Jericho's Philosophy Corner

[dood]

Knowledge is a good and a bad thing depending on how you look at it.

[myskaros]

Philosophy question, why do people often stop at a semblance of familiarity rather than bothering to actually obtain knowledge about something before seriously acting on it? Are they too lazy or what's going on? They certainly put up a lot of effort to defend their unfounded beliefs, don't they?
Sorry... I just see these things... and it makes me sooooo frustrated. D:

edit: Not sure that's the best "philosophy" question. How about, is knowledge a good thing?

I think it is a common trait bred by most societies to "prove" yourself. Unfortunately, not everyone is taught how to approach proving yourself, so it is also common to just throw what you happen to know out there rather than deliberate and make sure you are correct and/or thorough first.

I'm approaching your question from the perspective of stuff like religion and politics, where it's easy to see people "jumping on the bandwagon" for a certain issue without actually knowing details or specifics behind it. In this case, it's easy to see someone saying "Oh, I know about that, they talked about it on the radio/I overheard coworkers discussing it/etc." Because who doesn't enjoy jumping into a conversation and having people look at you with newfound respect or awe, right?

The other perspective I'm interpreting is "The Internet" in a broad sense. I've been trolling the Diablo 3 forums since release, so I know all about people posting half-truths and wild assumptions. In these cases... I think it's just laziness that compels people to post without knowing all the facts. Combined with anonymity and lack of tangible retribution, no one feels a need to be accurate, since, in the "world of peasants," all that matters is how many people you have on your side.

In any situation, I think that people tend to act on what they incidentally know, but dislike actively seeking out whole truths or additional knowledge. Knowing information in itself is never bad, it's more a question of how people put that information to use that can be judged positively or negatively.

[Fallen Angel Loretta]

edit: Not sure that's the best "philosophy" question. How about, is knowledge a good thing?

Hm, well those who possess vast amounts of knowledge(such as professors, doctors, and scientists) are certainly respected in our modern society(especially doctors, it seems). Knowledge is what allows people to accomplish what can vary from daily tasks to finding the cure for a well-known disease.

However, knowledge can be used for all the wrong reasons also. Kind of like how evil-mad scientists would use their intellects.

Knowing information in itself is never bad, it's more a question of how people put that information to use that can be judged positively or negatively.

I agree with myskaros on this subject.

[vampko]

Is it worse to have known happiness and lost it, than to have never known happiness?

Something that got on my mind while watching Sket Dance and One Piece.

[dood]

Is it worse to have known happiness and lost it, than to have never known happiness?

Something that got on my mind while watching Sket Dance and One Piece.

It's better to have never known happiness, it hurts more when you lose it.

[Prinapocalypse]

I think it's better to have known happiness and lost it, than to have never known it at all.


Never knowing happiness is sort of depressing sounding to me at least.

[JerichoDeath]

I think it's better to have known happiness and lost it, than to have never known it at all.


Never knowing happiness is sort of depressing sounding to me at least.

If you never "knew" happiness, how would it be depressing to you? You have nothing to compare that happy-less state to. It sounds utterly neutral to me.

On the other hand, you had happiness at some point, but now you no longer do. So, I suppose that means you could be either neutral or depressed, at that point.

Sounds like comparing Zero with (Zero or Negative One), then asking which is greater.

--

These aren't my personal feelings on the subject, though.

[vampko]

I think it's better to have known happiness and lost it, than to have never known it at all.


Never knowing happiness is sort of depressing sounding to me at least.

If you never "knew" happiness, how would it be depressing to you? You have nothing to compare that happy-less state to. It sounds utterly neutral to me.

On the other hand, you had happiness at some point, but now you no longer do. So, I suppose that means you could be either neutral or depressed, at that point.

Sounds like comparing Zero with (Zero or Negative One), then asking which is greater.

--

These aren't my personal feelings on the subject, though.

Ah, but you can know that you're missing something. Just because you don't have it, doesn't mean that you never feel like something is missing.

Yet, the real problem is, how can you be unhappy, if you never had unhappiness? Is it really possible to even have never known 'happiness'?

The question I had was more if your life was in a perpetual state of bad thing after bad thing, and no one was nice to you, would that be better than having your happiness snatched away at some point after you had experienced a truly happy life?

[Prinapocalypse]

@Jericho: I meant from my point of view it sounds depressing to never know happiness, because I have known/am happy.

If someone doesn't know what it's like then they likely aren't going to get depressed over not knowing what they're missing out on.

[Luke Triton]

What is good and what is bad? Is there some sort of absolute moral standard? What difference does it make whether something we do is bad or good? What if we feel we have no choice but to do something bad? If so, are we still responsible? Which matters more, the intention or the action? Should the question of what is good and what is bad be left up to individuals?
Also, how should it be decided? Should what is bad and what is good be determined by the situation, by laws, by tradition?

Better question!!!!
...
..
.
What is evil?

[dood]

What is good and what is bad? Is there some sort of absolute moral standard? What difference does it make whether something we do is bad or good? What if we feel we have no choice but to do something bad? If so, are we still responsible? Which matters more, the intention or the action? Should the question of what is good and what is bad be left up to individuals?
Also, how should it be decided? Should what is bad and what is good be determined by the situation, by laws, by tradition?

Better question!!!!
...
..
.
What is evil?

Evil is what society considers to be evil.

[JerichoDeath]

Evil is what society considers to be evil.

That.
Is just another huge can-o-worms~!

[Fallen Angel Loretta]

What is good and what is bad? Is there some sort of absolute moral standard? What difference does it make whether something we do is bad or good? What if we feel we have no choice but to do something bad? If so, are we still responsible? Which matters more, the intention or the action? Should the question of what is good and what is bad be left up to individuals?
Also, how should it be decided? Should what is bad and what is good be determined by the situation, by laws, by tradition?

Better question!!!!
...
..
.
What is evil?

It all depends on who you're asking when it comes to deciding what is morally good and morally wrong. Everybody has their own stance on what is evil, if you ask me. However, people generally think whatever is frowned upon in modern society is "bad." If something is really, really disliked by somebody, or if one has a phobia for that something, then one might say that said something is "evil." Like I said, it all depends on one's personal views and opinions when it comes to defining what's considered good or evil.

[Yoshimi]

May I care to ask what is your stance on gender and gender relations in general?

I myself have never really came to have it held for or against anyone. I see people as they are at their base, which certainly help rid of a lot clutter in seeing who's worth having around or not. If one believes they are who they should be, male or female or whatever, then so be it. Who are we to judge someone's self-worth and definition? However, from where I live and from what I've experienced over the years, a lot of people seem to take society's ideals and stereotyping about men and women for granted, and especially when it comes to politics, crime and such. I thought it'd be interesting to see everyone else's two cents on this.

[Luke Triton]

My own stance on this is that evil is just a word people like to throw around. The nature of it is a secret.
I don't believe evil exists in the first place, basically. It's like time: something everyone knows about, but if you ask them to define it, most people will draw a total blank since it isn't something they actually think about.

New question, though, because boredom of the sleep-deprived sort.
What separates life and death? When do you say that one begins and another ends?