Recent Responses
What is the difference between "knowledge" and "wisdom" from both a current and a historical context.
Nicholas D. Smith
September 12, 2013
(changed September 12, 2013)
Permalink
What? You want a quickie bloggy-type answer for a question that would merit (at least) a whole book?OK, but be warned: what you are looking for is much, much more complicated and richer than the following answer (or, perhaps any bloggy-type answer) could indicate.Knowledge is usual... Read more
Where on the political spectrum are Aristotle's political views?
Nicholas D. Smith
September 12, 2013
(changed September 12, 2013)
Permalink
Aristotle is usually classified as a "classical republican," which is more misleading than helpful, given contemporary American political party names. A "classical republican" is typically contrasted with a "classical liberal," which only makes matters worse, given contemporary pol... Read more
Is it reasonable to claim that a particular language is more superior than another in terms of the way it captures reality, for instance, by having a wider vocabulary than others?
Nicholas D. Smith
September 12, 2013
(changed September 12, 2013)
Permalink
Sure it is. Obviously, one would have to defend any such claim with specific examples in mind, but here's one that is now famous among philosophers.For a long time, people used and made decorative items made from "jade." But then, chemical analysis showed that what people were cal... Read more
Can translations ever capture the true essence of the original word? More abstract concepts or ideas such as love, anger, or honor are fundamentally built on cultural and social understanding and context, which may be difficult to be aptly understood by outsiders. So when we take these culturally-laden terms and attempt to translate them into a different language, are we inadvertently imposing assumptions and simplifications upon the authenticity of the term? Is the art of translation so futile that only the native speakers can truly understand, or if not, how can we do these words justice when translating?
Nicholas D. Smith
September 12, 2013
(changed September 12, 2013)
Permalink
As someone who teaches ancient Greek philosophy in translation (almost all the time, at any rate), I have worried a lot about questions like yours. I have also been a translator of some of the texts I and others teach, and so I have also encountered the problem from that side, too.... Read more
Can translations ever capture the true essence of the original word? More abstract concepts or ideas such as love, anger, or honor are fundamentally built on cultural and social understanding and context, which may be difficult to be aptly understood by outsiders. So when we take these culturally-laden terms and attempt to translate them into a different language, are we inadvertently imposing assumptions and simplifications upon the authenticity of the term? Is the art of translation so futile that only the native speakers can truly understand, or if not, how can we do these words justice when translating?
Nicholas D. Smith
September 12, 2013
(changed September 12, 2013)
Permalink
As someone who teaches ancient Greek philosophy in translation (almost all the time, at any rate), I have worried a lot about questions like yours. I have also been a translator of some of the texts I and others teach, and so I have also encountered the problem from that side, too.... Read more
Alright, so I'm a Master's student in a top-15 graduate program, and I am sending in my Ph.d. applications this fall. I definitely want to get into a good program, and I plan to devote at least 2 months to polishing my writing sample. I got recommendation letters from professors that gave me 'As' in their courses. I have two B+s, but other than that, seven As and one A-. Also, I have written a book on philosophy and skepticism that is being published. Unusual perhaps given my age and (lack of) education, but I was determined to contribute something to a debate that was important to me. Plus I'm hoping that that little extra credential will help my application stand out. All in all I'd say the strongest part of my application is going to be my writing sample. It is going to be outstanding. Only weakness, GREs, 6.0 on the Analytical Writing section, 780 on Verbal, but only 630 on Math. Talked to one admissions committee person, he said they don't look so much at transcripts, but that letters of recommendation and writing sample are truly paramount. What would you say my chances of getting into a (really) good program are? Thanks
Stephen Maitzen
September 14, 2013
(changed September 14, 2013)
Permalink
Prof. Smith gave a detailed and honest answer to which I don't really have anything to add. But two things about your question struck me. First, your GRE scores seem to combine two different scales: the current scale on which Analytical Writing is scored out of 6 and the old scale on... Read more
Would someone please clarify the importance of the distinction between a) either A is true, or Not A is true and b) either A is true, or A is not true I've seen answers on this site in which the difference between those two formulations is very important, but I'm not quite sure why. Thank you.
Stephen Maitzen
September 12, 2013
(changed September 12, 2013)
Permalink
It would be helpful to know which answers on the site you're referring to, but I'll take a stab at your question anyway. The only difference between your formulations (a) and (b) is the second disjunct in each, so I'll focus on that.
I presume A is some statement. What's the differenc... Read more
If a philosophy is widely considered difficult to understand and even more difficult to put into practice, then what good is it? Is not overthinking philosophy creating problems where none exist? For example, I sometimes read that Marxism, despite all its failures these past 150 years, has never been correctly implemented and must be given more chances to succeed. Since so many varieties of Marxism have already been tried at the cost of tens of millions of lives and an immeasurable amount of personal and economic freedom lost, why can't we say that history has "disproven" Marxist philosophy?
Allen Stairs
September 12, 2013
(changed September 12, 2013)
Permalink
I'd like to pause over the first half of your first sentence (the 'if' bit): the idea that philosophy is difficult to understand and difficult to put into practice. I'd suggest that this isn't the best way to put things.Philosophy may or may not be difficult to understand, but no more so... Read more
Are there universal principles in healthcare, or is ethics in health care relativistic?
Stephen Maitzen
September 11, 2013
(changed September 11, 2013)
Permalink
I presume you're asking a normative or conceptual question, rather than a descriptive question about how healthcare systems are in fact viewed or implemented in various places. I'd answer, then, that whether ethical principles are objective or relative, universal or particular, doesn'... Read more
Hi, I don't know if you can help me, by here goes anyway. What does it mean to be Disturbed by Beauty. Can a philosopher answer this, or would I be better off asking a shrink, priest or mystic? Kind regards Pasquale
Charles Taliaferro
September 6, 2013
(changed September 6, 2013)
Permalink
An interesting question! The phrase "Disturbed by Beauty" is not a common one in philosophy or aesthetics (that branch of philosophy that addresses beauty and ugliness as well as philosophy of art) and philosophy in the modern era has been somewhat skeptical about beauty. BUT there... Read more