Philosophical thought exercises and debates may not come to any consensus, any agreed upon way the world is or how we should act in it. Philosophy doesn't exist, like the sciences do, to give answers. Instead, philosophy serves us by igniting curiosity about the hows of our existence and the whys of our beliefs.
When we're getting into heated discussions on Facebook posts, favoriting trending Tweets, or downvoting on Reddit, the values taught through philosophy can let us step back and analyze our opponents positions with more rational objectivity. You can ask, does this person think truth is negotiated between people over time, or determined individually by personal experiences? If you figure that out, then you can create your response with more awareness or even realize that a response won't change their mind or influence the conversation for good. You can analyze your choices and go with the decision that affirms the most honorable value. Do you want others to be mature, respectful, tolerant debaters? Then you can affirm those values by remaining calm, understanding, and respectful yourself.
Why not start by commenting below with your thoughts or send a message to the site admin with your comments!
When we're getting into heated discussions on Facebook posts, favoriting trending Tweets, or downvoting on Reddit, the values taught through philosophy can let us step back and analyze our opponents positions with more rational objectivity. You can ask, does this person think truth is negotiated between people over time, or determined individually by personal experiences? If you figure that out, then you can create your response with more awareness or even realize that a response won't change their mind or influence the conversation for good. You can analyze your choices and go with the decision that affirms the most honorable value. Do you want others to be mature, respectful, tolerant debaters? Then you can affirm those values by remaining calm, understanding, and respectful yourself.
Why not start by commenting below with your thoughts or send a message to the site admin with your comments!
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