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A few centuries ago, philosophy was a knowledge. Its concepts and theories were central in most educations. Spinoza proved the existance of God. Charles Fourier

A few centuries ago, philosophy was a knowledge. Its concepts and theories were central in most educations. Spinoza proved the existance of God. Charles Fourier defined new societies. Now that sciences and technology rule the knowledge field, philosophy's enthusiasts just claim that philosophy helps learning to think and widens one's spirit. These claims are dubious and unprecise. > What philosophy does is to teach one to think and reason in ways that one otherwise would not have done. It enlarges one's worldview which makes it easier for one to grasp new ideas and concepts, and to be open to fields of knowledge that one may have otherwise bypassed. If that were true, I think philosophy would be a mandatory study to anyone interested in advanced scientific theories, because it's hard to grasp concepts about higher dimensions, or the relativity of space-time, etc. Recent history shows that the modern flow is in the other direction: Einstein's theories influenced philosophers, not the other way around. I strongly doubt that people who read philosophy are significantly more receptive to foreign concepts and cultures. Many factors seem more important. It's like saying a religious belief makes people more open to others, while experiments tend to show the opposite is true. Even so, most arts can claim the same: "grasp new ideas" and "open to fields of knowledge". In my case, I could say that for literature. Like any art, the form is important: almost nobody studies Gauss' scientific concepts through original texts, while almost nobody reads a modern wording of classical novels or philosophy works. Like literature, philosophy is a peculiar form of artistic culture.

lapcat 2y ago
> Einstein's theories influenced philosophers, not the other way around. Untrue: "At thirteen, when his range of enthusiasms had broadened to include music and philosophy, Einstein was introduced to Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. Kant became his favorite philosopher" "In 1902, Einstein and some friends whom he had met in Bern formed a group that held regular meetings to discuss science and philosophy." "The thinkers whose works they reflected upon included Henri Poincaré, Ernst Mach and David Hume, all of whom significantly influenced Einstein's own subsequent ideas and beliefs." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein
- programjames 2y ago
  How does this show the philosophers influenced Einstein? I studied a little philosophy in university, but if I were to make advances in any field ~e~x~c~e~p~t~ including philosophy I doubt I would credit my philosophy classes.
- idoubtit 2y ago
  Henri Poincaré and Ernst Mach where physicists that worked in the same domains as Einstein. Mixing in the philosopher Hume make your citation very unprecise. Yet, even is debating about Hume had "significantly influenced Einstein's own subsequent ideas and beliefs", that does not mean it had an influence on his relativity theory. Though I recon that Einstein philosophical and religious beliefs did influence his theory. IIRC, it lead him to alter his model of the universe so that it would be stable. After much criticism, he dropped the magic constant he had created for this.
- trashtester 2y ago
  Kind of interesting to go to Kant first and then Hume. Kant was in a sense a synthesis of the rationalists and Hume. But maybe he later came to see it a step in the wrong direction?
linearrust 2y ago
> A few centuries ago, philosophy was a knowledge. It's still the love of knowledge to this day. > Now that sciences and technology rule the knowledge field, philosophy's enthusiasts just claim that philosophy helps learning to think and widens one's spirit. Science ( aka natural philosophy ), is just a small part of what we call knowledge. > If that were true, I think philosophy would be a mandatory study to anyone interested in advanced scientific theories, Science is a part of philosophy. When you get a PhD in physics for example, you get a doctorate in philosophy. It's just philosophy confined to the study of the natural world guided by empiricism. Certainly most scientists have studied some philosophy. > Even so, most arts can claim the same: "grasp new ideas" and "open to fields of knowledge". In my case, I could say that for literature. We can say philosophy is an art form centered around reason. Using the broader definition of art, everything is an art.
- mistermann 2y ago
  I'd say this exchange is excellent evidence of how ideological "science" (as it is, in all its manifestations in human minds) is, and the poor faith[1] based thinking style it teaches. The internet is overflowing with this sort of content, but it is impossible to see for most (both believers and non-believers), similar to how the delusions of religious people are invisible to those who share the same beliefs and cognitive methodologies, axioms, etc. It is funny that this is the way it is, especially considering it is 2024. [1] Belief without adequate proof, evidence, heuristics perceived as logic, belief perceived as knowledge, etc.

lapcat 2y ago

> Einstein's theories influenced philosophers, not the other way around. Untrue: "At thirteen, when his range of enthusiasms had broadened to include music and philosophy, Einstein was introduced to Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. Kant became his favorite philosopher" "In 1902, Einstein and some friends whom he had met in Bern formed a group that held regular meetings to discuss science and philosophy." "The thinkers whose works they reflected upon included Henri Poincaré, Ernst Mach and David Hume, all of whom significantly influenced Einstein's own subsequent ideas and beliefs." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Einstein

programjames 2y ago
How does this show the philosophers influenced Einstein? I studied a little philosophy in university, but if I were to make advances in any field ~e~x~c~e~p~t~ including philosophy I doubt I would credit my philosophy classes.
idoubtit 2y ago
Henri Poincaré and Ernst Mach where physicists that worked in the same domains as Einstein. Mixing in the philosopher Hume make your citation very unprecise. Yet, even is debating about Hume had "significantly influenced Einstein's own subsequent ideas and beliefs", that does not mean it had an influence on his relativity theory. Though I recon that Einstein philosophical and religious beliefs did influence his theory. IIRC, it lead him to alter his model of the universe so that it would be stable. After much criticism, he dropped the magic constant he had created for this.
trashtester 2y ago
Kind of interesting to go to Kant first and then Hume. Kant was in a sense a synthesis of the rationalists and Hume. But maybe he later came to see it a step in the wrong direction?

linearrust 2y ago

> A few centuries ago, philosophy was a knowledge. It's still the love of knowledge to this day. > Now that sciences and technology rule the knowledge field, philosophy's enthusiasts just claim that philosophy helps learning to think and widens one's spirit. Science ( aka natural philosophy ), is just a small part of what we call knowledge. > If that were true, I think philosophy would be a mandatory study to anyone interested in advanced scientific theories, Science is a part of philosophy. When you get a PhD in physics for example, you get a doctorate in philosophy. It's just philosophy confined to the study of the natural world guided by empiricism. Certainly most scientists have studied some philosophy. > Even so, most arts can claim the same: "grasp new ideas" and "open to fields of knowledge". In my case, I could say that for literature. We can say philosophy is an art form centered around reason. Using the broader definition of art, everything is an art.

mistermann 2y ago
I'd say this exchange is excellent evidence of how ideological "science" (as it is, in all its manifestations in human minds) is, and the poor faith[1] based thinking style it teaches. The internet is overflowing with this sort of content, but it is impossible to see for most (both believers and non-believers), similar to how the delusions of religious people are invisible to those who share the same beliefs and cognitive methodologies, axioms, etc. It is funny that this is the way it is, especially considering it is 2024. [1] Belief without adequate proof, evidence, heuristics perceived as logic, belief perceived as knowledge, etc.