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Reading the texts: what the..

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HossRyams:
... Well this is embarrassing. After looking around at the old posts, I believe I ordered Nicomachean Ethics translated by a different person opposed to the version selected by VCAA. I downloaded a pdf translated by the "right people" (David Ross?) and it seems to be far more understandable. Thanks guys. Hahahahah

FlorianK:
looking at the exam, philosophy seems so boring besides Section D

EvangelionZeta:

--- Quote from: brightsky on January 12, 2013, 11:20:31 pm ---Yeah, reading the original texts can be quite difficult. Every philosopher has his/her own style of writing. Unfortunately, while the Ancient Greeks were very good at structuring their treatises in a logical manner, they were not very good at expressing themselves clearly. Also, they, as a collective, cared very little about putting forward precise definitions of words, which, in my opinion, renders most of their arguments void and meaningless. But I think, at this stage of year, reading 'summaries' of arguments online would suffice. Your teacher will most likely help to deconstruct and decipher the cryptic language of ancient, and many modern, philosophers. Leave the texts till you get to them in class.

--- End quote ---

A few responses:

1. The Ancient Greeks are actually pretty straightforward, as far as philosophers go (tried Heidegger?).  Yep, it gets worse from here...
2. What words don't they clearly define?  The meaning of most of the Greeks is reasonably clear IMO, and often the ambiguity surrounding certain words (eg. eudaimonia) is more a problem with bad translators of Ancient Greek.
3. I think it's a very far stretch to say that the Greeks were meaningless.  Maybe Aristotle is rather bizarre, but I do want to see how you could justify Plato as being "void" (like actually, interested in what you have to say).


--- Quote from: FlorianK on January 15, 2013, 12:53:52 am ---looking at the exam, philosophy seems so boring besides Section D

--- End quote ---

The exam is boring, perhaps, but the subject is deadly fascinating.

HossRyams:
I also personally find it endlessly fascinating! Particularly studying what makes up of a good life (unit 3) - I mean, I ponder this everyday; always debating whether I should study more or enjoy my life more, whether the hard work is worth the loss of some 'pleasure' and what balance will make me the happiest on the whole; and here I am studying about that, haha!
But I guess it's not for everyone. :) When I first heard what the study of philosophy was, I thought it sounded like a waste of time to question things, and now I'm thinking of majoring in it within a BA in the future ._.

FlorianK:
Oh sorry :(, I judged the subject by the questions from the exam, which looked more like memorizing what some philosophers said.
Sorry

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