think you may be better suited to reading psychology related material first rather than philosophy.. read up on theories about how we think the mind may work, people such as Jung for example. You can pick up a book on basic psychology from any library and there is tons to read, all very interesting, all very relevant if you want change your thinking. When it comes to philosophy there is again a lot you can read, personally i never liked reading philosophy because there's so much fluff and personal stuff that gets in the way from the author. I'd recommend just exposing yourself to overviews and snippets of the main philosophical thinkers.. just youtube it and you will find loads to listen to.. try one or two and then just think about it for awhile (ie days, not minutes).
Click to expand...

QFT


CoffeeDrinker said:
I forget the exact quote this brings to mind, but it goes something like "words that make questions may not be questions at all."
Click to expand...

this statement causes me to question -
;)

~
“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.”
Aldous Huxley
 
snazzy_sn said:
I tried to explain what I was looking for when I first posted, but I was unable to articulate my ideas (I'm still struggling with this, actually) very well erased everything and now I'm waiting till I'm a little more clear headed to post much else.
I don't do my mind any justice when I post while abusing stimulants. Nobody takes me seriously either.

As far as the answers I'm seek

Pretty basic stuff, how to find purpose in my life, how to counteract an unhealthy obsession with objectivity that's ruined my life, how to find myself and be ok with it.
I dunno, I want to think in a completely different way than I do now.

I read a book in jail by ayn rand and it set the foundation for a way thinking that I can do whatever I want as long as it feels good not only is it good but it's right.
My life has been a spiral of self-destruction ever since. So I'm trying to figure out how this can be counteracted.

The only thing I'm not open minded to are supernatural or superstitious concepts (a god of creation, energies, vibrations, angels etc.) Unless they can be redefined in a way that doesn't require faith supernatural concept are the only thing I'm not open to.

Right now I'm trying to find a new definition for spirituality because the concept of spirits kind of seems silly. But there's probably a more logical explanation of spirituality out there
Click to expand...

Definitely check out The Bhagavad Gita. Hinduism can be intimidating if you allow it to be, there are many deities / pantheons, yogis and sages; whom ever you feel a connection with is to be understood as the word of Krishna, but in deep relation to yourself. Krishna for me came later, personally, Ganesha found me first ;) and Sri Anandamayi Ma is a sage I listen to. Look for a deity as a teacher, whos imagery can speak to you as much as their message in writing, everything is intentional.

I would study Krishna until I would fall asleep, and not think or dream about religion or spirituality, but join in thought at the magnificence and detail of the universe and our world, how all that relates to a T and does so for our bodies as well.
;)

KRSNA book PDF
http://www.bahaistudies.net/asma/krsnabook.pdf

Words from George Harrison

KRISHNA is GOD, the Source of all that exists, the Cause of all that is, was, or ever will be.

As GOD is unlimited HE has many Names.

Allah-Buddha-Jehova-Rama: All are KRISHNA, all are ONE.

God is not abstract; He has both the impersonal and the personal aspects to His personality which is SUPREME, ETERNAL, BLISSFUL, and full of KNOWLEDGE. As a single drop of water has the same qualities as an ocean of water, so has our consciousness the qualities of GOD'S consciousness... but through our identification and attachment with material energy (physical body, sense pleasures, material possessions, ego, etc.) our true TRANSCENDENTAL CONSCIOUSNESS has been polluted, and like a dirty mirror it is unable to reflet a pure image.

With many lives our association with the TEMPORARY has grown. This impermanent body, a bag of bones and flesh, is mistaken for our true self, and we have accepted this temporary condition to be final.

(...)
Click to expand...
 
If you're willing to let the rigidness of logic go Terence McKenna is fun to listen to and will send you in many directions.
 
If you want to feel better, try Zen Training by Katsuki Sekida. It's pretty grand. If you want hard, logical answers...

http://www.kfs.org/~jonathan/witt/ten.html (If you're lazy and want the gist of the Tractatus you can skip chapters 2-5.5 and just read 1 and 5.6-7, but some of it might seem weird)
http://www.amazon.com/Philosophical-Investigations-Edition-Ludwig-Wittgenstein/dp/0024288101 (Here Wittgenstein expounds on the limitations of the presentation of language in the Tractatus)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remarks_on_Frazer's_Golden_Bough (Certainly the cure for any "obsession with objectivity"!)

Wittgenstein is cool because he gets right to the point; he's infamously incomprehensible, too. The thing is, if you're just looking for relief from, say, addiction, going really deep into epistemology is kind of missing the point!

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind is short and cheap and easy and popular and very good; it should be easy to find at any bookstore. That and Zen Training are my real recommendations. The Gateless Gate is an old classic; it's a lot of fun and it can give you something to ponder, and The Book of Serenity is also very nice.

Infinite Jest is the best book on addiction, entertainment, and, well, life that I have ever read; if you can slog through it, forget the rest of this post. It's brilliant.
 
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Being interested in philosophy is great, don't get me wrong. But don't be surprised or frustrated if you go in "looking for answers", and find mostly just more questions. If there's one thing I've learned from my haphazard explorations of philosophy, it's that there are as many different takes on the Human Condition as there are people, but we're all wondering about the same things, so why not wonder together?
 
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