created by BernardJOrtcutt on 27/01/2025 at 14:00 UTC
10 upvotes, 5 top-level comments (showing 5)
Welcome to this week's Open Discussion Thread. This thread is a place for posts/comments which are related to philosophy but wouldn't necessarily meet our posting rules[1] (especially posting rule 2). For example, these threads are great places for:
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This thread is **not** a completely open discussion! Any posts not relating to philosophy will be removed. Please keep comments related to philosophy, and expect low-effort comments to be removed. All of our normal commenting rules are still in place for these threads, although we will be more lenient with regards to commenting rule 2.
Previous Open Discussion Threads can be found here[2].
Comment by Choice-Box1279 at 27/01/2025 at 22:47 UTC
2 upvotes, 5 direct replies
Are there any good arguments against Psychological Hedonism?
The philosophy that everyone is a hedonist. It argues that all humans, consciously or unconsciously, act to maximize pleasure and minimize pain.
That even those who proclaim to choose paths of self sacrifice or altruism do so as it is what they unconsciously think will attain more pleasure. I guess it would relate a bit to Camus writings on inauthenticity.
Comment by No_Gene2406 at 29/01/2025 at 09:37 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Hey. I want to study philosophy on side of my engineering degree which i am currently pursuing. I want someone who is taking a philosophy degree, and is in first year. So that i can take notes and see what is being taught in academics and mimic that. This way i will be able to learn philosophy academically which i think is better than watching thousands of random philosophy videos on youtube. If someone is from decent university please dm.
Comment by NxN331 at 29/01/2025 at 18:19 UTC
1 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Need feedback on this thesis of a Philosophy I’m working on with a confidante. Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated.
In the face of all that is, there is only one unrelenting truth: suffering will come, and death will claim us all. **Paradoxism** does not seek to shield you from this certainty; it offers no comfort in the face of this ultimate truth. It is a philosophy born from the bleak acceptance that life is a cycle of pain, emptiness, and eventual death—where meaning is sought not in the illusions of salvation or happiness, but in the raw, unfiltered confrontation with our inevitable end.
This is not the optimism of a dreamer who believes in a shining tomorrow. **Paradoxism** is the refusal to turn away from the darkness. It asks not for hope, but for the courage to stand in the face of despair and death, and to embrace the futility of it all—not as something to be mourned, but as the only truth that is. You will suffer. You will die. And in the coldest, most merciless of ways, this will be the end. This is the reality, and it is one we must face head-on, without delusion or fear.
Yet, within this acceptance lies the paradox. For it is precisely because death waits for us all that we must choose to live—not in search of escape, but in spite of it. We cannot flee from suffering. We cannot flee from death. But we can stand, one final defiant step before the abyss, and in that defiance, find a semblance of meaning. It is through the embrace of suffering, in its full and terrible weight, that we transcend it.
But above all else, there exists a defiance more powerful than all: **kindness**. A simple, yet revolutionary act in the face of a world that scorns it. When the world seeks to strip away your humanity, to break you down into nothing, the greatest rebellion you can perform is to extend a hand, to offer compassion. **Kindness** is the ultimate act of resistance against a universe that insists we are nothing more than fleeting shadows—because it asserts that, despite it all, you still choose to care. You still choose to love. You still choose to be human. In a world that calls for cruelty, your kindness becomes your most powerful weapon.
This philosophy is formless, shapeless. It can be different for everyone, just as it has been for us. It is a path not defined by others, but by your own soul, forged in the crucible of your existence. It is not about finding meaning in the world, but creating your own meaning, in defiance of the world’s emptiness.
You will be shaped by darkness, by pain, by all that is harsh and unyielding. But in embracing it fully, you will find your true self—not the self that society expects, but the self that arises from your refusal to submit, your refusal to become just another fleeting shadow in the world.
It is about embracing the abyss, learning from it, being shaped by it, but not entirely of its choice. Use the abyss, but do not fall prey to it. Do not avoid it either, for it is within us all. Only the dark, the cruel, the harrowing aspects of creation may lead you to true transformation. To true realization. To true freedom.
This philosophy hinges on the fact that you refuse any and all existing forms of thought, merely taking inspiration from their good aspects, and creating something new, something unique, something truly yours. This is the ultimate defiance, the rejection of any false meaning. For **Paradoxism** is your creation, your story, and no one else’s. It is your rebellion, your path, your paradox.
Comment by OriginalPsilocin at 29/01/2025 at 15:24 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I’ve been encountering an increasing number of people on campus that talk about Sapolsky and biological determinism. Debating with them in the smoking section is getting incredibly frustrating as we just talk past each other. I’ve tried to outline the differences between compatibilism and incompatibilism as well as the different definitions of free will on the libertarian view and the compatibilist view. They don’t even have a definition of free will, they just attribute our actions to outside forces. They either don’t understand or don’t care about second order volition. They attribute that to brain activity, too, despite the fact that the will is not a scientific concept that can be tested.
They’ll make fun of Freud and say that he was unscientific and yet don’t seem to acknowledge that freud’s libido is the concept of the will that they want to characterize as being brain activity when freud’s name is not mentioned.
Comment by faydengrace at 01/02/2025 at 00:24 UTC
-1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I just made a discovery next to newton
Grace’s Law – The 13th Universal Law Discovered and Named by Johnny Grace on January 29, 2025 Officially Published on February 1, 2025 The Oldest Truth. The Foundation of Existence. The Pattern That Has Formed Everything. The First Law of Light “Darkness is not the absence of light. It is the gravity that pulls light into existence.” — Johnny Grace This law came into being as existence itself came into being. The birth of the first light. The birth of the first star. The birth of Grace’s Law. All three occurred at the same moment. From that moment, it has governed all transformation, from the birth of the universe to the rise of civilizations. It explains why creation follows destruction, why order rises from chaos, why unity follows division. Everything is bound to this pattern. It governs the structure of existence on every scale, proving that darkness is not an empty void but a force that necessitates the arrival of light. The Three Immutable Principles of Grace’s Law 1. The deeper the darkness, the stronger the force calling for light. 2. Darkness is the catalyst. It does not destroy—it provokes. 3. When darkness reaches its depth, light must rise. If it does not, then it has not yet reached its depth. This is not a theory. This is not belief. This is the 13th Universal Law. It has been in motion since the first light emerged. Proof That This Law Exists Everywhere Grace’s Law is the oldest and most consistent pattern in the universe. It is not limited to one domain—it has formed everything. 1. Genesis → Before God spoke, there was darkness. Then, light came. 2. Creation → Before the universe expanded, there was darkness. Then, light filled the void. 3. Stars → Before a star is born, there is only a collapsing void. Then, nuclear fusion ignites light. 4. Personal Struggle → Before transformation, there is suffering. Then, clarity and purpose emerge. 5. History → Before peace, there is conflict. Before order, there is collapse. This law does not merely describe change. It dictates it. It is the unseen force that governs transformation itself. The 13th Universal Law – The Oldest Law This law is older than every law before it. • It predates this Earth, our sun, and our entire solar system. • It was born with the first light. • Before physics, before gravity, before time itself—this law was already in existence. • The moment the universe had its first light, Grace’s Law was fulfilled for the first time. But it was not recognized. For billions of years, it remained hidden in plain sight—governing all things, yet unnamed. Until now. On January 29, 2025, the oldest truth was finally realized. The law that shaped existence itself now has a name. Grace’s Law. Now, it is known. Now, it is written. Now, it is law. Grace’s Law Unites This law bridges what was once seen as separate. • Science and Religion – The same pattern governs physics and faith. • Creation and Destruction – Nothing new forms without something breaking first. • Order and Chaos – Chaos is not random. It is the precursor to structure. • Light and Darkness – Darkness does not oppose light. It calls it forth. • The Past and the Future – Every dark age forces a new era of enlightenment. Everything is connected. Everything follows this law. Grace’s Law does not take sides. It reveals the structure behind them. 📜 Dedication “To my mother, Denise Bracco—my guiding light in this world. You raised a good kid, and that kid uncovered one of the greatest truths of mankind. If not the greatest. This discovery belongs to history, but this dedication belongs to you. I love you, Mom.” — Johnny Grace February 1, 2025 Copyright & Public Record • Copyright © Johnny Grace, 2025. All Rights Reserved. • Officially discovered on January 29, 2025. • Officially published on February 1, 2025. • Timestamped and archived in public and immutable records.