What philosophers resonate with you?

[Blues Man]

We all know the famous philosophers

Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Aquinas, Hume, Nietzsche etc

But are there any others that have changed the way you think?

Alan Watts is a philosopher that has changed my perspective. He had a unique way of translating the Eastern philosophies for the contemporary Western mind.

Home

alanwatts.org

A little sample

 

[wamose]

I like the Alabama fan-philosopher whose sign on game day said, "you can't spell useless without LSU".

 

[Blues Man]

I like the Alabama fan-philosopher whose sign on game day said, "you can't spell useless without LSU".

Ah yes the football is life philosophy

 

[Unkotare]

莊子

 

[luiza]

AJ Ayer taught me a great deal-- brilliant thinker who was married four times , an outstanding sportsman , Professor , Knighted and during WW2 was a SOE executive and worked for MI6 .

Also Pythagoras . His more esoteric ideas are gaining a new currency and today he might be a top Woo convert and Master .

 

[Blues Man]

莊子

For those of us that don't write Chinese

Zhuangzi

Who wrote an excellent book on Taoism that illustrated his wonderful sense of humor

 

[Votto]

Ah yes the football is life philosophy

Woody Hayes

"Hit'em hard, that way if you lose, your opponent will at least feel like they lost."

 

[Blues Man]

Woody Hayes

"Hit'em hard, that way if you lose, your opponent will at least feel like they lost."

The opposite of the Tao philosophy of flow.

 

[Votto]

The opposite of the Tao philosophy of flow.

“Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But since no one was listening, everything must be said again.”​

Woody Hayes

"Hit'em hard, that way if you lose, your opponent will at least feel like they lost."

 

[1srelluc]

“The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.” -Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius Quotes (Author of Meditations)

3029 quotes from Marcus Aurelius: 'You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.', 'Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.', and 'The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.'

www.goodreads.com

 

[Votto]

Reporter: "Woody, why did you go for two points after the touchdown against Michigan when you already had the game won and could have only kicked the extra point instead?"

Woody: "Because I could not go for three points"

 

[Blues Man]

“The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.” -Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius Quotes (Author of Meditations)

3029 quotes from Marcus Aurelius: 'You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.', 'Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.', and 'The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.'

www.goodreads.com

Excellent quote.

I find there is a very wide cross section where Taoism, Buddhism and Stoicism overlap

 

[1srelluc]

Excellent quote.

I find there is a very wide cross section where Taoism, Buddhism and Stoicism overlap

Marcus Aurelius was a doer, not just someone sitting around spouting deep thoughts.....We could all use some Stoicism in our lives about now.

 

[Nobody911]

We all know the famous philosophers

Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Aquinas, Hume, Nietzsche etc

But are there any others that have changed the way you think?

Alan Watts is a philosopher that has changed my perspective. He had a unique way of translating the Eastern philosophies for the contemporary Western mind.

Home

alanwatts.org

A little sample

Buddha actually is such a great philosopher.
●●●●●●●
In the graveyard's eerie veil of gray,
Lies a poignant truth we must convey.
A gentle whisper, a subtle rhyme,
To remind us all of the passing time.

Within these hallowed grounds we tread,
Lies a solemn reminder for the living thread.
For here lie memories of faded grace,
As life's transient energy finds its resting place.

Oh, mortal souls, recall this sight,
Of tombstones bathed in moonlit light.
Where names have withered, and echoes fade,
A potent reminder that life's a fleeting shade.

The marble slabs, weathered by the years,
Speak tales of joy, sorrow, laughter, and tears.
Each name etched in stone, a legacy fair,
Yet reminders that nothing's forever to spare.

For in this realm where spirits rest,
We find our souls and hearts abreast.
Through whispers of wind, we're called to see,
The impermanence that hums in silent decree.

So let us cherish every fleeting breath,
For life is but a dance, a dance of death.
In the graveyard's embrace, we find our release,
A somber reminder of life's transient lease.

So as we pass through life's uncertain strife,
Let's savor every moment, every slice.
For like the graveyard's realm, we'll each reside,
In eternity's embrace, forever side by side...
●●●●●●●

Source :

https://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/fundbud1.pdf

 

[strollingbones]

plato and the cave

 

[Grumblenuts]

Playdough and Mark Twain

 

[Blues Man]

Buddha actually is such a great philosopher.
●●●●●●●
In the graveyard's eerie veil of gray,
Lies a poignant truth we must convey.
A gentle whisper, a subtle rhyme,
To remind us all of the passing time.

Within these hallowed grounds we tread,
Lies a solemn reminder for the living thread.
For here lie memories of faded grace,
As life's transient energy finds its resting place.

Oh, mortal souls, recall this sight,
Of tombstones bathed in moonlit light.
Where names have withered, and echoes fade,
A potent reminder that life's a fleeting shade.

The marble slabs, weathered by the years,
Speak tales of joy, sorrow, laughter, and tears.
Each name etched in stone, a legacy fair,
Yet reminders that nothing's forever to spare.

For in this realm where spirits rest,
We find our souls and hearts abreast.
Through whispers of wind, we're called to see,
The impermanence that hums in silent decree.

So let us cherish every fleeting breath,
For life is but a dance, a dance of death.
In the graveyard's embrace, we find our release,
A somber reminder of life's transient lease.

So as we pass through life's uncertain strife,
Let's savor every moment, every slice.
For like the graveyard's realm, we'll each reside,
In eternity's embrace, forever side by side...
●●●●●●●

Source :

https://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/fundbud1.pdf

Buddha is one of those well known guys.

Are there any more recent philosophers that you like?

 

[Blues Man]

Marcus Aurelius was a doer, not just someone sitting around spouting deep thoughts.....We could all use some Stoicism in our lives about now.

And yet Stoicism was originated by people sitting around and discussing deep thoughts

 

[luiza]

What a bunch of plonkers ?

Try Ludwig Wittgenstein, generally regarded as the most important of the 20 th century philosophers , influenced by our own Bertrand Russel .
For me , AJ Ayer belongs in the same cubby hole -- Logical Positivism ( see post 5) .

In summary . First define the meaning of meaning. -- A sentence is not a valid question just because you think it demands a question mark .
Nowhere as dry and boring as you might imagine. .
I also took modern philosophy and Logic as a BA ancilliary , along with Comparative Theology .

Fat load of good they have done me .

 

[ScorpioRising007]

We all know the famous philosophers

Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Aquinas, Hume, Nietzsche etc

But are there any others that have changed the way you think?

Alan Watts is a philosopher that has changed my perspective. He had a unique way of translating the Eastern philosophies for the contemporary Western mind.

Home

alanwatts.org

A little sample

I think Noam Chomsky is brilliant. I have read his works and listened to him. He has changed the way I think about politics, history and the cognitive sciences.

Slavoj Zizek I have read a lot of. Zizek will bend your head around and you will see the world completely differently. After reading Zizek it felt like the Matrix, blinds were pulled off my eyes and I could see the world very differently. I learned how much I see the world through a lens of ideology and how to unlearn that behavior.