How do you get so "smart"

[ollagram88]

I greatly admire how well-versed some people here are in a wide variety of subjects. In particular, I was wondering how one goes about having a strong foundation in philosophy, logic, and generally all classical thought. There are so many interesting things out there to learn about but all of my incredibly limited understanding comes from reading ABOUT them, not actual works. I could go on wikipedia for days and scan topic to topic of all sorts of philosophies and theories and works but I've never really wet my feet in ACTUAL works.

Were many of you philosophy majors? Is philosophy just one of your huge hobbies? Do you just normally read a bunch of classic works?

I actually have an entire Great Books collection library at home. Would tackling some of these books be a good start? It seems like an awfully daunting task to pick up some old book and start reading it, expecting to get the same knowledge and way of thinking I would get from a structured learning environment (i.e., college).

What would be a good start or introduction to philosophy and classic western thought? Do I have any alternatives besides classes, because I'm already going to be a third-year college student and it's going to be difficult to squeeze in extra classes. Any good webpages, essays, or books I should look into?

Also, if anyone has any input for Eastern philosophy (including Buddhism), I am willing to hear suggestions on how to start on that as well.

Thanks.

[seventil]

I read a lot.

I love reading about science, philosophy, history and religion. I had a friend comment once that I had the weirdest book library he's ever seen. Mere Christianity, Pilgrim's Progress, The Demon Haunted World (Carl Sagan), The God Delusion, Shroedingers Cat, The Tao of Physics... etc. It's like I have 2 or 3 different personas that I buy books for.

Anyway, I think debate and discussion helps a lot in progressing knowledge on things. When people argue, they tend to learn a lot about things, as long as they are open minded.

If you want some recommended reading on certain subjects, I know a few people here love giving out book lists.

[OnceConvinced]

What I learnt about philosophy came from an Ethics and Professionalism course I did when I did my IT degree. It covered many of the theories of different philosophers - mainly centering around ethics of course - certainly not diverse enough to make me an expert. Also did a course involving boolean logic on the same degree program. Once again, no real expert on that.

Most of what I know comes from years of studying the bible and experiencing life as a Christian.

[Fallibleone]

Hi!

What would be a good start or introduction to philosophy and classic western thought? Do I have any alternatives besides classes, because I'm already going to be a third-year college student and it's going to be difficult to squeeze in extra classes. Any good webpages, essays, or books I should look into?

If you don't have it already, try Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy. It's a good starting place.

That's all I will suggest here. I've read a lot of other books but I think there are many others who know much more than me who could give you excellent lists. My background is in English and History, and so I'm teaching myself a lot of things - it is possible, but it takes longer. Good luck to you.

[Zzyzx]

.
A strong point in your favor is that you are perceptive enough at a relatively young age to ask very important questions which translate to, "How can I learn?" and/or "What should I learn?". Those who learn most effectively are often self-motivated; however, formal or structured learning can be efficient and effective. Massachusetts Institute of Technology has all or most of their courses on-line at no charge (and no formal credit). I have not looked at the offerings with your questions in mind, but it might not be a bad place to start.

Courses or independent study in critical or analytical thinking, decision making, mathematics and probability, natural sciences in addition to philosophy may be useful in formulating and refining your ideas. A web page that was recently mentioned by a member and which seems appropriate to recommend is: http://www.virtualsalt.com/index.htm

Several members of the forum are former college professors (one of whom taught comparative religion in a religious college), some have been ministers (who are now Ex-Christians), and many are professionals in various fields. Lifetime learning obviously applies to many well informed members – and it helps to live a long time. Many members reflect a wealth of life experience.

I specialized in science and did not take philosophy courses. Realism appeals to me so I spend no time pondering matters such as "Why am I here?", or "How did the universe originate?", or "How did life begin?". Those issues do not affect the success and satisfaction of my life.

A few of us have not been burdened by religious training or indoctrination – and are free to follow truth as we find it wherever it may lead (without concern for offending "gods" or clerics). Many have rejected supernaturalism at some point in life. Others are comfortable with a religious orientation.

[Thought Criminal]

I suppose you could earn a few advanced degrees at leading universities, then invest decades of your life continuing education, eventually combing life experience with book knowledge to synthetize a comprehensive philosophy of life. Then again, you could just fake it. Feel free to guess which of these is my method.

TC

[Jester]

I greatly admire how well-versed some people here are in a wide variety of subjects.

I second the entire OP. There are a lot of very smart people on this site, which impress me regularly.
Though I don't believe that there is any substitute for reading/studying these subjects, I believe that a great deal can be learned on this site. I try to make a point of looking up every unfamiliar term/concept I run across in debate, which helps me a great deal.

And, in response to Thought Criminal's implication that he might be "faking it", he recently used a few terms I had to look up.

[Thought Criminal]

And, in response to Thought Criminal's implication that he might be "faking it", he recently used a few terms I had to look up.

Hey, if you can look it up, so can I.

My actual point is that, to paraphrase the fictional lay philosopher, Forest Gump, "smart is as smart does". Regardless of how much paperwork you have sitting around to prove how smart you are, what matters is how smart you actually behave, and that depends quite a bit on the amount of effort you're willing to put in.

I see some people here who are clearly holding their own contributions up to high standards, and while this cannot guarantee success, it really does make a difference. Unfortunately, there are others who don't bother with a quick spell-check, don't seem to have read what they're replying to, clearly haven't done a lick of research, and generally seem to be here for reasons other than rational and civil debate. (There's a very simple way to sniff such people out, too.) On the whole, this forum benefits more from "uneducated" people doing their best than from supposedly educated people who just wing it.

TC

[Jester]

My actual point is that, to paraphrase the fictional lay philosopher, Forest Gump, "smart is as smart does". Regardless of how much paperwork you have sitting around to prove how smart you are, what matters is how smart you actually behave, and that depends quite a bit on the amount of effort you're willing to put in.

I see some people here who are clearly holding their own contributions up to high standards, and while this cannot guarantee success, it really does make a difference. Unfortunately, there are others who don't bother with a quick spell-check, don't seem to have read what they're replying to, clearly haven't done a lick of research, and generally seem to be here for reasons other than rational and civil debate. (There's a very simple way to sniff such people out, too.) On the whole, this forum benefits more from "uneducated" people doing their best than from supposedly educated people who just wing it.

I completely agree there, particularly with the last. Those who are trying definitely seem to learn and teach a great deal more (and inspire me to do the same).
Perhaps this educating process, rather than settling issues, is the best result of this site. Though, on second thought, I suppose the two of them are closly related enough to be inseperable.

[otseng]

I greatly admire how well-versed some people here are in a wide variety of subjects.

I second the entire OP. There are a lot of very smart people on this site, which impress me regularly.
Though I don't believe that there is any substitute for reading/studying these subjects, I believe that a great deal can be learned on this site. I try to make a point of looking up every unfamiliar term/concept I run across in debate, which helps me a great deal.

I third that.

I think debating is one of the best ways to learn any subject. It forces you to think about the subject from multiple angles. And it forces you to study more to defend your position and to find the weakness of the opposite position. Personally, I think we should incorporate debating as a teaching tool in educational settings. It would at least keep students awake when the students are screaming at each other.