What is the Most Important Philosophical Question

originally posted by: loveguy
a reply to: Wang Tang

The most important philosophical question…

I'm guessing it was Aristotle who first came up with the idea to create an article of trade value;
the concept of money so to make an item one would trade for another item...
something that two trading fellows will consider an even trade...

"I will feed your goats for one season, if your goats will clean up my overgrown garden."
Both parties think that the other party is getting the better deal...

The answer to your question in my mind would be;
How do I maintain a neutral footing when I encounter someone who wants to make a trade with me?
Do I allow him to take advantage of me? Do I allow myself to take advantage of him?

How do I become neutral, neither good nor bad, but equal?

Would like to see BBD's, or Itsnowagain's take on this, but here are some ideas:

Neutrality is lost, when acceptance is rejected, and one resists reality.
Means: when one tries to change the way things are, they are not accepting this that is here now. This is resistance to reality, and an attempt to bring things in line towards some ego-driven vision of the way the ego thinks things should be.

It's a very difficult question: how to react to someone whom approaches you with an offer.
Perhaps it can be compared to like when someone cuts you off in traffic: our ego gets upset, as if we've had something taken away from us that was supposed to be acquired.

But somehow: the universe put that other person in front of you in the new now traffic situation, so somehow it's just right. It's just the way it is. If something can be taken away from you: it was never truly yours in the first place.
Maybe the other needs it more than you? You can't know.
Doesn't matter: just accept it neutrally, without questioning.

So if some dude wants his goat to eat your overgrown garden, then just go with it, without judgement, nor expectations. This is not easy to accept at all.

What do you think loveguy?

a reply to: Nothin

So if some dude wants his goat to eat your overgrown garden, then just go with it, without judgement, nor expectations. This is not easy to accept at all.

What do you think loveguy?

Coming from a bible reading background...not a church goer though.

Jesus kicked the money-changers/den of thieves out of the temple.
He gave us the choice to render tax to Caesar, or render to the Lord his...

There are two choices we have, but for some ungodly reason, we stick to tradition of enabling the thief to steal that which belongs to the lord.

Nothing here belongs to me, nor anyone else.

How do we teach that to a psychopath?

a reply to: loveguy

Yes but who is going to ask the goats what they want? Lol doesn't matter to the goats; grass is grass and even a tin can is grass if need be; that is if such characterization of them is accurate.

originally posted by: loveguy
a reply to: Nothin

So if some dude wants his goat to eat your overgrown garden, then just go with it, without judgement, nor expectations. This is not easy to accept at all.

What do you think loveguy?

Coming from a bible reading background...not a church goer though.

Jesus kicked the money-changers/den of thieves out of the temple.
He gave us the choice to render tax to Caesar, or render to the Lord his...

There are two choices we have, but for some ungodly reason, we stick to tradition of enabling the thief to steal that which belongs to the lord.

Nothing here belongs to me, nor anyone else.

How do we teach that to a psychopath?

Yes: that is a nice story from the bible. We all seem to have a little part of us that wants to feel secure, and to feel like there is a superhero out there defending the best interests of all.
Don't see much of that these days.

Right: nothing belongs to us, nor them, nor any Lord, nor Caesar. Nothing to no one.

Psychopaths and sociopaths abound. From workplaces to governments, and more.
So how to react to genuine threats?
Not sure at all, but perhaps animal instinct kicks-in to protect the physical and psychic integrity of ourselves and those whom we are caring for and protecting.

Teaching? What is to be taught?

Not sure I would want to boil it down to one question but I kinda like the combo-question:

How did we get here and why are we here?

Mostly because the answers as discussed in the playlist below are crucial for getting the most out of life and helping others to get the most out of theirs (which includes making the most out of all the tools given to humanity such as our thinking abilities, our thirst for knowledge and attempts at walking with wisdom, figuratively speaking as to our course of action through life).

Real science, knowledge about realities compared to philosophies and stories

originally posted by: BigBrotherDarkness
a reply to: Specimen

seeing how both of those are extremes unless agreed upon... maybe?

Well, that comes down to choice wouldn't it, if that is the question?

originally posted by: BigBrotherDarkness
a reply to: loveguy

Yes but who is going to ask the goats what they want? Lol doesn't matter to the goats; grass is grass and even a tin can is grass if need be; that is if such characterization of them is accurate.

I haven't farmed goats so I was out of my wheelhouse using a goat metaphor. I get your point though.
Thanks, I think.

a reply to: Wang Tang
Is it not obvious?
WHY ARE WE HERE?

a reply to: Nothin

Teaching? What is to be taught?

Nothing here belongs to me, nor anyone else.
How do we teach that to a psychopath?

a reply to: loveguy

A friend of mine in Montana farms African pigmy goats... some of the cutest lil lawn mowers money can buy.

originally posted by: loveguy
a reply to: Nothin

Teaching? What is to be taught?

Nothing here belongs to me, nor anyone else.
How do we teach that to a psychopath?

What if there is nothing, to belong to anyone, anyways?
Including: ideas, concepts, constructs, philosophies, etc...
No idea to be shared, or taught.
No teaching to be done.

Perhaps your question is more on a societal level.
Unfortunately: it seems psychopaths are respected and awarded in many of our societies.
They achieve success, and are rewarded for ruthless behavior.
They learn from getting what they want, or from getting punished, and are not interested in the things we discuss.
Can a corporation be "taught" anything?

Just some temporary thoughts. Don't really know anything.

a reply to: Nothin

Can a corporation be taught anything? Sure business is business until you are out of it. Of course what many do not realize is that corporations do a lot of lobbying... they lobby hard and throw money at those that are supposed to represent us. If the automaker's got their way? Musk would have never made Telsa Motors... so why would Automakers lobby against it? Every vehicle he sells? One less than they do... so those already entrenched have a budget to lobby against any new competition. Usually some find it easier to buy it out and bury it than to fight against it if they can't lobby it out of existence.

Of course when industry conglomerates? They can also price fix and create an artifical supply and demand... the oil industry has done that for years, fish farted near an oil rig raise it? Raise it. Even though stock piled oil is good for 10 years if all production halted; so those excuses to fluctuate it were just that excuses. But in such a conglomerate... what can one do? Create a competitive market? Sure they will start under cutting each other then... but then the whole area becomes destabilized as we have seen.

Of course thats why oil dependence has been an issue, yet the U.S. isn't oil dependent... it exports over 90% of it's oil last I checked the figures.

But when it's a commodity those in such businesses know it is needed and people dependent on it... so ethics must be involved. Lobbies try to remove that ethical or moral hurdle, moral shouldn't even be included from a separation of church and state stand point... murder and rape are both moral and unethical meaning no consent making them the same. No belief required... a man has no right to say what a woman can and cannot do with her own body and vice versa ethically, morally? Well, just look at history morals says it can and has a right based on it's religious ideological influence... so huge difference in the two. Shouldn't be there as ethics go, politically it is because healthcare is not a private enterprise it is tied into insurance companies...

Of course many men say hey I should get a voice... um you did with consent to have sexual intercourse, you made a choice not to use protection, not to have a discussion what if... so there was choice. Removing a womans choice in either no consent or not having that talk forcing her to carry because then you want a choice? Well... there was plenty of choosing, not so much discussing. That's why it was called "Planned Parenthood" not "Oops Parenthood". People expected to raise unwanted children has already occured, and it led to a lot of unwanted responsibility meaning abusive homes, and resentment. So forcing responsibility of another life on someone is unethical... when they do not want it as well.

We have lessons to be learned, and the more points of view we can see by laying ours down... the better. If we can;t see any but our own then we never learn. Thats what progress calls for... some may not see it as progress, but what eyes are they looking through in such determinations? Well, hey we need child abuse or social workers will be out of work... see how we do it to ourselves when it becomes systematic? Social workers would gladly tell you... they would love to see the day to be put out of work due to abuse ending. Of course those looking at it may not see it that way.

When anything not good for society gets systematic then it becomes an idea of profiting off of human misery... and when it is an industry entrenched? That fights to stay in business... a living hell is not far off as a reality, some have lived it due to the very ideologies that people think have made their life so darned perfect and livible when it has done the opposite for others. So ethics must rule where the eye refuses to look.

a reply to: spiritualarchitect

It is not obvious to me. Hence the months of discussion on this topic leading to no definite answer.

originally posted by: Wang Tang
Suicide, morality, God, the greatest good, these are all things that famous philosophers have claimed are the most important philosophical question. There are many possibilities, but I am not sure where to go from here. Hopefully you guys can help me out.

Or perhaps the most important philosophical question is in fact: “what is the most important philosophical question?”

I wouldn't worry too much about figuring out the truth/reality of what is the most important philosophical question, but just figuring out the truth/reality of multiple interesting questions. Just asking questions for the sake of asking questions and not really seeking out a definitive/conclusive/certain/true/absolute/factual answer to them is a bit pointless anyway, not very beneficial to one's mind. Perhaps you can give the experience and questions of the Psychology Professor below some thought:

Perhaps you may want to see the video above in context, for that see the earlier linked playlist.

a reply to: spiritualarchitect

If you can traverse thru time, you will see that we're here because of


EVOLUTION. DAYUM!