Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Suggestions for Philosophical Collaboration


   There are a few things I would like to propose to help philosophical interactions online:

1) Keep it short.
   Why? There is a lot of noise online, and a lot of interesting people.  It would be better if we got to read more of each other's thoughts than having to pick and choose between fifty page essays.

2) Solicit interaction
   Why? Without interaction, philosophizing does not have the effect of gathering individuals together in thought and helping us come to terms and cultivate ourselves.

3) Do your homework.
   Why?  There has been a breakdown in classical education and we need to rebuild a common knowledge of a canon.  Writing and reading will be a lot better if we are experts in more than just one area of thought.

4) Write for audiences that have done their homework.  
   Why?  Make your writing shorter by not having to quote constantly.  Keep the level of discourse high. Enforce good reading habits and help develop the contemporary culture of philosophical discourse.

5) Try your hardest to come to an understanding by realizing that every disagreement relies upon a very broad ground of agreement.
   Why? The same debates have been happening continuously under different guises throughout the entire history of philosophy, and none of them have been included as elements in any of the penetrating insights in the same history.  I would go so far to say that coming to agreement should be a sacred duty of philosophers.


   What am I doing?

1) I try to keep my posts under 1000 words.  

2) I organize philosophy meetings in my city.  I try to get readers on some social websites and communicate to others through twitter.

3) I read a lot, and am interested in reading whatever is required to better interact with whoever I come into contact with.

4) My writing expects a fairly high level of familiarity with texts, but tries to make a point without that familiarity.

5) In person I have had more opportunity to practice this, but coming to terms and a belief that everything can be reconciled is central to my thought and work.

In addition: I am very interested in designing a website that will  facilitate  philosophical discussions, as well as help us to organize our own thoughts and interact.  I would love to speak with other philosophers about my ideas on this and get more input.

1 comment:

Quentin Ruyant said...

I was a web developer now studying philosophy. I am interested in your ideas for a website dedicated to philosophical interaction, and have some ideas too... my twitter account is @q_ruy if you want to exchange on this.