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The argument presented by the essayist is that NPCs can display actions to try to prevent "death" (i.e. a sleep state), which is argued to be not-pref...

Seems like it would be an interesting idea to compare the two philosophies. But I dislike these MMA championship-like smackdowns of other philosophies...

This is very Buddhist. I agree that the physical pain can and should be relieved. From what I got from your response is that existential pains are con...

Presumably this would be because one desires an outcome that would only happen if one does something. These desires are more important than the potent...

I'm also shocked at how many handwaves are being done regarding Stoicism. I don't know too much about Stoicism myself, I admit, but from the people wh...

Well, there's a difference between discussing pessimism and breeding pessimism. Neither or us seem to be doing the latter so I think we're okay.

Which actually does quite a bit, to be honest. To complain to the actualize your discomfort and spread it to others like a plague.

I think it's more about being in a better state than one is currently in right now. Stoicism may not make you Captain Optimism, but it might just make...

Schop, I'm not sure if Stoicism ever claimed to be able to solve these problems. This might be an issue of individuals claiming they've found loophole...

I feel like images are helpful to people who want a direction to point them in, but ultimately they can be disastrous to the learning of the pupil. It...

In this specific case, an appeal to the masses is actually a logical argument, because if Stoicism didn't work, nobody would have followed it. It's wh...

I would answer by referring to What causes suffering is sufficient to explain why it is here. Like you said, much of suffering is unnecessary. Much of...

What a load of rubbish. tgw, it's not arrogant to claim a position is wrong, nor is it arrogant to claim is position is right (stop martyring yourself...

I'd like to suggest a somewhat silly but actually quite interesting essay: Do Video-Game Characters Matter Morally?.

An additional question to provoke discussion: how convincing do you find the argument that a supposed "holy man's" (such as Jesus or Mohammad) philoso...

Tanha can be mitigated, though. So why wouldn't you try to lower the amount of discomfort one feels?

When I meant nirvana, I meant the achievement of Buddha-hood, of stopping rebirth, or becoming that sage-like master, so to speak. I don't think this ...

The "why" is contained within, as far as I am concerned.

I said "viva la vida" until it goes to shit, and you replied "why?". I was simply responding to that.

You asked for why. So I replied. I don't think there really was an argument per se.

I think I agree with you that meaning is ultimately what gives the a person's life value. No (reasonable) amount of pain or pleasure can make or break...

Does Schopenhauer's metaphysical Will have any explanatory power over anything that isn't already covered by evolutionary biology? Occam's Razor seems...

I don't see the value of hypothesizing the existence of a metaphysical Will. Is it not enough to just say that sentient organism on planet Earth have ...

Meaning, for example, Schopenhauer's "Will"; the personification of striving, suffering, boredom, etc. These are qualities of existence. I might even ...

Cool, then we are on the same page.

I posted this question because I wanted to discuss it. Even if only one person participated I would have posted it. As it stands, though, more than th...

Is that not agnostic atheism? Withholding judgement?

True. I suppose I hadn't considered that. Although most gods in our history haven't been that type.

Say you can pledge allegiance to ten kings who are all at war against each other. If you do not pledge allegiance to a king, the victorious king will ...

I don't think so, actually. And I wasn't limiting it to the "working class" "third world" "hunter gatherers"; anyone who has anything to do, whether t...

And what attitude might that be?

Metaphysics - Third Edition: A Contemporary Introduction by Michael J. Loux.

You don't have to, but it'd be nice.

Keep in mind that I have read though this thread several times. What issues do you have with Stoicism that make it a problematic philosophy to follow?...

To which I would reply that you are currently neither.

tgw, you don't need to use fancy words like "cogently" and "interlocutors" to make a case. That's just pretentious sophistry...aka, bullshit. Say what...

And not backing any of it up, might I add.

Positions that nobody is forcing you to accept. If Stoicism does not work for you, then it does not work for you. Discussing why this is is perfectly ...

Sorry, Question. Your avatar is similar to the avatar of M-Theory over at the old PF.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w-58hQ9dLk :D

Have you tried it? Honestly? You're beating around the bush here. What specific part of Stoicism do you find does not work to solve these problems? Ca...

And maybe that's why I don't subscribe to Stoicism. But I don't criticize people who are Stoics, because for them, it might work just fine. Buddhism w...

Maybe it might be too long, but I'm currently reading the free, online version of Metaphysics by Michael J. Loux. You can access it here. I have been ...

I had a headache last night. I took some ibuprofen and went to bed. And hour later the headache was gone. Are you going to tell me that the ibuprofen ...

Then this shows that you fundamentally misunderstand what Stoicism is all about.

Don't tell me how to live my life. But seriously, what's more likely: that the Stoic is wrong in their assessment of their own life (and is somehow ac...

I think that the pessimist is right in that these problems do exist, but where they may go wrong is the magnitude and how terminal the problems are. I...

The problem I see with this thread is that the offensive position advocates against Stoicism, remarking that it is foolish and deceptive, while simult...

M-Theory, you haven't replied yet. Just reminding you.

Wayfarer, I am interested in the Buddhist forum. Is this it?