The Art of Science

Recently,I've managed to interact with many people.All of the opinion that I've a philosophical bent of mind.Okay.Not okay.Erm,maybe both. :-S

Special Thanks to Abhijith for his worth-a-thought questions.
Here's my take on them.[With some contradictions,here and there..ofcourse]

Q1.What, in your view, is Philosophy? Is it of any relevance orpractical consequence? Is it, in your view, a religious or ascientific pursuit? What is your take, in short, on philosophy andphilosophers?
They say,there is no specific definition for the term 'philosophy',which hasn't been uncontroversial.I've always thought of it as the science of all sciences and art of all arts.Ever since man asked 'Why/why not?',this subject has begun. It surely has some relevance/practical consequence because the very aim of it is to evaluate things with reference to first principles that underlie them as their causes and are implicit in all experience. "Philosophy is spiritual realisation expressed in logical language." Agreed. Many tensions have been created because of the clash of 'religion and science',but at the end philosophy has been proved lame without either of these because at the end,It doesn't only appeal to the intellect of man but also to the heart and feeling.That's the reason why,many Priests and Scientists have bonded now to make further studies of unknown concepts.They share a symbiotic relationship since Faith and Logic,both are integral part of human nature. To sum it up,philosophy,in my view, can be:-1)An attempt to satisfy the very reasonable desire of knowledge.2)Something that makes us question the unquestionable3)A study of the understanding which comes from our observations.If we realise them,we know them as 'truth/reality'.Finally,we give it the essence of wisdom to make the best practical use of it.But in every defintion of philosophy mentioned above,I see that it leads to an 'activity of mind'.

Q2. Philosophy in everyday life- what are your sources? What aboutphilosophy from Pop culture? Books? Music? Religion?
For me,practising philosophy in everyday life results from falling in love with questions.The more inquisitve I become,the more I observe/experience/imbibe and the more I get to explore in this area.I'd also like to mention,that any kind of knowledge which I have gained hasn't only resulted from my 'own' experience,but also with the help of people whom I get to interact with,usually.
1)Books-The maximum I am able to gain from this source is usually limited to the books included in my school-curriculum.My library consists of books related to fiction,humour,mystery or fantasy.I don't like reading biographies,as such.So,books do have a small role to play in this area.

2)Music-When music is being talked about,I could bet it influences me to a major extent.It is the most abstract phenomenon,I have come across.It does appeal to the heart be it funky,cheerful,melancholic,dreamy,tense,nervy or emotional.Whenever I hear a beat,signals are automatically sent by the deep brain to my muscles.Dancing is instinct.Everything I think and do is so to say,musical.It is really the key to unlocking the secret of 'Who am I'.

3)Internet-The first thing which strikes my mind now is 'Google'.It surely can give libraries a run for their money,and it has in my case.Its been two whole years since I got introduced to the virtual world,and I've witnessed a huge change in my way of thinking.Be it the articles I get to read,The blogs/online diaries I go through or some selected people I talk to.Living at a place,which so many people havn't even heard about,and knowing things which were alien to me some months back,I couldn't ask for more!

4)Television-Since my reading capacity isn't really something to be proud about,'Actions do speak louder to me than words.'Leaving aside,daily soaps..I do get to see some great episodes, related to the functioning and developing of human mind,change and growth,etc.(say,discovery or national geographic).Thanks to my father,I am often acquainted with the daily news which still broaden my mind.But,I don't spend much time infront of that screen,so no full points to it.

5)Humour-The best way to imibibe concepts of philosophies which sometimes tend to get damn boring ..is when this particular element is attached to it.Sarcastic humour is always welcome.It gives me enough appetite to digest those huge concepts which many a time,seem to be never registering my mind.SO,it works for me!

6)Extra curricular activites in school-I've always had an interest in debates and group discussions.The fact that on one topic, people bring out so many ways of forming opinions,really tempts me to know 'more'.
There are so many sources I could think of as such,but one thing I'd want to conclude with is,that Philosophy is of no use without practicality..just like some weird example I can think of,like potential without kinetic energy.This needs sixth sense,which I commonly refer to as common sense,which again comes with 'wisdom'-->and that is exactly what philosophy is all about.

Q3.One of the greatest questions in philosophy is the belief in asupreme power or God. What are your views on God as a concept? Do youbelieve in one? Why/ Why not? Why is such a belief necessary/unnecessary?
[With reference to the very first post of my blog "You better exist"]

Q4.Ethics, justice and morality- your views. What role does philosophy play in these matters. How right or wrong is it to impose these notions on another human being? Who decides and how to decide about the right and wrong in these matters? What about fanaticism-which is an extreme belief in your sense of Ethics, morality and justice?
There is, a branch of philosophy with ethics/moral values as its criteria.This whole concept of ethical choices is usually considered subjective because the distinction between right and wrong differs from person to person.But I guess,those choices are usually 'personal'.If,ethical choices were subjective,something called 'conscience' would never exist!In such matters,there is always a way out which is justifiable.Being a nice person doesn't neccessarily mean that a person is ethical.'Nice' is his reputation,'ethics' form his character.It's a common belief that ethics is situational,but I slightly differ.Ethics becomes situational only when it is based on one's convenience rather than conviction.That's the reason why we have 'standards/universal benchmarks.'This way I do oppose the statement,"Nothing is good or bad,thinking makes it so." No.This goes for people who say,'I made a right choice,your interpretation was wrong.'If its all about thinking,then Hitler wasn't wrong if he believed he was right.For instance,murder is wrong.That's a generalized statement unless it is in self-defense.This doesn't mean,it is okay to murder if you feel like it.Since morals aren't subjective,we have the right to put criminals in jail.Hence,I guess..this whole world is still continuing to run(if not smoothly) with the help of standards which it has set up for itself.
"One example is better than hundred precepts".Yes.I agree that it is wrong to tutor a person to tell the truth.People in general are intelligent enough to imbibe the virtues which they witness in others they come in contact with.Moral lessons are generally hard to swallow for even grown-up persons,let alone children.So,this way of teaching is not only unrealistic but also hypocritical.Its a tragedy that whenever a child is born,parents sit with a chart to chalk out his line of progress.Such rigid methods often destroy the valuable assets hidden in a person.Thus,to train a person through imposing of these notions isn't only unproductive but also counter-productive.
I prefer a fan to a fanatic.Fanaticism is a kind of misplaced enthusiasm which results when a person is over zealous and has no spiritual self-control.It has become a question of one's pride,which is false in every aspect.It is the fanaticism accompanying religion,because of which the latter is considered a cause of dispute amongst people.But at the end,the fault lies in the man.He has introduced this complexity in a very simple philosophy which was once started 'religiously'.It begins and ends with him.Thus,this extreme belief in moral values is indeed suicidal.

Erm,that's it.say,THAT's it. :P

Welcome 2008!