Philosophy

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

You both like debate.

You: Hello

Stranger: Hi, how are you?

You: I'm well

You: & you?

Stranger: Doing great

Stranger: What's on your mind?

You: Various

Stranger: Anything you'd like to have a debate about?

You: There are a few

You: What about you?

You: Do you have a particular area of expertise or research?

Stranger: Certain obscure areas of philosophy

You: What in?

You: Morality, epistemology, what?

Stranger: Metaphysics, mostly

You: Ok

You: So what in metaphysics?

Stranger: Well that's a pretty broad question, generally. I suppose notions of cause and infinity

Stranger: As well as arborescent/rhizomatic structures

Stranger: Notions around categorization

You: Ok

You: What about morality?

You: That's easier to debate

Stranger: Sure

Stranger: I tend towards deontology

You: What kind?

Stranger: Roughly Kantian, especially as the tradition has been developed by people like Arendt

You: What do you think of Habermas?

Stranger: Well, his work is both interesting and intensely boring.

You: Oh really

Stranger: I think the project is solid, definitely

You: The project?

Stranger: Well, the issue is to deal with the western hegemony inherent in universal values, as I've understood it

Stranger: Do you think it's possible to debate a nihilist?

You: Um, maybe a little

You: I wouldn't be the one to do it

Stranger: Fair enough

Stranger: I think that's one issue I disagree with Habermas about

Stranger: I think you have a duty to debate nihilists

You: I debate anyone

You: It's just I don't have the know-how for a hardcore nihilist

Stranger: That's fair, for sure. So, what is your stance on morality?

You: I like Habermas' deontology, but I honestly haven't read too far =)

You: I mainly like catching philosophy undergrads thinking all deontologists are classical

You: as if there's only classical Kantism and classical utilitarianism

You: or that we decide which we like based on our personality

Stranger: oh, yeah, I guess. Though I hate cheap philosophy gotchas

Stranger: I agree there's a lot more than just phil 101

You: I mean, they usually assume first

You: and then I say something about Habermas

You: and usually they just don't know

You: so it's not really "gotcha" more like

You: it's not as simple as you think

Stranger: sure, that is certainly true

You: I don't know where I was going with that

Stranger: For any given philosophy, its most famous errors have usually been patched up by a bunch of Neo-whateverists

Stranger: So things are never as simple as we might want

You: Yes

You: Gotta keep on reading

Stranger: Absolutely

Stranger: So what have you been reading lately?

You: The Magic Mountain

Stranger: nice

Stranger: Thomas Mann is great writer

You: Well that's good

You: What are you reading?

Stranger: I've been reading a book called Tehanu

Stranger: by Ursula Le Guin

Stranger: Probably the best fantasy novel I've read

You: Oh, wow

You: Do you watch movies and TV?

Stranger: Not so much tv really

Stranger: I saw the new True Detective

Stranger: Movies, yes.

You: Is that TV?

Stranger: HBo

You: Ok

You: I don't watch TV, but

You: I wish I didn't watch any movies alone

Stranger: Last great TV show I watched was The Return

You: ha, I also haven't heard of that

Stranger: also known as Twin Peaks, Season 3

You: What's your favorite movie?

Stranger: That's a hard one, probably Stolen Kisses

Stranger: by Truffaut

You: a romantic comedy huh

You: what do you like about it?

You: a certain element?

Stranger: It's a very light movie, but it is very nostalgic relating to being young and in love

Stranger: It's also the sequel to 400 blows

Stranger: Opening Night is another favourite

Stranger: That's a Cassavetes movie

You: Aw, I haven't heard of any of these

Stranger: That means you are in for a treat

You: =)

Stranger: What about Fellini?

You: nope

Stranger: You gotta get into that foreign film section

Stranger: 8 1/2, Nights of Cabiria, La Strada

You: awwwww

You: that's like the only one I haven't touched

You: that's like a billion more!

Stranger: yeah, it's hard

Stranger: Fellini is a good place to start

Stranger: Or French New Wave movies

You: Note to self

Stranger: 8 1/2 is pretty much perfect

Stranger: I might, watch it now

You: Haa, ok