Anonymous
6/29/2025, 5:12:45 PM No.24506190
Who are the philosophers whose works are so well-written that you enjoy reading them as much as fiction?
Replies:
Thread 24506190 - /lit/ [Archived: 636 hours ago]
Anonymous
6/29/2025, 5:14:27 PM No.24506192
>>24506190 (OP)
Nietzsche
Nietzsche
Anonymous
6/29/2025, 5:23:21 PM No.24506204
>>24506190 (OP)
Plato's Allegory of the Cave is one of the most famous and influential philosophical metaphors, found in his work Republic (Book VII). It's a powerful story that illustrates his ideas about reality, knowledge, perception, and the purpose of education.
Here's a breakdown of the allegory:
The Story
Imagine a group of people who have been chained in a deep cave since childhood. They are bound in such a way that they can only look straight ahead at the wall in front of them. Behind them is a fire, and between the fire and the prisoners is a raised walkway with a low wall. People walk along this walkway, carrying various objects or puppets (statues of men, animals, etc.) above the wall.
The fire casts shadows of these objects onto the wall that the prisoners are facing. The prisoners have never seen anything else; they don't know about the fire, the walkway, the people carrying the objects, or the world outside the cave. For them, the shadows are their entire reality, and they discuss and name these shadows, believing them to be real. They even play a "game" where they try to predict which shadow will appear next, and those who are good at it are considered wise.
Now, imagine one of these prisoners is freed. This freed prisoner is forced to turn around, see the fire, the objects, and the people. The light and the new reality would initially be painful and disorienting. They might even resist, preferring the familiar shadows.
Plato's Allegory of the Cave is one of the most famous and influential philosophical metaphors, found in his work Republic (Book VII). It's a powerful story that illustrates his ideas about reality, knowledge, perception, and the purpose of education.
Here's a breakdown of the allegory:
The Story
Imagine a group of people who have been chained in a deep cave since childhood. They are bound in such a way that they can only look straight ahead at the wall in front of them. Behind them is a fire, and between the fire and the prisoners is a raised walkway with a low wall. People walk along this walkway, carrying various objects or puppets (statues of men, animals, etc.) above the wall.
The fire casts shadows of these objects onto the wall that the prisoners are facing. The prisoners have never seen anything else; they don't know about the fire, the walkway, the people carrying the objects, or the world outside the cave. For them, the shadows are their entire reality, and they discuss and name these shadows, believing them to be real. They even play a "game" where they try to predict which shadow will appear next, and those who are good at it are considered wise.
Now, imagine one of these prisoners is freed. This freed prisoner is forced to turn around, see the fire, the objects, and the people. The light and the new reality would initially be painful and disorienting. They might even resist, preferring the familiar shadows.
Replies:
Anonymous
6/29/2025, 5:29:27 PM No.24506219
>>24506190 (OP)
Plato, some parts of Saint Augustine, Saint Bonaventure, Boethius' Consolation, Cicero at points (Scipio's dream being the obvious one), Saint Maximus the Confessor. You also have some that are written with really good oratorical style, e.g. Saint Basil, Origen, and one might include Nietzsche in here in a way.
In a similar, but slightly different way, some of the ascetical/philosophical discourses are quite aesthetic, The Ladder of Divine Ascent being one example, or the Sayings of the Desert Fathers of Saint Palladius. Some of the Philokalia works this way, although some is quite dry. Eckhart and Saint John of the Cross would be other examples.
There are also some literary works with great philosophical depth: Dante, Dostoevsky, etc. and some that skirt more to humanistic knowing but still contain deep insights for philosophy: Shakespeare, Virgil, etc.
Plato, some parts of Saint Augustine, Saint Bonaventure, Boethius' Consolation, Cicero at points (Scipio's dream being the obvious one), Saint Maximus the Confessor. You also have some that are written with really good oratorical style, e.g. Saint Basil, Origen, and one might include Nietzsche in here in a way.
In a similar, but slightly different way, some of the ascetical/philosophical discourses are quite aesthetic, The Ladder of Divine Ascent being one example, or the Sayings of the Desert Fathers of Saint Palladius. Some of the Philokalia works this way, although some is quite dry. Eckhart and Saint John of the Cross would be other examples.
There are also some literary works with great philosophical depth: Dante, Dostoevsky, etc. and some that skirt more to humanistic knowing but still contain deep insights for philosophy: Shakespeare, Virgil, etc.
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Anonymous
6/29/2025, 5:31:11 PM No.24506221
>>24506219
>The Ladder of Divine Ascent
"The Ladder of Divine Ascent" has been immensely popular and influential throughout the history of Eastern Christianity. It's considered a cornerstone of Orthodox spirituality and is often read aloud in monastic refectories, particularly during Great Lent. Its profound insights into the human soul, the nature of sin, and the path to spiritual perfection continue to resonate with believers seeking to deepen their relationship with God.
>The Ladder of Divine Ascent
"The Ladder of Divine Ascent" has been immensely popular and influential throughout the history of Eastern Christianity. It's considered a cornerstone of Orthodox spirituality and is often read aloud in monastic refectories, particularly during Great Lent. Its profound insights into the human soul, the nature of sin, and the path to spiritual perfection continue to resonate with believers seeking to deepen their relationship with God.
Anonymous
6/29/2025, 5:31:52 PM No.24506224
>>24506209
He doesn't know how to read, so he just saw Plato and figured copypasting some irrelevant bullshit was good enough
He doesn't know how to read, so he just saw Plato and figured copypasting some irrelevant bullshit was good enough
Anonymous
6/29/2025, 6:00:09 PM No.24506283
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Anonymous
6/29/2025, 6:21:13 PM No.24506340
There’s a consistent inverse relation between intelligibility/readability/artistically pleasing form and quality of thought. James, Plato, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Hume are all good writers, they are also subpar philosophers. Aristotle, Occam, Kant, Hegel are great philosophers but their works are not pleasant reads. Deal with it midwits.
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Anonymous
6/29/2025, 6:46:18 PM No.24506399
Anonymous
6/29/2025, 6:59:48 PM No.24506430
Most enlightenment from the late eighteenth century to the nineteenth century when people were part-philosophers, part-writers. Beccaria, Bentham, Rousseau, Voltaire, Spinoza, Hobbes, the list is infinite. I would also add most Roman philosophers, especially Lucretius. The rest has been a pain, even when of great value.
Anonymous
6/29/2025, 7:09:16 PM No.24506452