Personal Philosophical Meditations?
Call it a Philosophical Journal, a generic term for an individual's writings with a reflective, critical (philosophical) bent. Something of a running diary of your personal beliefs.
What is this site?
Thus Spake You is an attempt to get you you to consider documenting your own beliefs, and would like to start a pro-philosophizing movement on the web. If there is anything this world needs, it is more "thoughtful" people.
What is it not?
Written by an "academic" (AKA, college professor). This is about living philosophy, not studying dead thinkers (although it doesn't hurt to reference them). Philosophy, we believe, is only useful in its application in the real world.
Trying to sell any thing, person, or brand. It's about you!
Pushing any particular belief, religion, or philosophy, other than the philosophy that "philosophy matters."
Boy, you use the word "philosophy" a lot!
True, but don't get hung up on it. It's about your personal beliefs. "Philosophy" implies stuffy old men and college class lectures.
Why would I write a philosophical journal?
Keep reading, or go to the "Why (Bother)?" page.
What is this site?
Thus Spake You is an attempt to get you you to consider documenting your own beliefs, and would like to start a pro-philosophizing movement on the web. If there is anything this world needs, it is more "thoughtful" people.
What is it not?
Written by an "academic" (AKA, college professor). This is about living philosophy, not studying dead thinkers (although it doesn't hurt to reference them). Philosophy, we believe, is only useful in its application in the real world.
Trying to sell any thing, person, or brand. It's about you!
Pushing any particular belief, religion, or philosophy, other than the philosophy that "philosophy matters."
Boy, you use the word "philosophy" a lot!
True, but don't get hung up on it. It's about your personal beliefs. "Philosophy" implies stuffy old men and college class lectures.
Why would I write a philosophical journal?
Keep reading, or go to the "Why (Bother)?" page.
Why a philosophical BLOG?
The blog works as a model because it is a universal medium of personal expression. They are common and recognizable. The ability to tag and cross-reference is useful toward organizing thoughts and concepts. See more on the How To page
Of course, you don't have to publish your innermost thoughts for all the world to see. Your philosophical account can be a diary in a notebook, or a text file stored either on your computer or on your cloud service of choice.
Why a PHILOSOPHICAL blog (or journal, or whatever)?
Blogs are a dime a dozen. They exist in many forms, shapes, varieties, and colors. They perfectly integrate into social media and become traffic hubs. They are news sources, and sometimes unrecognizable as blogs. They are editorial and political, personal and public, general and specific. They are powerful tools.
They are also topical, secular, and timely, which are their greatest strengths and their greatest weaknesses. How much will we read in blogs today that will be relevant in 10 years? 20? From the moment a post is written, it starts to expire, to become irrelevant as time moves forward, as the news gets old, as the blogger changes, moves on. The post eventually is always lost to the obscurity of time and buried under mountains of web commentary produced by the thousands of other bloggers, Twitterers, posters, commenters.
Of course, we don't expect a blog post to be timeless. But here is the problem: for the blogger, these forgotten posts represent uncountable hours of lost time, creative energy spent towards no obtainable goal and lost with nothing to show for it. The painter paints, and later has a painting to display on the wall. What does the blogger have, other than a bunch of outdated opinions or mundane reflections?
This website advocates a different use of creative energy. While still finding a way to express themselves, the philosophical blogger is creating material that is not only timeless in its content (even when referencing current events), but evolutionary, in that it can be built upon, developed as the writer develops. It can be a permanent record of personal growth, a testament with real, lasting value to the writer, the writer's friends and family, and any other interested thinker. Working on a philosophical blog is working on oneself, because it is a process of active self-reflection.
What do I get out of it?
Knowledge. Self-awareness. A sense of accomplishment of creating a system of thought and a work of art that has personal value to you and others. Perhaps a publishable volume that sums up your life, that can be passed down to your children, grandchildren, or other family members.
What do YOU get out of it?
The creator of this site gets absolutely nothing, other than the personal satisfaction of seeing growing interest in philosophy and thought. This site contends that critical thinking in lives leads to better lives and therein a better world. It's not a joke we say the world's problems could all be solved with a little philosophy (although it's possibly hair overly optimistic!).
Thus Spake You sells nothing, and makes no money. As you can see on the bottom of this page, the site is hosted for free, and it costs next to nothing to run--no massive operating costs to recoup!
Where are some examples? Let's see your philosophical journal!
Two answers:
1.) There aren't many philosophical journals out there, and few would be willing to publicly share them if they write them.
2.) We don't want to advocate one particular belief over another. Neutrality is very important to us... we never want to give the impression we are selling any product or idea. (Again, no ads either.)
For example, say we publish a journal that casually gives an opinion on some hot-button issue, like abortion. Whatever the opinion, half the reading audience will disagree, and feel alienated. It's, again, about you and your self-betterment, not stances.
Of course, you don't have to publish your innermost thoughts for all the world to see. Your philosophical account can be a diary in a notebook, or a text file stored either on your computer or on your cloud service of choice.
Why a PHILOSOPHICAL blog (or journal, or whatever)?
Blogs are a dime a dozen. They exist in many forms, shapes, varieties, and colors. They perfectly integrate into social media and become traffic hubs. They are news sources, and sometimes unrecognizable as blogs. They are editorial and political, personal and public, general and specific. They are powerful tools.
They are also topical, secular, and timely, which are their greatest strengths and their greatest weaknesses. How much will we read in blogs today that will be relevant in 10 years? 20? From the moment a post is written, it starts to expire, to become irrelevant as time moves forward, as the news gets old, as the blogger changes, moves on. The post eventually is always lost to the obscurity of time and buried under mountains of web commentary produced by the thousands of other bloggers, Twitterers, posters, commenters.
Of course, we don't expect a blog post to be timeless. But here is the problem: for the blogger, these forgotten posts represent uncountable hours of lost time, creative energy spent towards no obtainable goal and lost with nothing to show for it. The painter paints, and later has a painting to display on the wall. What does the blogger have, other than a bunch of outdated opinions or mundane reflections?
This website advocates a different use of creative energy. While still finding a way to express themselves, the philosophical blogger is creating material that is not only timeless in its content (even when referencing current events), but evolutionary, in that it can be built upon, developed as the writer develops. It can be a permanent record of personal growth, a testament with real, lasting value to the writer, the writer's friends and family, and any other interested thinker. Working on a philosophical blog is working on oneself, because it is a process of active self-reflection.
What do I get out of it?
Knowledge. Self-awareness. A sense of accomplishment of creating a system of thought and a work of art that has personal value to you and others. Perhaps a publishable volume that sums up your life, that can be passed down to your children, grandchildren, or other family members.
What do YOU get out of it?
The creator of this site gets absolutely nothing, other than the personal satisfaction of seeing growing interest in philosophy and thought. This site contends that critical thinking in lives leads to better lives and therein a better world. It's not a joke we say the world's problems could all be solved with a little philosophy (although it's possibly hair overly optimistic!).
Thus Spake You sells nothing, and makes no money. As you can see on the bottom of this page, the site is hosted for free, and it costs next to nothing to run--no massive operating costs to recoup!
Where are some examples? Let's see your philosophical journal!
Two answers:
1.) There aren't many philosophical journals out there, and few would be willing to publicly share them if they write them.
2.) We don't want to advocate one particular belief over another. Neutrality is very important to us... we never want to give the impression we are selling any product or idea. (Again, no ads either.)
For example, say we publish a journal that casually gives an opinion on some hot-button issue, like abortion. Whatever the opinion, half the reading audience will disagree, and feel alienated. It's, again, about you and your self-betterment, not stances.
