Philosophy Discussion Forums

Hello,

Lately I have found myself coming back to reading philosophy as a foundation for approaching practical problems. In the past, I have used existential thought for some pleasant epiphanies to counter difficult times in my life. Most recently, I have been reading modern political economy thinkers like Robert McChesney, Tim Wu, and Michelle Alexander, and have sought to see if I can find some other thinkers to help me develop philosophical foundations to the analysis of modern practical challenges. In this vein I have picked up Habermas and have found his discussion of Communicative Action vs Strategic Action a very relevant one to our modern political climate, and would be very interested if there's anyone here who wants to discuss Habermas or has read the rest of the Frankfurt School or moral economists like Polanyi.

I try to keep an open mind and reserve strong language only for those who lack compassion for the struggles of others. I believe we are all in this together and we ought to do our best to support one another in our individual pursuits for truth and meaning in our lives.

Thank you for reading, I hope I can find some like-minded individuals here interested in applied philosophy and designing solutions to real problems, and also make some positive contributions to the discussions here.

Bravo. You appear to be (naturally?) following the way of the ancient Greek philosophers, who are alleged to have advocated the development of the whole man, in which philosophers also wrestled etc., the concept presumably being that a philosopher should have experience with many forms of self-expression in order to be a better philosopher. I'm guessing that the philosopher in those days who just spent time in his study was not admired. Aristotle had his team out walking regularly, "perambulating philosophers" I think they were called.