Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Why?

Philosophers ask "why?" William James argued that philosophical questions were live, meaning they had more than one possible answer, momentous, meaning how your answered them would changer your life significantly, and forced, meaning even with out a conscious decision, you have chosen.

So why not philosophise?

Artists assert why not? Let's try this- let's experiment with that. Let's see what happens. Also, this is what I want to say, or paint or do or think.

WHY BLOG? Because you, dear reader, are reading it, and I wanted to write it, even if you didn't want to read or even write these thoughts, although I am glad you did.

In short, why not? Assert meaning, don't merely state your case. Live it, for as long as you can. embrace those possibilities- those are not permanent.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, but I certainly wanted to read and write those thoughts.
And I understand my own “why” for choosing to. You did issue a challenge to ask…;)

How wonderfully put that a philosophical question should be alive. It truly does live and breathe perspective. And each thought out response, or philosophy, would appear to have it’s own personality…agreements and contradictions, reasoning, fallibility, emotional factors and ambition.
Quite alive, it would seem.

“Why not”…although I’m sure that there should be a myriad of reasons in any given circumstance “why not”…to hell with it. I like it.
*grin*

Anonymous said...

However I’m not so sure how momentous. One could argue that your answer may not change your life but merely reflect what is behind how you presently live it.
:)

adamvs said...

Yes, it's not absolutely clear- the forced part means you have no choice but to follow some path. The momentous part means any would be very significant. As you wrote, your answer might not change your life, but affirm your choice.

 
"If I had to choose between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should have the guts to betray my country."
-E.M. Forster