Some history of Western philosophy

[David Maes]

I have the opinion we need you both.

[David Maes]

Make a list of what you know for sure.

People are born; people live; people die, people have emotions, jet planes can fly, etc.

Then list some probables.

Forget about imaginary what-ifs.

In my opinion, there is only one thing we know a 100 % sure, namely, we exist. And even this, in my own philosophy, I consider to be an illusion.

People are born; people live; people die, people have emotions, jet planes can fly, etc.

These are indeed things we are rather sure of, we see them every day.

However, saying what I'm already rather sure of, is rather boring.
I want to create my own philosophy, influenced by thinking and thoughts.

You can say what-ifs are imaginary, but you cannot be a 100 % sure of it.
According to my philosophy, I am 99% sure that if we're dead, we're dead.
But I'm not absolutely sure.
This 1 % of doubt, could make the 99 % eventually wrong.

1 % is enough for me to see what philosophy has to say about it.

[David Maes]

I'm still maturing.

Don't grow up too quickly, it is bad for the imagination.

All we need to become good philosophers is the ability to be surprised.

Man finds it so strange he exits, and is surprised by that fact. If we are surprised, philosophy arises.

The world is just as incomprehensible as a magician who suddenly conjures up a rabbit from a high hat, which was just completely empty.
As for the rabbit, we know that the magician fools us. When we talk about the world, we know it's different. We know the world is not deception or nonsense, cause we are part of it.
We have the feeling we participate in something mysterious and we want to discover how everything works.

The universe is the white rabbit which is conjured up from the high hat. We are tiny little animals which live deep in the fur of the rabbit. Philosophers try to climb up along one of the thin hairs, so they can look the great magician straight in the eye.

Little children have the ability to be surprised. But when they get older, their ability to be surprised seems to diminish. They lose something essential, something that philosophers want to bring alive again, namely life is a big riddle, and we are miraculous beings.

Adults are used to the world. 'What's the price of the tomatos?', 'How high are the shares?', 'Could you pass me the butter?'

Philosophers are not, they live consciously.

Never lose your ability to be surprised, otherwise you become a bad philosopher.

Scientists try to explain everything so that it's not a miracle anymore.
Philosophers try to be surprised about everything.

They do the opposite.

"Science without 'religion' is lame, 'religion' without science is blind". (A. Einstein)
"Logic brings you from A to B, imagination brings you everywhere". (A. Einstein)

I think Einstein was also a very creative person. He had a lot of imagination.

We need to be able to think convergent and divergent.

I think we need both, science and philosophy to create theories.

If somebody makes a philosophical post, the scientist will say: "not proven".
If somebody makes a scientific post, the philosopher will say: "too lame".

In case you didn't notice yet... for every post there is an anti-post.
For every anti-post, there is an anti-anti-post.

Thesis, antithesis, synthesis.
Dialectic.

If somebody does a post, he receives an anti-post, because he has an other philosophy.
If somebody does an anti-post, he receives an anti-anti-post, because he has an other philosophy also.

I would say, just post.
Form your philosophy, read, post and form again your philosophy.

I know doctors you say when you're dead, you're dead. I also know doctors who say when you're dead, you're not dead.
Always read both sides before you make an opinion.

[David Maes]

I know doctors you say when you're dead, you're dead. I also know doctors who say when you're dead, you're not dead.

I of course meant: "I know doctors who say when you're dead, you're dead. I also know doctors who say when you're dead, you're not dead."

(sorry; my brain).