Random Thoughts

[emjay]

I've been getting interested in reading philosophy again, long overdue, and was just thinking how cool it would be if the formal debates area of the forum was used again, as it hasn't been in a long time. At the moment my main philosophical interest is in 'God of the philosopher's' type stuff (eg, Anselm, Aquinas etc) and coming on here looking for threads about that, I came across @Neo-Scholastic's, ahem, failed debate... so I just thought, as a random thought, how cool it would be if he would be willing to debate that subject again, but with someone else, say @vulcanlogician or @The Grand Nudger... someone willing to debate it thoroughly on logical grounds and take it seriously. I mean, I know I'm not in a position to ask for much on this site given I rarely post any more, but just offering it as a suggestion in case anyone was interested. I'd certainly read it, with interest And it's just nice seeing debates in that form, so even if no to this, I think it would still be cool if the debates area started getting used again.

Totally, man. I'd be down for a formal debate. But nothing on a strict schedule. Like, I'd only want to commit to opening remarks, a few responses and then kinda letting the debate taper out (if it doesn't come to a tidy conclusion on its own).

I think the God of the philosophers was something Socrates and Plato used as a stand in for the Greek gods (in which they did not believe). I think Aristotle made good use of it. Anselm and Aquinas... Neo might be able to say more on what their usage of the concept was. They kinda blended it with the Christian God, I think. But again,  It'd be an interesting thing to analyze. I wonder if early Enlightenment philosophers didn't employ it to hide their deism or atheism.

You could always start a thread about it, and (if parties are interested) we could use that as a jumping off point and start a start a formal debate about it. I also wouldn't mind defending pantheism vs an atheist. (Not the same subject, I know, but it's somewhat adjacent.)

Cool I only meant 'God of the philosophers' colloquially really, not as a specific thing to talk about... just how I'd kind of group those sort of arguments... that which attempts to prove god, or supposed aspects of god, through logic alone. Sorry about that, already getting things conflated

Yeah, I could start a thread, but it's been such a long time since I last did, and to be frank, I've lost confidence in my own ability to debate, both from an intellectual point of view and an energy/concentration point of view. I mean, I am getting back into it, reading the subject at least, slowly and surely, but I'm a long way from being able to argue logic with such proficiency as you guys. But thanks for the suggestion... I'll think about it