Philosophy

[son_ov_hades]

Anyone here into this stuff? I'm a big fan of Marx(say what you will), Nietsche, and Foucault.

[UglyJoe]

I was into it back in college when I had more time/motivation to read it. 

I like Kierkegaard -- from what I've read, anyway.  I'd like to get into it more, but it can be time-consuming to really get into it the way you need to.

I took a Philosophy of Mind course, and that was pretty crazy.  Mind: A Brief Introduction by John Searle is a pretty good read.

Nietzsche is so depressing.  It's funny how spot-on his analysis of humans can be at times, but, overall, he's just such an excessive downer.  One of my professors (Brian Schroeder) was some kind of a Nietzsche scholar.  He interpreted his stuff in ways that I could never really latch on to (like, I couldn't follow how he got from Nietzsche's text to his own conclusions) , but it was crazy to see how into it he was.

[Rob64]

Slightly off topic but for birthday I hope to get a book about the philosophy of Zelda off of amazon, might be a good read

[son_ov_hades]

I was into it back in college when I had more time/motivation to read it. 

I like Kierkegaard -- from what I've read, anyway.  I'd like to get into it more, but it can be time-consuming to really get into it the way you need to.

I took a Philosophy of Mind course, and that was pretty crazy.  Mind: A Brief Introduction by John Searle is a pretty good read.

Nietzsche is so depressing.  It's funny how spot-on his analysis of humans can be at times, but, overall, he's just such an excessive downer.  One of my professors (Brian Schroeder) was some kind of a Nietzsche scholar.  He interpreted his stuff in ways that I could never really latch on to (like, I couldn't follow how he got from Nietzsche's text to his own conclusions) , but it was crazy to see how into it he was.

Nietzsche is depressing, but existential nihilism is fascinating stuff. It's also scary as hell, someone with the wrong agenda can manipulate it so easily, see:Hitler. 

[JC]

I've been very much interested in the transcendental movement of the 1800s, essentially a skepticism of society with the individual as transcendent -- so much so that Emerson held the individual is God.

Jesus Christ belonged to the true race of prophets. He saw with open eye the mystery of the soul. Drawn by its severe harmony, ravished with its beauty, he lived in it, and had his being there. Alone in all history, he estimated the greatness of man. One man was true to what is in you and me. He saw that God incarnates himself in man, and evermore goes forth anew to take possession of his world. He said, in this jubilee of sublime emotion, `I am divine. Through me, God acts; through me, speaks. Would you see God, see me; or, see thee, when thou also thinkest as I now think.' But what a distortion did his doctrine and memory suffer in the same, in the next, and the following ages!   --Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Divinity School Address," an oration, July 15, 1838

For me, if I'm thinking of the applicability of philosophy in my life, Emerson's got the most clear-headed approach and one I've devoted a lot of time to comprehending. I don't mind "depressing" philosophy, but I prefer the honest, inspired and declarative method he uses. He has always provided me with a unique understanding of how man and life work:

In yourself slumbers the whole of Reason; it is for you to know all, it is for you to dare all. --Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The American Scholar," an oration, August 31, 1837

Why should we make account of time, or of magnitude, or of figure? The soul knows how to play with them as a young child plays with graybeards and in churches.  --Ralph Waldo Emerson, "History," an essay, 1841

No law can be sacred to me but that of my nature.  --Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Self-Reliance," an essay, 1841

Give me health and a day, and I will make the pomp of emperors ridiculous.  --Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Beauty," an essay, 1836

Just a sample of my favorites, lacking context. He has too many wonderful essays, poems and letters.