Philosophy

[Coffeehouse]

Originally Posted by Gwaimir Windgem

Certainly, reflecting on experience is essential in the philosophical tradition, and conversation is a very important part of it. But, this is carried out on an abstract level. One doesn't philosophize from one single experience. Philosophy is about knowledge, yes. And knowledge is had, according to most philosophers, in the abstract. Certainly, this is the case with Plato. As for Kant, he's rather obscure, and I make no claim to understand him from what I have read of his writings. I would hazard a guess, based on his concern for a priori propositions (and his incomprehensible language!), that he would also see philosophy as an abstract reasoning process.

As regards "truth", the introduction of the term bare and naked is unhelpful. What do you mean by "truth"? The "truth" that most philosophers have sought is one which is found through abstract reasoning.

The conversation doesn't need to be abstract, nor should it be. Abstract thinking will only get you this far. Unless it is applied to the life you live it remains only that, abstract, an idea, with little purpose than that you can think about it but what good is that when you don't submit it to practice.

Plato used the abstract, but if he did Plato (and his Socrates) always ended up taking the abstract to the concrete, to actual situations where the ideas were applicable. As a guide for this he made a difference between true knowledge and false knowledge, the latter being an oxymoron as there is no such thing as false knowledge: It isn't knowledge if it is false.

If you are confused about the concept of truth Gwaimir read Gorgias, a good introduction to the concept of truth in philosophy.