What is your personal "world outlook"?

Are you a Positivist? An existentialist ? A Deconstructivist ? A Christian ? A Buddhist ?

Marxist? Agnostic? Neoconservative ? Social Democrat ? An Arsenal Supporter?

If we were in France or Germany, it is more than likely that we would have each of us conciously adopted to some extent a distinct philosophy by which we attempt to live and that it would guide our life decisions and strategies.

In Ireland and even more so in the UK there is a tradition of pragmatism, a "suck it and see" so-called "common sense" outlook, and a feeling that philosophical or economic systems of belief are unneccessary and foreign. The UK is now pretty well an agnostic society, but in Ireland Catholicism still has a big influence on peoples' outlook and daily lives. Underneath the agnosticism, everyone does have a world outlook of one kind or another, but they are generally not concious of what it is and have never put a name to it.

I think my own outlook is heavily influenced by pragmatism, an outlook that fits in with left wing reformism, but I really don't think it is up to dealing with the enormous changes going on globally and the need for new responses. Positivism, faced with climate change and end of oil, is suddenly not too adequate and the assumption I think that economic forces are the drivers of most change in society, and I have a lot of regard for Marx, Engels and Lenin's "historical materialism" but wouldn't describe myself as Marxist as I don't feel sufficiently knowledgeable or actively engaged to make any such claim. It seems to me that its going to be important to question the outlooks of the past and to refine them or develope a new one.

Is it a good thing to have a "world view"? Do we need to develop new philosophical outlooks to meet up with the severe challenges and changes we are faced with as a species? Do you have a "world view" and does it help?

I would classify myself as a pragmatic postmodernist Christian, if such a thing as possible.

Pragmatic - because there are many new challenges we must face in the coming century.
Postmodernist - because I believe that the World is a complex place which demands complex solutions of us and no one theory or ideology can do the job for us; and also because the intellectual laziness of adherents to ideologies irritates me.
Christian - becasue I believe in God; I believe that one must fight on the side of good in the battle of good and evil; I believe that neighbourly love and comradeship are necessary to the promotion of human dignity.

The Christian part may conflict with the postmodern bit but then again it is a complex world .

I would also class myself as a socialist in the sense of the socialism expressed in the Proclamation of Independence.

Thank you Zhou. It is interesting to see your personal set of philosophies, I can see how they fit in with your posts.

I take the lack of any more response to this thread to mean either confirms the lack of interest in philosophy in Ireland, or that people consider their "isms" to be a private matter ?

cactus flower wrote:

Thank you Zhou. It is interesting to see your personal set of philosophies, I can see how they fit in with your posts.

I take the lack of any more response to this thread to mean either confirms the lack of interest in philosophy in Ireland, or that people consider their "isms" to be a private matter ?

Neither. I'm too confused. I don't know what my philosophy is.

Me neither. It's hard to nail. But you've got me thinking...

---

Sometimes I'm an anarchist, but only at night when I ate well enough and I'm safe at home:



But more generally I believe in the god of Japanese anime (Anime No Kami). Especially the pervert ones where school girls harrass an absolutely helpless nerd:

I'm a selfish right wing capitalist bastard. 

cookiemonster wrote:

I'm a selfish right wing capitalist bastard.

Its a hard and thankless road cookiemonster, but I suppose one of us has got to do it.

cactus flower wrote:

cookiemonster wrote:

I'm a selfish right wing capitalist bastard.

Its a hard and thankless road cookiemonster, but I suppose one of us has got to do it.

Well a walking on the other road hasn't done me much good, when you're lost it doesn't really matter what direction you turn.

cookiemonster wrote:

cactus flower wrote:

cookiemonster wrote:

I'm a selfish right wing capitalist bastard.

Its a hard and thankless road cookiemonster, but I suppose one of us has got to do it.

Well a walking on the other road hasn't done me much good, when you're lost it doesn't really matter what direction you turn.

Yes it does matter cookiemonster, because you affect other people with what you do, not only yourself.
Its not a great time to be taking up capitalism though, is it?

cactus flower wrote:

cookiemonster wrote:

cactus flower wrote:

cookiemonster wrote:

I'm a selfish right wing capitalist bastard.

Its a hard and thankless road cookiemonster, but I suppose one of us has got to do it.

Well a walking on the other road hasn't done me much good, when you're lost it doesn't really matter what direction you turn.

Yes it does matter cookiemonster, because you affect other people with what you do, not only yourself.
Its not a great time to be taking up capitalism though, is it?

I think it's a great time to be taking it up. One less to start shiting on about collectivism and all that rubbish. 

cookiemonster wrote:

I'm a selfish right wing capitalist bastard.

Ah, isn't that the slogan for libertas?

I must be misunderstanding positivism. I always thought it was the opinion that truth can only be obtained through impirical observation. (By always thought, I mean since two days ago when I read an article stringjack posted on p.ie).

riadach wrote:

cookiemonster wrote:

I'm a selfish right wing capitalist bastard.

Ah, isn't that the slogan for libertas?

No, I'm relaibly infomed that it's "I'm a ultra-conservative, rabid pro-life, far-rightwing nutjob"... or is that L'Oreal, I always get them mixed up. 

cookiemonster wrote:

riadach wrote:

cookiemonster wrote:

I'm a selfish right wing capitalist bastard.

Ah, isn't that the slogan for libertas?

No, I'm relaibly infomed that it's "I'm a ultra-conservative, rabid pro-life, far-rightwing nutjob"... or is that L'Oreal, I always get them mixed up.

I'm surprised they didn't include the bit about military links. Typical libertas, always the half truth.

riadach wrote:

cookiemonster wrote:

riadach wrote:

cookiemonster wrote:

I'm a selfish right wing capitalist bastard.

Ah, isn't that the slogan for libertas?

No, I'm relaibly infomed that it's "I'm a ultra-conservative, rabid pro-life, far-rightwing nutjob"... or is that L'Oreal, I always get them mixed up.

I'm surprised they didn't include the bit about military links. Typical libertas, always the half truth.

Shush you. Or they'll have you killed. 

Yeah? They and whose army... oh wait.

Page 1 of 2 • 1, 2

To Believe, Or Not To Believe,
by 905 on Fri Jul 04, 2008 12:31 am

I'm an etremist moderate. I think logic is the tool of the devil. Positivism is a load of crap. I believe in God but don't love him (big difference).

Mod: This thread was split by Kate P to start a new thread on belief in God. As there is some overlap I've reposted these posts here so the discussion on World Views can continue in parallel to the God discussion. Cheers cf.

905
Tool-Master's Apprentice Stage I

I'm an etremist moderate, and a methadological relativist. I think logic is the tool of the devil. Positivism is a load of crap. I believe in God but don't love him (big difference).
905
Tool-Master's Apprentice Stage I


by Ard-Taoiseach on Fri Jul 04, 2008 3:58 pm

I'd be a pragmatic libertarian. I don't believe in any particular ideology like socialism, capitalism, anarchism or any other "ism". I like to find out what actually works in a situation and apply it. However, I would be coming at decisions, choices and problems from a libertarian angle. I feel that adults should be treated like that, adults. Nanny state nonsense really annoys me and I feel that adults should be able to come to decisions by themselves. I like the State to keep out of people's lives inasmuch as it can.
Ard-Taoiseach
Tool-Master's Apprentice Stage II: Nokia Cityman

by Squire on Fri Jul 04, 2008 5:24 pm

There is no God. There is only the here and now and what we make of it. It is a world of uncertainty for you can rely on no one not even yourself and regret is pointless for what is done is done. Objectives plans and dreams are the threads that link up time and give point to being.
Squire
Blastocyst

by Atticus on Tue Jul 08, 2008 11:12 pm

Reading Tariq Ali last night, I liked this anecdote - it's from Mullahs and Heretics , LRB 7.2.2002

<< ... Some years later, when I came to Britain to study, the first group of people I met were hard-core rationalists. I might have missed the Humanist Group's stall at the Fresher's Fair had it not been for a spotty Irishman, dressed in a faded maroon corduroy jacket, with a mop of untidy dark brown hair, standing on a table and in a melodius , slightly breathless voice shouting: "Down with God!"
When he saw me staring, he smiled and added "and Allah" to the refrain. I joined on the spot and was immediately roped into becoming the Humanist rep at my college.
Some time afterwards when I asked how he had known I was of Muslim origin rather than a Hindu or a Zoroastrian, he replied that his chant only affected Muslims and Catholics. Hindus, Sikhs and Protestants ignored him completely. >>

by Zhou_Enlai on Wed Jul 09, 2008 9:45 am

Isn't funny how political parties who claim to oppose each other describe themselves using the words which appeal to vast swathes of people:
Democrat
Republican
Christian
Socialist
Liberal
Nationalist
Labour

I have to say that all of the above words appeal to some part of my outlook. It is some of the parties that don't.

I think Margaret Thatcher was very smart when she rebranded "socialism" as an evil and characterised it as being a philosophy which took freedom and independence from individuals. If you can attack or redefine the oppositions ideoloy then you can do huge damage to them. Perhaps this is why the SDLP is in difficult times ?

cactus flower on Wed Jul 09, 2008 10:33 am

Good point Zhou. The success was so triumphant that even the Labour Party abandoned all pretence of socialism.
If there is no such thing as society, how could there be socialism.
cactus flower
Tool Master's Apprentice Stage IV: Gardener

by 905 on Wed Jul 09, 2008 7:32 pm

Didn't she have a go at the concept of 'society' itself? What an idiot.

Economic Outlook; we are witnessing the flow of wealth from the West to the East. It is happening with the acquiescence of western governments and is driven by the vested economic interests of a few. It may be politically short sighted. It could lead to instability and has no real motivation beyond the dogma of free markets.

Free markets are a dubious concept as all markets require some regulation. In Medieval Europe Kings set the standards for weights and measures. Now we need to examine how trade, and money work and ensure that the Kings coin has value and that those trading obey basic rules of competence. And as in medieval times if we catch wrong doers we need to publicly make examples of them. Forget impeachment anyone for 'hung drawn and quartered' in Times Square?

I'm still lost for words on this one since the thread appeared so:

How about, "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" ?

What about plain old "cheery"?

Bertrand Russell notes that there are examples of cheerful pessimists and miserable optimists. You could plonk for one of those either.

In the meantime, does positing a mechanical law as world outlook suggest metaphysical applications of such law?

Karma?

Zhou_Enlai wrote:

What about plain old "cheery"?

Bertrand Russell notes that there are examples of cheerful pessimists and miserable optimists. You could plonk for one of those either.

In the meantime, does positing a mechanical law as world outlook suggest metaphysical applications of such law?

Yes. Moderation in all things, was Aristotle's belief I believe - the doctrine of the golden mean.

But maybe the road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.