r/askphilosophy Jul 01 '23

Modpost Welcome to /r/askphilosophy! Check out our rules and guidelines here. [July 1 2023 Update]

64 Upvotes

Welcome to /r/askphilosophy!

Welcome to /r/askphilosophy! We're a community devoted to providing serious, well-researched answers to philosophical questions. We aim to provide an academic Q&A-type space for philosophical questions, and welcome questions about all areas of philosophy. This post will go over our subreddit rules and guidelines that you should review before you begin posting here.

Table of Contents

  1. A Note about Moderation
  2. /r/askphilosophy's mission
  3. What is Philosophy?
  4. What isn't Philosophy?
  5. What is a Reasonably Substantive and Accurate Answer?
  6. What is a /r/askphilosophy Panelist?
  7. /r/askphilosophy's Posting Rules
  8. /r/askphilosophy's Commenting Rules
  9. Frequently Asked Questions

A Note about Moderation

/r/askphilosophy is moderated by a team of dedicated volunteer moderators who have spent years attempting to build the best philosophy Q&A platform on the internet. Unfortunately, the reddit admins have repeatedly made changes to this website which have made moderating subreddits harder and harder. In particular, reddit has recently announced that it will begin charging for access to API (Application Programming Interface, essentially the communication between reddit and other sites/apps). While this may be, in isolation, a reasonable business operation, the timeline and pricing of API access has threatened to put nearly all third-party apps, e.g. Apollo and RIF, out of business. You can read more about the history of this change here or here. You can also read more at this post on our sister subreddit.

These changes pose two major issues which the moderators of /r/askphilosophy are concerned about.

First, the native reddit app is lacks accessibility features which are essential for some people, notably those who are blind and visually impaired. You can read /r/blind's protest announcement here. These apps are the only way that many people can interact with reddit, given the poor accessibility state of the official reddit app. As philosophers we are particularly concerned with the ethics of accessibility, and support protests in solidarity with this community.

Second, the reddit app lacks many essential tools for moderation. While reddit has promised better moderation tools on the app in the future, this is not enough. First, reddit has repeatedly broken promises regarding features, including moderation features. Most notably, reddit promised CSS support for new reddit over six years ago, which has yet to materialize. Second, even if reddit follows through on the roadmap in the post linked above, many of the features will not come until well after June 30, when the third-party apps will shut down due to reddit's API pricing changes.

Our moderator team relies heavily on these tools which will now disappear. Moderating /r/askphilosophy is a monumental task; over the past year we have flagged and removed over 6000 posts and 23000 comments. This is a huge effort, especially for unpaid volunteers, and it is possible only when moderators have access to tools that these third-party apps make possible and that reddit doesn't provide.

While we previously participated in the protests against reddit's recent actions we have decided to reopen the subreddit, because we are still proud of the community and resource that we have built and cultivated over the last decade, and believe it is a useful resource to the public.

However, these changes have radically altered our ability to moderate this subreddit, which will result in a few changes for this subreddit. First, as noted above, from this point onwards only panelists may answer top level comments. Second, moderation will occur much more slowly; as we will not have access to mobile tools, posts and comments which violate our rules will be removed much more slowly, and moderators will respond to modmail messages much more slowly. Third, and finally, if things continue to get worse (as they have for years now) moderating /r/askphilosophy may become practically impossible, and we may be forced to abandon the platform altogether. We are as disappointed by these changes as you are, but reddit's insistence on enshittifying this platform, especially when it comes to moderation, leaves us with no other options. We thank you for your understanding and support.


/r/askphilosophy's Mission

/r/askphilosophy strives to be a community where anyone, regardless of their background, can come to get reasonably substantive and accurate answers to philosophical questions. This means that all questions must be philosophical in nature, and that answers must be reasonably substantive and accurate. What do we mean by that?

What is Philosophy?

As with most disciplines, "philosophy" has both a casual and a technical usage.

In its casual use, "philosophy" may refer to nearly any sort of thought or beliefs, and include topics such as religion, mysticism and even science. When someone asks you what "your philosophy" is, this is the sort of sense they have in mind; they're asking about your general system of thoughts, beliefs, and feelings.

In its technical use -- the use relevant here at /r/askphilosophy -- philosophy is a particular area of study which can be broadly grouped into several major areas, including:

  • Aesthetics, the study of beauty
  • Epistemology, the study of knowledge and belief
  • Ethics, the study of what we owe to one another
  • Logic, the study of what follows from what
  • Metaphysics, the study of the basic nature of existence and reality

as well as various subfields of 'philosophy of X', including philosophy of mind, philosophy of language, philosophy of science and many others.

Philosophy in the narrower, technical sense that philosophers use and which /r/askphilosophy is devoted to is defined not only by its subject matter, but by its methodology and attitudes. Something is not philosophical merely because it states some position related to those areas. There must also be an emphasis on argument (setting forward reasons for adopting a position) and a willingness to subject arguments to various criticisms.

What Isn't Philosophy?

As you can see from the above description of philosophy, philosophy often crosses over with other fields of study, including art, mathematics, politics, religion and the sciences. That said, in order to keep this subreddit focused on philosophy we require that all posts be primarily philosophical in nature, and defend a distinctively philosophical thesis.

As a rule of thumb, something does not count as philosophy for the purposes of this subreddit if:

  • It does not address a philosophical topic or area of philosophy
  • It may more accurately belong to another area of study (e.g. religion or science)
  • No attempt is made to argue for a position's conclusions

Some more specific topics which are popularly misconstrued as philosophical but do not meet this definition and thus are not appropriate for this subreddit include:

  • Drug experiences (e.g. "I dropped acid today and experienced the oneness of the universe...")
  • Mysticism (e.g. "I meditated today and experienced the oneness of the universe...")
  • Politics (e.g. "This is why everyone should support the Voting Rights Act")
  • Self-help (e.g. "How can I be a happier person and have more people like me?")
  • Theology (e.g. "Can the unbaptized go to heaven, or at least to purgatory?")

What is a Reasonably Substantive and Accurate Answer?

The goal of this subreddit is not merely to provide answers to philosophical questions, but answers which can further the reader's knowledge and understanding of the philosophical issues and debates involved. To that end, /r/askphilosophy is a highly moderated subreddit which only allows panelists to answer questions, and all answers that violate our posting rules will be removed.

Answers on /r/askphilosophy must be both reasonably substantive as well as reasonably accurate. This means that answers should be:

  • Substantive and well-researched (i.e. not one-liners or otherwise uninformative)
  • Accurately portray the state of research and the relevant literature (i.e. not inaccurate, misleading or false)
  • Come only from those with relevant knowledge of the question and issue (i.e. not from commenters who don't understand the state of the research on the question)

Any attempt at moderating a public Q&A forum like /r/askphilosophy must choose a balance between two things:

  • More, but possibly insubstantive or inaccurate answers
  • Fewer, but more substantive and accurate answers

In order to further our mission, the moderators of /r/askphilosophy have chosen the latter horn of this dilemma. To that end, only panelists are allowed to answer questions on /r/askphilosophy.

What is a /r/askphilosophy Panelist?

/r/askphilosophy panelists are trusted commenters who have applied to become panelists in order to help provide questions to posters' questions. These panelists are volunteers who have some level of knowledge and expertise in the areas of philosophy indicated in their flair.

What Do the Flairs Mean?

Unlike in some subreddits, the purpose of flairs on r/askphilosophy are not to designate commenters' areas of interest. The purpose of flair is to indicate commenters' relevant expertise in philosophical areas. As philosophical issues are often complicated and have potentially thousands of years of research to sift through, knowing when someone is an expert in a given area can be important in helping understand and weigh the given evidence. Flair will thus be given to those with the relevant research expertise.

Flair consists of two parts: a color indicating the type of flair, as well as up to three research areas that the panelist is knowledgeable about.

There are six types of panelist flair:

  • Autodidact (Light Blue): The panelist has little or no formal education in philosophy, but is an enthusiastic self-educator and intense reader in a field.

  • Undergraduate (Red): The panelist is enrolled in or has completed formal undergraduate coursework in Philosophy. In the US system, for instance, this would be indicated by a major (BA) or minor.

  • Graduate (Gold): The panelist is enrolled in a graduate program or has completed an MA in Philosophy or a closely related field such that their coursework might be reasonably understood to be equivalent to a degree in Philosophy. For example, a student with an MA in Literature whose coursework and thesis were focused on Derrida's deconstruction might be reasonably understood to be equivalent to an MA in Philosophy.

  • PhD (Purple): The panelist has completed a PhD program in Philosophy or a closely related field such that their degree might be reasonably understood to be equivalent to a PhD in Philosophy. For example, a student with a PhD in Art History whose coursework and dissertation focused on aesthetics and critical theory might be reasonably understood to be equivalent to a PhD in philosophy.

  • Professional (Blue): The panelist derives their full-time employment through philosophical work outside of academia. Such panelists might include Bioethicists working in hospitals or Lawyers who work on the Philosophy of Law/Jurisprudence.

  • Related Field (Green): The panelist has expertise in some sub-field of philosophy but their work in general is more reasonably understood as being outside of philosophy. For example, a PhD in Physics whose research touches on issues relating to the entity/structural realism debate clearly has expertise relevant to philosophical issues but is reasonably understood to be working primarily in another field.

Flair will only be given in particular areas or research topics in philosophy, in line with the following guidelines:

  • Typical areas include things like "philosophy of mind", "logic" or "continental philosophy".
  • Flair will not be granted for specific research subjects, e.g. "Kant on logic", "metaphysical grounding", "epistemic modals".
  • Flair of specific philosophers will only be granted if that philosopher is clearly and uncontroversially a monumentally important philosopher (e.g. Aristotle, Kant).
  • Flair will be given in a maximum of three research areas.

How Do I Become a Panelist?

To become a panelist, please send a message to the moderators with the subject "Panelist Application". In this modmail message you must include all of the following:

  1. The flair type you are requesting (e.g. undergraduate, PhD, related field).
  2. The areas of flair you are requesting, up to three (e.g. Kant, continental philosophy, logic).
  3. A brief explanation of your background in philosophy, including what qualifies you for the flair you requested.
  4. One sample answer to a question posted to /r/askphilosophy for each area of flair (i.e. up to three total answers) which demonstrate your expertise and knowledge. Please link the question you are answering before giving your answer. You may not answer your own question.

New panelists will be approved on a trial basis. During this trial period panelists will be allowed to post answers as top-level comments on threads, and will receive flair. After the trial period the panelist will either be confirmed as a regular panelist or will be removed from the panelist team, which will result in the removal of flair and ability to post answers as top-level comments on threads.

Note that r/askphilosophy does not require users to provide proof of their identifies for panelist applications, nor to reveal their identities. If a prospective panelist would like to provide proof of their identity as part of their application they may, but there is no presumption that they must do so. Note that messages sent to modmail cannot be deleted by either moderators or senders, and so any message sent is effectively permanent.


/r/askphilosophy's Posting Rules

In order to best serve our mission of providing an academic Q&A-type space for philosophical questions, we have the following rules which govern all posts made to /r/askphilosophy:

PR1: All questions must be about philosophy.

All questions must be about philosophy. Questions which are only tangentially related to philosophy or are properly located in another discipline will be removed. Questions which are about therapy, psychology and self-help, even when due to philosophical issues, are not appropriate and will be removed.

PR2: All submissions must be questions.

All submissions must be actual questions (as opposed to essays, rants, personal musings, idle or rhetorical questions, etc.). "Test My Theory" or "Change My View"-esque questions, paper editing, etc. are not allowed.

PR3: Post titles must be descriptive.

Post titles must be descriptive. Titles should indicate what the question is about. Posts with titles like "Homework help" which do not indicate what the actual question is will be removed.

PR4: Questions must be reasonably specific.

Questions must be reasonably specific. Questions which are too broad to the point of unanswerability will be removed.

PR5: Questions must not be about commenters' personal opinions.

Questions must not be about commenters' personal opinions, thoughts or favorites. /r/askphilosophy is not a discussion subreddit, and is not intended to be a board for everyone to share their thoughts on philosophical questions.

PR6: One post per day.

One post per day. Please limit yourself to one question per day.

PR7: Discussion of suicide is only allowed in the abstract.

/r/askphilosophy is not a mental health subreddit, and panelists are not experts in mental health or licensed therapists. Discussion of suicide is only allowed in the abstract here. If you or a friend is feeling suicidal please visit /r/suicidewatch. If you are feeling suicidal, please get help by visiting /r/suicidewatch or using other resources. See also our discussion of philosophy and mental health issues here. Encouraging other users to commit suicide, even in the abstract, is strictly forbidden and will result in an immediate permanent ban.

/r/askphilosophy's Commenting Rules

In the same way that our posting rules above attempt to promote our mission by governing posts, the following commenting rules attempt to promote /r/askphilosophy's mission to provide an academic Q&A-type space for philosophical questions.

CR1: Top level comments must be answers or follow-up questions.

All top level comments should be answers to the submitted question or follow-up/clarification questions. All top level comments must come from panelists. If users circumvent this rule by posting answers as replies to other comments, these comments will also be removed and may result in a ban. For more information about our rules and to find out how to become a panelist, please see here.

CR2: Answers must be reasonably substantive and accurate.

All answers must be informed and aimed at helping the OP and other readers reach an understanding of the issues at hand. Answers must portray an accurate picture of the issue and the philosophical literature. Answers should be reasonably substantive. To learn more about what counts as a reasonably substantive and accurate answer, see this post.

CR3: Be respectful.

Be respectful. Comments which are rude, snarky, etc. may be removed, particularly if they consist of personal attacks. Users with a history of such comments may be banned. Racism, bigotry and use of slurs are absolutely not permitted.

CR4: Stay on topic.

Stay on topic. Comments which blatantly do not contribute to the discussion may be removed.

CR5: No self-promotion.

Posters and comments may not engage in self-promotion, including linking their own blog posts or videos. Panelists may link their own peer-reviewed work in answers (e.g. peer-reviewed journal articles or books), but their answers should not consist solely of references to their own work.

Miscellaneous Posting and Commenting Guidelines

In addition to the rules above, we have a list of miscellaneous guidelines which users should also be aware of:

  • Reposting a post or comment which was removed will be treated as circumventing moderation and result in a permanent ban.
  • Using follow-up questions or child comments to answer questions and circumvent our panelist policy may result in a ban.
  • Posts and comments which flagrantly violate the rules, especially in a trolling manner, will be removed and treated as shitposts, and may result in a ban.
  • No reposts of a question that you have already asked within the last year.
  • No posts or comments of AI-created or AI-assisted text or audio. Panelists may not user any form of AI-assistance in writing or researching answers.
  • Harassing individual moderators or the moderator team will result in a permanent ban and a report to the reddit admins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some frequently asked questions. If you have other questions, please contact the moderators via modmail (not via private message or chat).

My post or comment was removed. How can I get an explanation?

Almost all posts/comments which are removed will receive an explanation of their removal. That explanation will generally by /r/askphilosophy's custom bot, /u/BernardJOrtcutt, and will list the removal reason. Posts which are removed will be notified via a stickied comment; comments which are removed will be notified via a reply. If your post or comment resulted in a ban, the message will be included in the ban message via modmail. If you have further questions, please contact the moderators.

How can I appeal my post or comment removal?

To appeal a removal, please contact the moderators (not via private message or chat). Do not delete your posts/comments, as this will make an appeal impossible. Reposting removed posts/comments without receiving mod approval will result in a permanent ban.

How can I appeal my ban?

To appeal a ban, please respond to the modmail informing you of your ban. Do not delete your posts/comments, as this will make an appeal impossible.

My comment was removed or I was banned for arguing with someone else, but they started it. Why was I punished and not them?

Someone else breaking the rules does not give you permission to break the rules as well. /r/askphilosophy does not comment on actions taken on other accounts, but all violations are treated as equitably as possible.

I found a post or comment which breaks the rules, but which wasn't removed. How can I help?

If you see a post or comment which you believe breaks the rules, please report it using the report function for the appropriate rule. /r/askphilosophy's moderators are volunteers, and it is impossible for us to manually review every comment on every thread. We appreciate your help in reporting posts/comments which break the rules.

My post isn't showing up, but I didn't receive a removal notification. What happened?

Sometimes the AutoMod filter will automatically send posts to a filter for moderator approval, especially from accounts which are new or haven't posted to /r/askphilosophy before. If your post has not been approved or removed within 24 hours, please contact the moderators.

My post was removed and referred to the Open Discussion Thread. What does this mean?

The Open Discussion Thread (ODT) is /r/askphilosophy's place for posts/comments which are related to philosophy but do not necessarily meet our posting rules (especially PR2/PR5). For example, these threads are great places for:

  • Discussions of a philosophical issue, rather than questions
  • Questions about commenters' personal opinions regarding philosophical issues
  • Open discussion about philosophy, e.g. "who is your favorite philosopher?"
  • Questions about philosophy as an academic discipline or profession, e.g. majoring in philosophy, career options with philosophy degrees, pursuing graduate school in philosophy

If your post was removed and referred to the ODT we encourage you to consider posting it to the ODT to share with others.

My comment responding to someone else was removed, as well as their comment. What happened?

When /r/askphilosophy removes a parent comment, we also often remove all their child comments in order to help readability and focus on discussion.

I'm interested in philosophy. Where should I start? What should I read?

As explained above, philosophy is a very broad discipline and thus offering concise advice on where to start is very hard. We recommend reading this /r/AskPhilosophyFAQ post which has a great breakdown of various places to start. For further or more specific questions, we recommend posting on /r/askphilosophy.

Why is your understanding of philosophy so limited?

As explained above, this subreddit is devoted to philosophy as understood and done by philosophers. In order to prevent this subreddit from becoming /r/atheism2, /r/politics2, or /r/science2, we must uphold a strict topicality requirement in PR1. Posts which may touch on philosophical themes but are not distinctively philosophical can be posted to one of reddit's many other subreddits.

Are there other philosophy subreddits I can check out?

If you are interested in other philosophy subreddits, please see this list of related subreddits. /r/askphilosophy shares much of its modteam with its sister-subreddit, /r/philosophy, which is devoted to philosophical discussion. In addition, that list includes more specialized subreddits and more casual subreddits for those looking for a less-regulated forum.

A thread I wanted to comment in was locked but is still visible. What happened?

When a post becomes unreasonable to moderate due to the amount of rule-breaking comments the thread is locked. /r/askphilosophy's moderators are volunteers, and we cannot spend hours cleaning up individual threads.

Do you have a list of frequently asked questions about philosophy that I can browse?

Yes! We have an FAQ that answers many questions comprehensively: /r/AskPhilosophyFAQ/. For example, this entry provides an introductory breakdown to the debate over whether morality is objective or subjective.

Do you have advice or resources for graduate school applications?

We made a meta-guide for PhD applications with the goal of assembling the important resources for grad school applications in one place. We aim to occasionally update it, but can of course not guarantee the accuracy and up-to-dateness. You are, of course, kindly invited to ask questions about graduate school on /r/askphilosophy, too, especially in the Open Discussion Thread.

Do you have samples of what counts as good questions and answers?

Sure! We ran a Best of 2020 Contest, you can find the winners in this thread!


r/askphilosophy 4d ago

Open Thread /r/askphilosophy Open Discussion Thread | December 23, 2024

2 Upvotes

Welcome to this week's Open Discussion Thread (ODT). This thread is a place for posts/comments which are related to philosophy but wouldn't necessarily meet our subreddit rules and guidelines. For example, these threads are great places for:

  • Discussions of a philosophical issue, rather than questions
  • Questions about commenters' personal opinions regarding philosophical issues
  • Open discussion about philosophy, e.g. "who is your favorite philosopher?"
  • "Test My Theory" discussions and argument/paper editing
  • Questions about philosophy as an academic discipline or profession, e.g. majoring in philosophy, career options with philosophy degrees, pursuing graduate school in philosophy

This thread is not a completely open discussion! Any posts not relating to philosophy will be removed. Please keep comments related to philosophy, and expect low-effort comments to be removed. Please note that while the rules are relaxed in this thread, comments can still be removed for violating our subreddit rules and guidelines if necessary.

Previous Open Discussion Threads can be found here.


r/askphilosophy 3h ago

Is it fair to cheat at an unfair game ?

18 Upvotes

Let's say you can play a game you know is unfair. You cannot prove it is by following the rules of this game. But you know it is unfair and rigged. Is it fair to cheat to prove the game is unfair ? Is it justified to go against something rigged to prove it is rigged ? And if you do not prove it is rigged, is it fair to cheat at this unfair game for your personnal benefit ? Should you just ignore this game ?


r/askphilosophy 8h ago

How to read the Bible?

26 Upvotes

I'm in a little bit of a weird position where I am extremely culturally Catholic and have had profound spiritual experiences through Catholic rites and rituals, and have been called back to the Church repeatedly (despite being rabidly queer and generally not the type of person you'd think would find comfort or meaning there).

But I've never seriously read the Bible. I don't want to approach it as "Bible study" the way churches do it, but it is an important philosophical and theological text and I'd like to read and understand it the best I can.

How would a philosopher approach reading the Bible? I obviously can't come to it from a place of total faith and belief, but I would at least like to come to it in a spirit of intellectual and personal curiosity.

Thank you!


r/askphilosophy 1h ago

Logic - what is the difference between a→□b and □(a→b)?

Upvotes

Could you please explain it like you're talking to a child or a dog? I've been trying to understand the difference but I can't figure it out on my own for the life of me


r/askphilosophy 3h ago

What works of Plato and Aristotle should one read before reading more into Phenomenology?

2 Upvotes

I am new to philosophy and am interested in Phenomenology and what it discusses. I want to brief myself before I read more into it by looking into what influences the Greek philosophers provide to lay a ground work for this field.


r/askphilosophy 9h ago

From my perspective, there is some unique property of "me-ness" that wouldn't be embodied in a perfect clone of me. Is there a term for this property or entity more generally — the perspective of a particular person's consciousness, divorced from all of their psychological and physical properties?

6 Upvotes

ETA3: Thank you to u/hazardoussouth for identifying the term "ipseity," which after a brief search might be synonymous with "minimal self" — "the very basic sense of having experiences that are one's own," which "has no properties" and "refers to the 'mine-ness' or 'given-ness' of experience, that the experiences are that of the person having them in that person's stream of consciousness."

Also honorable mention to u/autopoetic for "haeccity," which is a great and closely related word — although from what I've seen in a brief search, its usage in practice can vary all the way from "what makes this thing this thing, independent of any of its properties" to "what makes this thing this thing, including all of its properties," which makes it an extremely confusing autoantonym 🙄 But I'll still probably get some mileage out of all these words as long as I specify their meanings at the outset of discussion. Thanks all!

— — —

This is a hard question to explain because... well, I don't really have the words to articulate it. But I'll try to expand.

In everyday language, we talk about people as they are actually embodied in the world: they have a particular mind and body and history. When we talk about the "self," even if we feel like we can conceive of it independently from the body and environment, we are usually still implicitly including things like particular dispositions, beliefs, and desires.

But when I talk about "you" and "me" and "them," from my perspective, there is some unique property about being "me" independent of all those traits. And the same thing is true of you from your perspective. As I am me, there is some fundamental distinction between "me" and the rest of the world, in that this particular brain and mind is the only one that I have access to, and I have unique access to it. What do we call that?

Coming at it from another angle: In Rawls' veil of ignorance, everything is hidden about your potential position in the world, including your genes, body, and mind. So what aspect of "me" is waiting behind the veil of ignorance?

ETA: formatting.

ETA2: Ugh, I knew this would be such a hard thing to ask, and predictably I think I'm not communicating what I mean quite right. I'm not trying to say there's some unique "property" to each person in some metaphysical sense, I'm just talking about the perspective part. Like, the fact that I have access to my mind and not yours; I wouldn't have access to my clone's mind and vice versa; etc. Does that make sense...? Like... "perspectiveness"? "Perspective consciousness"?


r/askphilosophy 4h ago

Is moral realism a prerequisite for moral knowledge?

2 Upvotes

r/askphilosophy 17h ago

What would be the correct thing to do if you got world-destroying powers?

18 Upvotes

We're talking Superman-level powers here, no matter what it is exactly (super speed, invulnerability, telekinesis on a continental scale, etc, anything that basically makes you individually as powerful as the whole military arsenal of a major nation, if not more).

What would be the right thing to do in that situation, if you were the only one on Earth with this kind of power?


r/askphilosophy 1h ago

Who are some of the earliest contributors to the topic of technological criticism?

Upvotes

So far I’ve read Ellul, some Heidegger, and Gunther Anders. I’d like to get a better grasp of the foundations on which they were able to make these observations. Thanks in advance.


r/askphilosophy 8h ago

Spanish-language philosophers in Anglophone Academia or other Anglophone philosophy?

3 Upvotes

As the title states, are Spanish-language philosophers cited in Anglophone philosophy? If so, how much? Is there a prominent contemporary paper,article, treatise,etc. inspired by it?


r/askphilosophy 3h ago

Does anyone know where Avicenna said/wrote this?

1 Upvotes

[C]an [the floating mind] be assured of the existence of himself? . . .  He does not have any doubt in that his self exists, without thereby asserting that he as any exterior limbs, nor any internal organs, neither heart nor brain, nor any one of the exterior things at all . . . Even if it were possible for him in that state to imagine a hand or any other limb, he would not imagine it as being a part of his self, nor as a condition for the existence of that self.


r/askphilosophy 7h ago

History of Philosophy covering the following? (From Origen to Scotus)

2 Upvotes

Is there a high-quality work covering philosophy's history, from Justin Martyr, Lactantius, Origen to Duns Scotus?


r/askphilosophy 8h ago

What are the best conceptual categories for the study of religion?

2 Upvotes

I teach secondary religion, ethics and critical thinking. In my experience, Religious education suffers from topicality and lacks depth. I am trying to develop a conceptual framework for the study of religion to give it more rigour. My conceptual categories so far are: The divine, divine providence, cosmology, the sacred (text, place of worship, symbol, rites of passage/ritual/festival), the supernatural, soteriology.

Am I missing anything?

Soteriology bugs me, because I really want the concept to answer the question "how do I achieve the good afterlife outcome?" This question could apply equally to Islam and Hinduism but I'm aware that "salvation" is not really applicable to Hinduism. Is there a better conceptual heading for what I'm trying to say?

Thanks so much for your time.


r/askphilosophy 9h ago

What postmodernist/poststructuralist authors criticized the idea of historical progress/determinism?

2 Upvotes

These could be specific authors, and/or groups/schools of authors. I already know postmodernism/poststructuralism criticizes the idea of historical determinism and the idea that societies inevitably progress in a certain direction, so I just want to which specific authors particularly tackle this subject matter.


r/askphilosophy 1d ago

So rocks have consciousness?

46 Upvotes

When panpsychists say that fundamental building blocks have consciousness, what do they mean by it? Are they saying that its alive and conscious or just conscious but not alive? Then another ques comes can something be conscious but not alive. I don't understand how pansychism fits into these things. And then how would a panpsychist prove that a rock is alive or conscious. I was watching a discussion of Philip Goff with Alex, and whenever Alex was asking him these kinds of ques without providing an answer he starts to speak gibberish. If you have good understanding of pansychism then let me know.


r/askphilosophy 10h ago

Beginner Reading on Hegel, Marx, and Zizek

2 Upvotes

I’ve recently gone down the rabbit hole of learning about Materialism vs Idealism, and the general philosophies of Hegel and Marx, as well as talks/debates by Zizek. I’ve stumbled across these philosophies and concepts with very little prior knowledge and I really don’t know how (or even if) all these things are related. I am very interested in what I’ve been hearing but if I don’t get some structure my head is going to explode.

Does anyone have any introductory books or other reading I could check out on these topics? Possibly a simple reading list (what makes sense to focus on first and stuff like that)?

Thanks 🙏


r/askphilosophy 10h ago

what is the best order for reading organon? should I read Plato's works before it ?

2 Upvotes

should I read Plato's works before it ? also some people adviced me to start with logic before the 10 categories


r/askphilosophy 1d ago

a little over 2.0 college gpa. am I fucked for phd?

50 Upvotes

I know the title looks bad and makes it seem like i don't care about school or doing well, but being a philosophy professor and doing research has been my goal for years. philosophy seriously fulfills me in a way nothing else does and I can't imagine a world where I'm not constantly studying it and learning more.

However, I wrote about this in the last post on my account, but I've been battling serious chronic illness in college and since transferring to UCLA i will likely graduate with a UCLA gpa of 2.3,.

I just failed a class for the second time and I am now starting to realize it is probably the best choice for me to drop out. I don't mean to sound like I am giving up, but even though it is terrible I think it is now safe to assume I will not be able to get into a grad program (even just a masters) after I graduate in less than a year. I love philosophy with all my heart but my gpa is so ruined at this point I just feel like giving up.

Is it safe to assume that with such a low gpa my chances are too slim? I am taking out extreme loans to go to UCLA even though I am in state and it would benefit me and my family if I was able to just work as a cashier and start paying back my loans now.

I could really use some advice.


r/askphilosophy 8h ago

Exploring the philosophical foundations of ethics, morality, and what defines a good or bad person.

1 Upvotes

Where would you recommend I start if I’ve never really studied philosophy? Lately, I’ve been questioning the meaning of what makes a good person versus a bad person. This curiosity has led me to explore different philosophical perspectives on life, conflict, and how people approach differences in opinions and values. Along the way, I’ve come across ethics and moral philosophy, and I’m interested in learning more about these topics. Do you have any recommendations for where to start so I can gain a better understanding?


r/askphilosophy 2h ago

Are we humans good or evil by nature

0 Upvotes

Hi I been thinking are we as a species good or evil and if so do we adapt to society norms and hide our true nature?


r/askphilosophy 10h ago

Applying to PhD programs after being previously dismissed

1 Upvotes

As the title states I was previously in a Phil PhD program and was dismissed for not meeting the grade requirements. My gpa was about a 3.4 and I didn't receive a final grade lower than a B+. I left on good terms as I am still in contact with many of my previous professors, some of which will be writing me letters of recommendations for my upcoming application. My problem is that I am not sure if I should mention my previous PhD candidacy in the personal statement or on my CV. I was planning to list on my CV the university along with "non degree" or "no degree received." Any advice would be most appreciated as I am not sure what to do. Thank you.


r/askphilosophy 10h ago

Any good book recommendations around art in the modern age (especially when it comes to artificial / generated art)?

1 Upvotes

Lately, I’ve been getting more into art and looking for some good reads on art philosophy. I’m planning to apply to a Beaux-Arts school in France, and I want to explore new ideas and perspectives to help me prepare for the written entrance exam.

I’ve been diving into works by Bachelard, Merleau-Ponty, Walter Benjamin, Susan Sontag, and John Berger, along with essays on art by Rilke, Tolstoy, Gombrich, and others.

What I’m especially curious about is whether there are any books or essays out there, similar to Walter Benjamin’s The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction or John Berger’s Ways of Seeing, that touch or relate to more modern topics like GANs, diffusion models, and AI in art.

Would love any recommendations—thanks in advance!


r/askphilosophy 15h ago

Does conflict help society?

3 Upvotes

does conflict in general help society? wouldn't it be better to live without conflict? i mean there wouldn't be any progress as conflict is the root for change, but why would you need change/progress if life is already peaceful?


r/askphilosophy 11h ago

Can I use Max weber and Arendt to write a criteque of critique of government inefficiencies and highlight the potential of businesses to drive change.

0 Upvotes

I am trying to write a critique of government inefficiencies and highlight the potential of businesses to drive change.

to write this critique I thought I could use

  • Max Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism examines the bureaucratic inefficiencies of government agencies. Weber's concept of the "iron cage" of bureaucracy could support the argument that rigid structures stifle innovation.
  • Hannah Arendt’s The Human Condition emphasizes action (praxis) over mere administration. CanI use her idea that humans thrive through direct, purposeful action to argue that businesses allow for meaningful, impactful work.

Would this make sense?


r/askphilosophy 1d ago

Is "Man" Used to Represent All of Humanity in Philosophy and Psychology

9 Upvotes

In many philosophical and psychological texts, especially older works, the term "man" often appears to refer to humanity as a whole. However, I'm curious: was this truly intended to represent all human beings, regardless of gender, or was it primarily centered on men when discussing concepts like the "Übermensch" (Nietzsche) or key ideas in Jung's writings?

Did these thinkers view "man" as inclusive of the entire species, or were their ideas implicitly or explicitly limited to men? How should we approach these texts today when interpreting such terminology?


r/askphilosophy 17h ago

Why would it be fair or unfair to provide higher-priority healthcare to someone who actively works to maintain good health compared to someone who neglects their health?

4 Upvotes

Let's say we have two individuals. The first individual has always put effort into maintaining good health. They consistently prioritise getting exercise, even when they would rather watch movies or play video games. They also ensure they maintain a healthy diet, resisting their cravings for fast food.

The second individual, however, despite having every opportunity to lead a healthy lifestyle, has chosen to lead the opposite lifestyle. They have never exercised and have followed a terrible diet.

Both individuals end up requiring the same medical care at the same time. The hospital that can provide this care has limited capacity and must prioritise one individual over the other. Would it be fair for the hospital to prioritise the first individual based on the effort they made to maintain good health?