Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: December 13, 2024, 10:21 am

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Never judge a philosophy by its abuse
#1
Never judge a philosophy by its abuse
Some of you may recognize this title from the signature of Kingphil. I think it's an interesting concept with the potential to generate interesting thoughts and discussion.

For starters, there is precious little created by humans that somebody, somewhere has not figured out a way to abuse. So if we judge a philosophy by its abuse we might as well throw everything out the window. How then do we judge the value of anything?
The god who allows children to be raped out of respect for the free will choice of the rapist, but punishes gay men for engaging in mutually consensual sex couldn't possibly be responsible for an intelligently designed universe.

I may defend your right to free speech, but i won't help you pass out flyers.

Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.
--Voltaire

Nietzsche isn't dead. How do I know he lives? He lives in my mind.
Reply
#2
RE: Never judge a philosophy by its abuse
Following.
"Of course, everyone will claim they respect someone who tries to speak the truth, but in reality, this is a rare quality. Most respect those who speak truths they agree with, and their respect for the speaking only extends as far as their realm of personal agreement. It is less common, almost to the point of becoming a saintly virtue, that someone truly respects and loves the truth seeker, even when their conclusions differ wildly." 

-walsh
Reply
#3
RE: Never judge a philosophy by its abuse
[Image: everything-is-shit_design.png]
Reply
#4
RE: Never judge a philosophy by its abuse
In practice, there is often disagreement about what is abuse of an idea and even what the idea is.  This is particularly true in cases where the writer is not clear.  But even with good writers, there are often disagreements about interpretations.

Also, is what is logically entailed by a philosophy considered to be included in it?  Or is inferring such things an "abuse" of the philosophy if the philosopher never made the inference?

"A wise man ... proportions his belief to the evidence."
— David Hume, An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section X, Part I.
Reply
#5
RE: Never judge a philosophy by its abuse
Soooooo..........

Do we judge (prefer evaluate) the philosophy based on it's position on/of abuse? It's ability/propensity to be abused? The people(s) that claim it and then perpetrate abuse?

Value is subjective. To the believer/non abuser it may have great value, the same for the abuser. To the observer/receiver of the abuse, little value.

I choose to make my evaluation on the philosophies inherent value to me to and my world. Not how others may believe in it or use it for their purposes (abusing or not).
Being told you're delusional does not necessarily mean you're mental. 
Reply
#6
RE: Never judge a philosophy by its abuse
(September 16, 2015 at 2:07 pm)Rhondazvous Wrote: Some of you may recognize this title from the signature of Kingphil. I think it's an interesting concept with the potential to generate interesting thoughts and discussion.

For starters, there is precious little created by humans that somebody, somewhere has not figured out a way to abuse. So if we judge a philosophy by its abuse we might as well throw everything out the window.   How then do we judge the value of anything?

Who is the judge of what is abuse or not?
Reply
#7
RE: Never judge a philosophy by its abuse
.....Show me the radicals, and I'll show you what the religion teaches.
Reply
#8
RE: Never judge a philosophy by its abuse
I'd say anyone who regularly commits logical fallacies is misusing philosophy. This covers theology for a start.

To abuse it, I suppose, would be to knowingly misuse it in ways you think you will get away with (in the present company) in order to further your argument. This covers every apologist ever. Well, the ones who have any understanding of logic, anyway. The rest don't even know they are misusing it.
Feel free to send me a private message.
Please visit my website here! It's got lots of information about atheism/theism and support for new atheists.

Index of useful threads and discussions
Index of my best videos
Quickstart guide to the forum
Reply
#9
RE: Never judge a philosophy by its abuse
(September 17, 2015 at 11:09 am)Napoléon Wrote:
(September 16, 2015 at 2:07 pm)Rhondazvous Wrote: Some of you may recognize this title from the signature of Kingphil. I think it's an interesting concept with the potential to generate interesting thoughts and discussion.

For starters, there is precious little created by humans that somebody, somewhere has not figured out a way to abuse. So if we judge a philosophy by its abuse we might as well throw everything out the window.   How then do we judge the value of anything?

Who is the judge of what is abuse or not?

On that subject I think I'll value Vorlon's opinion.
Reply
#10
RE: Never judge a philosophy by its abuse
42
 The granting of a pardon is an imputation of guilt, and the acceptance a confession of it. 




Reply



Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  How worthless is Philosophy? vulcanlogician 127 12190 May 20, 2024 at 12:19 pm
Last Post: The Grand Nudger
  Philosophy Recommendations Harry Haller 21 3139 January 5, 2024 at 10:58 am
Last Post: HappySkeptic
  The Philosophy Of Stupidity. disobey 51 5697 July 27, 2023 at 3:02 am
Last Post: Carl Hickey
  Hippie philosophy Fake Messiah 19 2180 January 21, 2023 at 1:56 pm
Last Post: Angrboda
  [Serious] Generally speaking, is philosophy a worthwhile subject of study? Disagreeable 238 20240 May 21, 2022 at 10:38 am
Last Post: highdimensionman
  So, we'll never see our loved ones again? Shazzalovesnovels 93 10219 May 20, 2021 at 4:10 am
Last Post: BrianSoddingBoru4
  My philosophy about Religion SuicideCommando01 18 3421 April 5, 2020 at 9:52 pm
Last Post: SuicideCommando01
  High level philosophy robvalue 46 6481 November 1, 2018 at 10:44 pm
Last Post: DLJ
  Why I'm here: a Muslim. My Philosophy in life. What is yours;Muslim? WinterHold 43 10458 May 27, 2018 at 12:20 am
Last Post: The Grand Nudger
  The Philosophy of Mind: Zombies, "radical emergence" and evidence of non-experiential Edwardo Piet 82 15169 April 29, 2018 at 1:57 am
Last Post: bennyboy



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)