[lit-ideas] Re: Gripes
- From: "Mike Geary" <atlas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2004 15:24:28 -0500
EY:
> 1. Given that many people often feel that life is hard to take: is
> this inevitable or not? Do we *have* to feel this way, or is there an
> option?
I'm not sure what's given here. What does "life is hard to take" mean?
> 2. If there *is* an option, shouldn't it be at least a major part of
> philosophy's job to try to find ways of changing this situation?
No. It's not. You might want it to be, but it ain't.
> If it
> refuses or fears to concern itself with such questions, doesn't
> philosophy forfeit all claims to be taken seriously?
No. Philosophy is not art, it's not religion, it's not psychology. I'm not
sure what philosophy is, but it's not any of those things. I think maybe
the very last concern of philosophy would be how we feel about our lives.
At least not in any Dr. Feelgood way. Philosophy is about thinking
rationally -- maybe? At least, that's how I see it, and that's why I
chucked it, knowing I'd never succeed there. Nor in math.
> Humanity has two major gripes: (1) Predation, and (2) Gravity.
Your explication of these terms is wonderful and I hate to throw them out as
frivilous for that reason, nevertheless, duty calls. Humanity has two
hundred and three major gripes. I'll tackle the first three.
(1) No food.
(2) No money.
(3) No sex.
Some people claim that if you've got good sex you won't care about the first
two. But I've never had sex THAT good, so I can't testify. I know that
Plato can't help in any of these areas. Neither can Jesus. Neither can
Picasso. Neither can the United Nations. All we can do is bitch. That's
why there are Lists.
Mike Geary
Memphis
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