Comments on The Politics of Well-Being: Philosophy is dead

Hi Anonymous 'Aristotle and his ilk were noto...

2010-12-13T00:28:30.844-08:00

Hi Anonymous

'Aristotle and his ilk were notorious for belittling the role of evidence and observation'???

Aristotle was a scientist and a philosopher. He used to get Alexander the Great's army to send him back specimens of animals and plants for him to anatomize.

You could say that CBT would eventually have been found through the scientific method of trial and error. But it wasn't. It was found by Albert Ellis reading Stoic philosophy. So we have the ancient Greek philosophers to thank for modern therapy.

Try to get beyond the 'science versus philosophy' argument. Its sterile and pointless.

What you are describing as being useful in philoso...

2010-12-12T23:35:06.753-08:00

What you are describing as being useful in philosophy is included in the scientific method without the need to invoke philosophy. In the CBT example, it could easily be argued that the process is entirely scientific, and that the solution would have eventually been found through a naturally driven need to improve life experiences. Aristotle and their ilk were notorious for belittling the role of evidence and observation and it's why few people are interested in what they have to say anymore.

The reason philosophy is dead is the same reason astrology is dead. It's unnecessary to describe the patterns and realities that we see. Observation and evidence forms what you call "philosophy", not the other way around. Anytime it works, it's pure luck on the back of scientific work.

To further this though, new research is showing th...

2009-05-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

To further this though, new research is showing that decisions are taken by the brain before the conscious mind is aware of it. It just demonstrates that the brain is a complex and layered machine that has evolved to maximize our survival. In the process, evolution created both emotions and rational thinking. It only makes sense that we should avail ourselves of both. The wisdom is in finding the right balance.

Hi, I practice Buddhism and it has helped me under...

2009-04-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

Hi, I practice Buddhism and it has helped me understand that our emotions apparently arise from within us but by no means do they define us. Emotions come and we observe them. We may act on them or we may not. They are not reality and we are not our emotions.

The article you reference makes me very sad actually. When people believe their emotions define the truth their happiness becomes a hostage of their emotions, and it does not need to be that way,