The Most Important Philosophical Question

[average]

Is what exactly?

and why?

[Dan Rowden]

I don't think it matters that much. Most of the primary questions associated with philosophical thinking lead to all other questions if a person's mind is functioning properly. For me - now many moons ago - it was "What is ethical?" I necessarily had to sort out all the questions of existence to find a complete and certain answer to it.

[average]

well it matters, obviously, by definition!

[Dan Rowden]

No, I don't think the specific question matters. I can think of any number of them that lead down the same necessary path.

[average]

You just aren't thinking it through hard enough Dan, which is typical of this forum, so let me do a bit of work for you : the path is the one question; the questions that follow it or precede it are mostly irrelevant ways to waste one's time.

When one knows the answer to the one question, then, the other questions fade away...the nature of reality?, the nature of this and that?, determinism?, causality?, morality? everything else is secondary.

No one here knows what it is? Pity.

=]

[Diebert van Rhijn]

the path is the one question; the questions that follow it or precede it are mostly irrelevant ways to waste one's time.

Better yet: questioning becomes the very definition of path. That's why every path, every line of inquiry, if sincere and serious enough, leads to Rome.

There is no 'one question' since it implies 'one answer' and 'one path' to walk which is the mistake of fundamentalist religion. It's only at the very beginning this kind of exclusiveness (focus) serves some purpose.

Et tu, Brute?

[average]

Better yet: questioning becomes the very definition of path. That's why every path, every line of inquiry, if sincere and serious enough, leads to Rome.

No. Simply questioning can lead to many irrelevant answers that have nothing to do with philosophy.

There is no 'one question' since it implies 'one answer' and 'one path' to walk which is the mistake of fundamentalist religion. It's only at the very beginning this kind of exclusiveness (focus) serves some purpose.

Et tu, Brute?

The mistake of the fundamentalist religion is that they ask the wrong fundamental question and are on the wrong path.


Philosophy should be taken fundamentally, so you should ask the most fundamental question. If you can't, you are wasting time.

[Sapius]

The Most Important Philosophical Question, Is what exactly?

and why?

In my opinion, its the 'why' itself.

Why do we question... and why do we question why?

Whereas one can always simply live and die.

[Boyan]

Is what exactly?

and why?

Pick up a basic philosophy book.

[Diebert van Rhijn]

Simply questioning can lead to many irrelevant answers that have nothing to do with philosophy.

That's why I didn't call it 'simply' questioning. Don't you see your introduction of the qualifier 'simply' justifies your use of 'irrelevant'? It seems you're talking to yourself.

The mistake of the fundamentalist religion is that they ask the wrong fundamental question and are on the wrong path.

No, the problem is that they stick with some foudantion and do not use it as a launching pad. It's common in lots of Eastern type of spiritual thought too, meditation, the silent witness, etc.

Philosophy should be taken fundamentally, so you should ask the most fundamental question. If you can't, you are wasting time.

You start with the fundamental; a 101. If you think that this is going to take you all the way in itself then you're still walking around with immature ideas. You'd be a 'fundamentalist' of some new kind.

[average]

the fact that the one question eludes you, should be cause for concern

[Boyan]

I thought it was common knowledge.

The main question of philosophy is what is the basis and the archbeginning of everything.

[average]

its neither common knowledge, nor is it what you assumed it to be boyan.

[ExpectantlyIronic]

I became interested in philosophy due to the mind/body problem. Or, as it is now called, the 'hard problem of consciousness'. Cartesian skepticism also blew my mind, and I think I can blame my interest in philosophy on Descartes, who did a fine job of pegging the honestly infuriating problems, even if he had no good solutions to offer up to them.

[Ataraxia]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a15KgyXB ... ed&search=

[average]

Ataraxia are you suggesting that all of this philosophical mumbo jumbo is just monkey talk?

Cause if you are, you're pretty cool

[ExpectantlyIronic]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a15KgyXB ... ed&search=

"Dance, monkey, dance" indeed. On that note... yet another optimistic view of humanity. In song this time!

[dabbason]

irony has had it's wicked way with enquiry,knowledge knows nothing,i have a friend who is an enquiry junkie,and i watch him in the breeze as my washing, flapping about

[Boyan]

its neither common knowledge, nor is it what you assumed it to be boyan.

How can you know that it is not what i said it is?

[average]

because what you said doesn't strike at the most fundamental aspect of the human condition, which is what the one question revolves around

[Boyan]

because what you said doesn't strike at the most fundamental aspect of the human condition, which is what the one question revolves around

What could be more important than that? It does not strike as the most fundamental to who? To you?

[average]

'what is the basis and archbeginning of everything' is nonsensical and silly

first of all, boyan, archbeginning isn't even a word
secondly the 'basis for everything' is vague, lacks specificity, and makes a baseless assumption

/yawn

[Boyan]

That is why I told you to pick up a basic philosophy book. There you would find that to be true. If you had basic knowledge on the history of philosophy you would know that is how philosophy started. What was the focus of philosophy in its earliest stage?

What is everything made of. That is the question the earliest philosophers were concerned with. Tales said water, Anaximenes said air... I'm surprised no one said it in the beginning of this thread.

I said the archbeginning because English is not my first language, I had to translate and couldn't find an appropriate word.

You are a disrespectful ignorant. In your threads you are asking for us to give you philosophy lessons.

What does writing yawn means? That's a low blow. It's like saying I'm above you, you are boring. I'm making an effort in answering your question and you act like that. Fuck you, you shouldn't even be allowed to post your nonsense.

[average]

Calm down boyan, the thing is, this isn't about the most basic or common or popular philosophical question; it's about the most important one to mankind. It won't be found in a beginners philosophy book, thats why you are so angry and confused in this thread.

[Iolaus]

I think the most important question is 'what am I' or 'What are we'?
Hopefully, that would answer as well, the other important question, which is
'What caused the universe?' What caused theuniverse is not a simple curiosity question, it would let us know a lot about the nature of this reality we find ourselves dreaming in.

If you ask me, the human condition is one of total existential ignorance. Deep down, we know it, but keep it pretty much subconscious. We are distracted by sunlight, and other humans, from letting our true situation hit us in the gut.

We don't know who we are,
what we are,
why we are,
where we are.

We don't know what time it is. All is black, endless, empty void. There is no compass, no reference point, no way to triangulate our position.