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XiXiDu comments on Settled questions in philosophy - Less Wrong Discussion

32 Post author: lukeprog 16 February 2011 06:53AM

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Comment author: XiXiDu 16 February 2011 04:05:26PM *  1 point [-]

Philosophy is notorious for not answering the questions it tackles.

I thought philosophy is about asking (right) questions, not (necessarily) answering them.

Comment author: ata 16 February 2011 05:53:06PM *  17 points [-]

Philosophy might eventually retcon its self-image to that effect once most of its major problems have been solved by non-philosophers, but I'll view that about the same way I view certain crowds' insistence that religion has never been about making empirical claims.

Maybe in modern times a lot of academic philosophers are more interested in keeping questions open so they can keep writing papers on them, but I think most philosophers throughout history have at least sincerely wanted to know the answers to the questions they were thinking about.

Comment author: wedrifid 16 February 2011 04:09:52PM 2 points [-]

I thought philosophy is about asking (right) questions, not answering them.

You were mistaken. :)