Tom

No Simon. There may be some overlap but philosophy and science use two different methods. One is the scientific methods (notice plural) and the other is simply asking abstract questions and answering them. When philosophy tries to be specific (like dealing with a concrete bioethical issues) it may seem scientific but it does not use the scientific…[Read more]

Rational, logical thinking educated by data.

No that definition would apply to MANY subjects in academia including psychology, engineering, medicine and law. Also philosophy was using “rational, logical thinking educated by data” for centuries before science as we know it came along. Try again. Hint: the scientific method plays a very large role.

Maybe

No. It’s not a maybe. I studied it for five years. I know what I’m talking about.

but it uses scientific thinking.

What does that even mean?

Simon you always mischaracterise philosophy. It is not a science nor does it particularly deal with “every day life”. It deals with large abstract questions. Yes scientific data can be used. Yes rational arguments and evidence is necessary. But it is NOT a science. Yes, SOME questions deal with every day life. The majority in fact do not. Defining…[Read more]

People have a pressure to get laid and replicate but many people feel no pressure to thrive.,,,many just feel pressure to escape reality.

One of the best responses to the “thriving” myth. The pressure is the continued replication of our genes (not even necessarily our own genes). Nature doesn’t even care about our own survival noting the number of…[Read more]

Indeed insulin is recommended as a suicide method not because it is the most efficient without any possible side effects (there can be minor unpleasantness) but mostly because of how easy it is to procure. However it’s important to truly overdose as a not strong enough dose can definitely lead to unpleasantness. Most internet searches just lead to…[Read more]

In fact apart from jumping off a very high platform there is a sure fire painless way involving the combination of a couple pills which actually aren’t super difficult to procure. This information can be found in the book “The peaceful pill” which can be ordered in most countries online. If society could have a more direct and honest discussion…[Read more]

People from most non-Abrahamic religion influenced parts of the world have a different attitude towards suicide or euthanasia. Very few cultures actually endorse it but they have a far less aggressive resistance towards it or even grudging acceptance of it in some cases. Barring bad quick decisions, mental problems (including depression) or other…[Read more]

Yes! Autocorrect

With the best will in the world, a lot of people have trouble finding meaning in life.

Then that person is overly corrupted by religion, has not utilised the resources available to them as best as possible, needs help with a humanist friend and/or requires some assistance from a cognitive therapist.

Almost all existentialists are Nihilists but not all Nihilists are existentialists and existentialism includes a whole lot more than just nihilism. Existentialism is more about individual agency, freedom and will.

That being said the issue can be confused by some fictional portrayals of nihilists as “I don’t give a shit about nothing” or black…[Read more]

how does the atheist avoid nihilism, the view that life is meaningless, pointless, and nothing really matters

Ehm. Nihilism does not infer that “nothing really matters”. That is an over generalisation. For some nihilists…indeed nothing really matters but that can also be the case for non-nihilists where there is inherent and/or divine meaning…[Read more]

It doesn’t hurt for Buddhism to spread a little more wisdom in the world.

I think Simon you are blind to just how much the superstitious and supernatural elements of religion CAN and DOES hurt. Perhaps you are able to cut away the nice sounding folk-wisdom bits (I’m not sure but perhaps) but the majority of people in the world who do embrace it c…[Read more]

It may or may not be a trivial truth, but the real-life results are not trivial.  If we screw up, disaster may ensue.

Yes Simon but we don’t need Buddhism to figure that out. Buddhists did not invent this concept nor is Buddhist discourse uniquely profound on this topic nor gives any added value over something that is already obvious: your…[Read more]

Simon that is an over-simplistic description of the Buddhist concept of karma. It cannot be divorced from the supernatural karma unless you discuss it in a secular way, in which case it is no longer Buddhist. Yes…you can think of it in a non-cyclical folk-wisdom sense, but you don’t need Buddhism to be able to do that. It is nonsensical to talk…[Read more]

Simon you cannot talk about karma with any religion without talking about the supernatural mechanism behind it (a universal mechanism which magically facilitates moral equilibrium). And you cannot refer to karma via Bhuddism or Hinduism without referring to the reincarnation cycle. Yes there may be a psychological element to it but what YOU are…[Read more]

Simon you cannot talk about karma with any religion without talking about the supernatural mechanism behind it (a universal mechanism which magically facilitates moral equilibrium). And you cannot refer to karma via Bhuddism or Hinduism without referring to the reincarnation cycle. Yes there may be a psychological element to it but what YOU are…[Read more]