The Idiots Guide
Sometimes it's about "ADULTING" enough for the day, and other times it's about Keeping a job, Feeding the family, Educating the kids, and Buying the stuff.
Most of us were taught how to read, write, and math good.
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How in the world have we survived?
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The Idiots Guide
Why Ask Why? Philosophical Inquiries Explored Ep55 TIG
Curious about the point of a philosophy degree? Tune in to explore how philosophy mirrors the relentless "why" questions of a three-year-old and ventures into the realms of the Fibonacci sequence and the nature of pi. We kick things off by questioning the utility of a philosophy degree and navigate through how philosophical inquiries intertwine with scientific pursuits. From the endless curiosity of children to the profound musings during casual conversations, we discuss the relevance of philosophical thought today and its potential long-term impact on future generations.
Journey with us through the foundational principles of Western philosophy, starting with Socrates' relentless quest for wisdom, through Plato's elaborate philosophical constructs, and finally to Aristotle's empirical groundwork that paved the way for modern science. Alongside these intellectual giants, we dive into how pop culture phenomena like "The Matrix" and "Shutter Island" challenge our perceptions of reality. We also share some light-hearted observations about linguistic quirks and embrace the open-ended nature of philosophical inquiry. Join hosts Adam Richardson, aka the Profit Hacker, and Joe Haslam as they navigate this thought-provoking and often humorous exploration of philosophical thought.
Today on the Idiot's Guide. Have you ever tried to figure out why the sky is blue, only to find yourself in a whirlwind of thoughts about the realities surrounding your very existence? If not, then you've never been interrogated by a three-year-old who just won't stop asking why, why, why, why? Look no further, because today we're going to unpack some of this deep and sometimes dark world of philosophy but most likely leave you with the never-ending nor satisfying question of why. I'm your host, adam Richardson, aka the Profit Hacker, and I'm joined by the man in charge, mr Joe Haslam. Welcome to the Idiot's Guide.
Speaker 1:There is this, I think I would say this when you go to college and you get a degree, one of my favorite useless degrees is a particular subject that is so broad and so aloof of any sort of you know it challenges all aspects of reality.
Speaker 1:I guess I mean its purpose is that, but the fact that you can actually get a degree in this field makes it even worse. It is literally geared to be the most annoying thing in every conversation, because one might call it an optimist but the others might call them annoying because of the fact that they have a philosophy degree, you know, like a bachelor's in philosophy. I don't know if he can, maybe he can, I'm sure you, I'm sure you can. So it's just, it's one of those things that I just can't get get behind it. Because, because, if I think about, like all of the universal principles of everything that goes on in life and the existence of mankind, and was it truly there, and why is the sky blue? And how come religion, and you know the, the, the, the like to politics, and it's so generalized and glossed over and squishy and huggy, and just it, just I, it drives me freaking nuts because it's not, it's not even mathematical.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, it can be, how? So look at the Fibonacci sequence. So the Fibonacci sequence is a mathematical sequence that exists all throughout the universe, and then ask yourself why. There that stupid question, pi pi is a magical number that is consistent, but is a.
Speaker 1:It's a never-ending post-decimal sequence so now you're talking about mathematicians as philosophers and so why?
Speaker 2:why is pi what it is? And that's philosophy. I really enjoy philosophy.
Speaker 1:You may not like it, you may think it's a pointless degree, but I think it's such a fascinating thing of like fundamental questions that are about our existence, about knowledge in general, values what is values and really reason or reasoning and challenges each one of those down to continuously asking the same question, never satisfying with with a complete answer, because, because you can never really get to the depth of that. Ultimately, it is the, it is the ultimate. Why game that that you'll never get to the bottom of?
Speaker 2:Well, I mean yeah, but it's that way in science. We used to think that the atom was the smallest thing that could ever exist. I'm a pretty big guy and and then we found no. Atoms are made up of smaller particles. They are neutrons and uh, protons and electrons yeah okay. Then we thought, okay, that's got to be it. And then they kept questioning is that it?
Speaker 2:and then they found subatomic particles, and and even beyond that, they're beginning to find particles even smaller than subatomic particles, and so we're finding that. You know, so long as you always delve deeper, there is no end.
Speaker 1:And this is the life version of that why I think the reason why I struggle with philosophy is it's not like a specific or you're not specialized in something. Ignore the useless philosophy degree in something, um, ignore the useless philosophy degree going like general philosophy, just talking about like all of it.
Speaker 2:It's all of it.
Speaker 1:Well, so you're like oh, today we're going to talk about physics and you know we just did and mathematicians. So we're talking about mathematics and you know we're going to talk something else like so it's all. That's why I said knowledge is is such a big blanket over everything that you're like man we're going to talk about, is everything real at all? And you're like whoa, I'm like these would be fantastic conversations if I was high.
Speaker 2:I'm so high Specialized in asking the question why?
Speaker 1:Although it's really funny if, if, if you get two people together that have been drinking and they start having a philosophical conversation, you know, as long as it doesn't get heated, it's really entertaining only because they don't make any sense.
Speaker 2:No, I mean, they're just passionate about the dumbest things you know, like oh, why is my foot so big?
Speaker 1:you know what is the meaning of life? You know to, is reality even real? Those are the things that like, challenge, like, at a basic level, philosophy. Now, you're talking about the philosophy, its its application in pretty much all, all facets of our, of existence.
Speaker 2:Yeah, even questioning existence itself. Do we exist?
Speaker 1:It's, it's these big ideas, almost too big, too big of concepts for the human brain to even fathom, and then try to figure out clear answers that are about as clear as mud, and then, like, sit there and just ooh and ah about how you've discovered another. You know another thing about nothing, nothing.
Speaker 2:It's not about nothing. Philosophy answers a lot of questions. It helps guide us through life. You know we look down on philosophy today, but if we didn't have philosophers anciently, we wouldn't have near the society that we have today. And so the philosophers of today are not for us today. They are for 10 generations down the road to look back and see how have they progressed our understanding of society and the universe as a whole and how we interact with each other.
Speaker 1:But why? Why? What?
Speaker 2:I'm just asking why is it for future generations?
Speaker 1:Why.
Speaker 2:Why not? Philosophy is one of my favorite things to talk about.
Speaker 1:It can be fascinating. You get into these big subjects, you get into these big subjects, you get into these big concepts and you're like, wow, ooh, just grand thoughts. And then it's also really frustrating because you're like enough.
Speaker 2:There's no generally right answer when you talk about philosophy and I think that's where a lot of people get annoyed by it is there is no right answer, there's no definitive. This is correct in philosophy, because philosophy is a lot about viewpoint, it's a lot about interaction of past, present and future, and there's no definitive. It's not like studying a rock. Where that's a rock, you can see the chemical composition of a rock and you know that you can't understand the philosophical underpinnings of an individual who has had a varying number of circumstances in their life and understand why they choose what they do or what they do, it's a very much or why society changes from one generation to the next, moving more conservative, more liberal, moving more free versus more controlled, moving all these different directions.
Speaker 1:That's philosophy I want to throw up.
Speaker 2:That's how most people act when I talk to them it's, it's the black and white like I, I can't.
Speaker 1:I just can't do it like I have to. I, if you're so loose, it's. It's like the ultimate epitome of optimism. That's. That's literally what it is. To me. It's like, or pessimism, I suppose. Yeah.
Speaker 2:But it all depends on how you look at it.
Speaker 1:Pessimism is is more like a defeatist sort of is the glass half full or half empty? I'm getting frustrated. It literally is this like the never ending game of why, and you just want to, you know, maybe carve your eardrums out with a spoon or something like that, so you don't have to hear it anymore. The.
Speaker 2:Animaniacs had the best character ever, so I can't remember the character's name, but it was a little girl and she had her dog that she would go and get out of the house and go on these wild adventures and the dog was just following her to protect her from all this stuff. And, uh, whenever she interacted with her parents, she would just say why, why? And her parents would try to answer these why questions, yeah, why, why. And then when she finally got to the end of it, okay, okay, love you, bye-bye, and then she'd just walk away.
Speaker 1:Yeah, best ever. My daughter is very much like that. Yep. Oftentimes I have to be like okay, that is enough, we're done. We've had plenty of questions for the day and I can't do anymore.
Speaker 1:I'm going to explode. Hey guys, like and subscribe. Don't forget, Leave a comment or two. We like them. We'll do our best to respond. We will respond. We'd like to hear from you, we would like to hear from our listeners, from our watchers, whether this stuff is valuable. We'd also like some ideas about stuff you want to. You want us to talk about, Maybe things that you, you're like. Hey, these guys they seem like pretty qualified idiots, so let's see if they can talk, you know, through through this or that, whatever it is, and whatever you imagine. We want to hear from you and and uh, in the process of commenting, don't forget like and subscribe. So I think an important part is to Talk about the big three, or is there more than that? Oh, there's a lot more than just three, Just like these.
Speaker 1:I think these are the ones that are, like, the most recognized, like if you said these everyone's, like, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, you know I'm sure that there's quite a few more, but these are, like everyone references these guys Well and it all comes from the first one Socrates, socrates, socrates.
Speaker 2:So because the other two were students of, so talking about Socrates, plato and Aristotle. Aristotle was a student of Plato, plato was a student of Socrates. Okay, and so Socrates was the one that started this all. Now, socrates, apocryphally. So, whether this is true or not, that's a big word.
Speaker 2:Yes so apocrypha just means it's a story that is generally accepted but probably not true. And so, uh, socrates went to the oracle of delphi. And uh, the oracle of delphi told him that he was the wisest man in existence. And he didn't like that because he didn't feel that he himself was very wise. And so he said I challenge that and I am going to travel through civilization to find someone wiser than me, because that can't be true. And so he went on a travel and he realized that he was the wisest person. Not because he himself was wise man, I am great. Well, no, it wasn't that he didn't recognize that he was great. He still felt that he was subpar, okay to what he should have been. But what he recognized in traveling was that everyone else was even worse. Everyone else was so low on their comprehension and ability that, simply because everyone else was unwise, he then was the wisest person, not because of his own wisdom, but because the lack of wisdom of others. And so that's where Socrates got his start.
Speaker 2:And so he started to recognize if I am going to help people, I need to help them become wiser and so that was the source of his philosophy is and his teachings is to question the basis and the understanding of anyone that he talked to, so they would then reconsider their standpoint and become wiser. And so he was the original annoying commenter. You would say something, and he would say, well, why? And someone else would say something and he says, well, are you sure about that? Well, what about this point? Oh, I hadn't thought of it that way. Oh, and making people think, and it was the most annoying thing. He was so annoying, it's so annoying, he was put to death for it.
Speaker 1:Man imagine me, you, you will be put to death because of your annoyance so his, his questioning, I mean that, that's putting it simply he just annoyed the wrong emperor well, because he questioned everything.
Speaker 2:He questioned the greek gods, he questioned the religion, he questioned who should rule. He questioned all these not necessarily because he didn't believe it, but he wanted other people to solidify their own viewpoints, yeah, and so he questioned everything. Okay, and so he was uh put to death for heresy because he questioned the gods, and he was put to death for uh influencing negatively the youth of society. That came from again questioning the gods as well as questioning the existing ruling structure in order to help build society.
Speaker 1:Or would you say that Plato then took those kind of concepts that Socrates basically challenged. He was the one out there saying why? Well, tell me, would you consider this as, but why? But why? Okay, bye, have a good day. And then Plato comes along and says I see your why and I raise you An elaborate concept about out of this world sort of thing, so that you can't even fathom what the answer to your why was in the first place. Is that kind of what?
Speaker 2:it is Kind of, but yeah, I mean, plato took it a step further, because the foundation for questioning was already built, and so if you question, you must then follow up with an answer. Built, and so if you question, you must then follow up with an answer, and so it's attempts to answer those questions, and we've done that, for I mean basically our whole existence. We see the rain come from the sky, we see lightning, and we don't know why that happens. So we create Greek gods that are. Then we have Zeus, who causes the lightning. We have ships that are lost at sea through bad storms. Why does that happen? Poseidon was angry, and so we create these understandings for why it happens, and if we do that without ever questioning, we move forward. And then you question okay, well, is it really poseidon doing that, or is there some other reason why this would happen?
Speaker 1:and then like the gravitational pull of earth.
Speaker 2:Yeah instead of just asking the question you then present. Well, I think this is why it's a hypothesis okay, so then you, you entertain this, like.
Speaker 1:So pluto was like oh, yeah, like I'm gonna raise you this and plato, plato, right, not the dog, wait, you said pluto. Oh, I said pluto, yeah or the planet, the sub planet, I don't know whatever, yeah plato okay, not pluto um, um.
Speaker 1:I'm trying to get back to my thought here. So Aristotle then comes along and and he kind of kind of on the first note, when we were first talking we're talking about physics, we're talking about math, we're talking about kind of the science behind things, um, but instead of going out into the universe and thinking these principles are applicable through the stars, you know it's or just trying to determine the determinable with indeterminable determination. You know that was hard, I can't say that again. But Aristotle brought it back to earth, yeah, and really kind of said like I'm going to challenge, I'm still going to ask why I'm still going to challenge this equation, but now I'm going to dive deeper into, like, some of these things that are like this is the truth, this is the fact, but why? Well, this is. And I think that that's where you get to physics, and you dive deeper into physics. You're like we don't want to stop there, we're going to go deeper, we don't stop there. That continues to press the other areas that are not really philosophical in their approach.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it applies to everything. What we've learned from these philosophers is how to question, how to answer and then how to answer reasonably, and so we have been following this method for generations, and it's what has allowed our society to advance to what it is. I think one of the first great followers of this was Martin Luther, so the founder of the Lutheran religion. When he questioned, he nailed to the door his questions on Catholicism, and he had studied, he questioned, and he didn't just question, but he came up with answers and he came up with his doctrines, and that then became the Lutheran doctrine. And so we follow these questions in order to avoid continuations of tradition that don't, that don't make sense or don't stifle progress.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that stifle progress that don't allow us to move forward, yeah, and so by questioning that, that's what allows us to move forward, and I mean questioning doesn't mean that you have to abandon everything.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So, just like I said about Socrates is, it wasn't because he just didn't believe it, it's because he was trying to allow others to gain wisdom and so, by questioning you, solidify your own viewpoints, whether the same viewpoint or a different viewpoint because of the questions that you've asked and what you've discovered. And so that's why philosophy is so great, because philosophy is progress. Philosophy allows progress to happen Without it. We stick with tradition. We stick with what we've always stuck with, because we're never questioning should we stick with that or should we change?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's, it's. You know, I'm a musician and I've, you know, part of it is, I've worked with lots of different bands and maybe this is a I I don't know if this is the best kind of illustration for this, but you think about these, the big three here as a band. Okay, socrates is this? This singer that you know, in the middle of the verse decides to go somewhere else and, just like, spits lyrics out on the fly like you're like, dude, ad-libbing, like that's that's challenging stuff, but like you're not even following any rules. He's like what are Rules? I don't have rules. You know like, so that's Socrates.
Speaker 1:Then you got Plato. That's like he's like well, you know what your lyrics need. Your lyrics need drum lines that have no rhythm whatsoever. They're just everywhere and they're just beating the tubs all over the place and you're just. You know there's a pattern to it, but then it changes to another pattern, then it gets to a more elaborate pattern and it's layers upon layers upon layers of different patterns. And don't forget the chime. And we need more cowbell. But then and and and then. Last but but not least, certainly in this category is the fact that Aristotle comes to the rescue. Did I say Plato or Pluto. I think you said Plato. Okay, thank goodness, but uh, not the dog, the philosophy.
Speaker 1:Aristotle. Aristotle comes along and all this chaos is happening and he goes all right, I've got the base. I'm going to keep this in line, I'm going to bring it back down to the ground, keep it on track, nice rhythm to it. That way we have a melody about this. We're still making music. It still has some semblance of a little bit of music, a little bit of song, with a little bit of rules, I guess, but still philosophy, and I think that together that's kind of like this cool jam session in a garage. I don't know how those three would ever do that together, but you know, I feel like it'd be a hot mess.
Speaker 1:But I think the idea of mind-blowing and head-scratching are the things that kind of come to mind essentially, for for this idea of of what what that would look like in in that, you know, but I'm a musician, so I guess that's the way that I would best kind of unpack that scenario of those three were to kind of look at their impact towards the world and the philosophical structures of everythingness yeah so, um, we have, we, we have a patreon, right.
Speaker 1:Yes, I mean, we've talked about it a couple times, so it's not like it's a surprise at this point. Hey guys, we have a Patreon. Yeah, that's right and it's really cool. The whole point of it is so that our listeners can have a place, that it's a community that you I can't wait for. You know this, this, this subject, you know, recommended by you know so-and-so that we, we got from our Patreon and you can subscribe on different levels. They got a mashed tater to the commentator. Um, if you get it, it's hot potato finances our channel and uh, so it's, it's kind of potato themed. If you haven't figured out the whole potato thing that we, we have going on here other than the idiots guide, I've kind of realized that, no, that one's not really, you know, tater themed.
Speaker 2:But uh, but it still works. I think yeah, yeah, uh, but Patreon is a great way to support, support us, to help us continue to grow. We want to present videos and do a podcast that you guys want to actually watch and listen to Topics that are important to you. The whole point of the Idiot's Guide is to help us all along the path to maybe get a little bit better. We've been down the road a little bit. We're going to try to give you as much advice from our many years of experience and many years of mistakes so that you don't have to make those same mistakes. So that's why we want you to join, put your information out there, comment on these videos as well, to give us ideas to be able to present more information that you're going to be able to learn from that's patreoncom.
Speaker 1:Slash t-i-g underscore h-p-f patreoncom. Anyway, guys, um, is anything real, anything at all like that's the question we should be asking ourselves Is anything real?
Speaker 2:Well, that's up to debate. Sorry.
Speaker 1:I couldn't resist.
Speaker 2:I mean, that's really the whole thing. I mean there are a lot of questions is are we real? Do we exist? Is this a simulation? Is this just a giant hologram? Are we just a universe that's sitting on the uh collar of a little dangly on a cat's collar?
Speaker 1:I mean, there's a reason why we we like those kind of concepts in movies is it's so fascinating and it's beyond our scope of like how we figure our bubble of a world that we live in. And then all of a sudden we're like no, we're all the color of a cat, we're just plugged in as a giant battery for a huge machine and that's it. We're just clones.
Speaker 2:Is everyone out there just a hallucination of mine, or am I a hallucination of mine, or am I a hallucination of you that you're creating? These are different bits of your own brain that are presenting in different viewpoints, and all these things are just a matrix of your hallucination and your fractured brain, and you're sitting in a hospital room somewhere. I think I probably just gave someone a complex Sorry, yes, is that a Leonardo DiCaprio movie that he's like that?
Speaker 1:He's a detective. Welcome to Shutter Island.
Speaker 2:But these are the questions of life, the universe and everything, and somehow we're going to find what 42 really means.
Speaker 1:Oh great Deep thought. Deep thought said 42. Everything, and somehow we're going to find what 42 really means.
Speaker 2:oh great deep thought deep thought said 42, 20 42.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm talking about the one that was like jim carrey. I think it's 29 42, not for jim carrey doesn't.
Speaker 2:42 came first. But the idea is, philosophy helps us question all of this so that we can have a little bit of understanding. And the important thing about philosophy is a logical understanding, step by step, to understand that there's no leaps, there's no jumps from one idea to the next, but it helps us feel comfortable about where we are. If you believe it's a simulation, great, then you feel comfortable believing that it's a simulation. Yeah, I will continue to believe that this is all real, that it is actually happening, or that I'm sitting in a hospital bed and this is all just a hallucination. What's that?
Speaker 1:What's the philosopher's name? The French one. What is it?
Speaker 2:Descartes.
Speaker 1:Descartes. Yes, that messes me up, because he has way too many S's in his name for it to just not exist. Like all of the S's are silent. Like six of them. No, there's not six, there's two. Well, only half the letters are are silent. Like six of them, no, there's not six, there's two.
Speaker 2:Well, only like half the word. Half the letters are just silent.
Speaker 1:That's weird you know, it's like the word q, it's all you know. The rest of the letters are just waiting in line oh, that's a whole other philosophy, philosophical discussion.
Speaker 2:Right, there are the other letters in q just waiting in line to be used. Ooh, is that just a mess up in the algorithm of the simulation that we're in? Well, probably.
Speaker 1:Is it just a damaged part?
Speaker 2:of my brain from the accident that's causing me to be in the coma that causes me to hallucinate this while I'm laying in a hospital bed.
Speaker 1:Somehow I'm having deja vu like I've been here before.
Speaker 2:Oh see, that's just a loop in the algorithm.
Speaker 1:That's just a loop in the code, that's just a hitch in the matrix. The matrix Okay, all right, you know. The reality is that there is none.
Speaker 2:I mean, yeah, reality is your own perspective, reality is your viewpoint.
Speaker 1:Wondering if anything is real is kind of like realizing you've been talking on a dead phone line for the last 10 minutes. You know a really good depiction of watching somebody uselessly challenge the word or the whatever topic it is with why, over and over and over and over. You really want to beat your head against the wall because that sounds better than you know enduring the next why. But the good news is at least you know you're real, I'm real, you're real, joe. Do we know that? Why?
Speaker 1:Because, I'm not sure, unless, of course, you're not. I could not be. You know what. Let's stay away from that rabbit hole. It's just like that's enough enough. We've had plenty for the day this is what happens in philosophy classes all across the nation this is the reason why it's a useless degree in college like because you literally get nowhere and you get a degree for that it is not useless.
Speaker 2:It helps us to progress. It helps us move forward.
Speaker 1:Useless philosophy where we've been helps us to know where we're going well, we dipped our toes into the vast ocean of existential questions that never really end. That's, that's probably the truth. We, we, you know, we talked about the, the, the three philosopher band, the big three, and how each one was, you know, progressively different in the way that they applied philosophy. But I think that all three kind of played a really big, essential role into why we're so confused to this very day.
Speaker 2:Why we've moved forward, not why we're confused. Can you see the bias here?
Speaker 1:And then, of course, we have to tackle the all-important question is anything real? Do we even exist? Is it all an illusion? No, no, you are just plugged into a battery for giant machines. Can you tell I'm a Matrix fan? I really like that series.
Speaker 2:It's fantastic All of it.
Speaker 1:Like every on road trips, I watch Matrix movies because it's so fun. There you go, it's the only part, I know there you go.
Speaker 2:Sorry.
Speaker 1:It's the only part I know it's so I guess in the world of philosophy it's it's really just kind of pursuing the excitement about the fact that you are going to be disappointed by not having a full, solid answer.
Speaker 2:Can you tell who writes these episodes?
Speaker 1:I. That wasn't even in the script, that was just an opinion. You can have an answer in philosophy. I think the most important thing is that it's fun, it's entertaining, it's really open-minded, so there's not a wrong answer. How about that? There you go. Is that a better way of looking at it? You can't answer something incorrectly because what? What was there correct in the first place?
Speaker 2:If you know you can answer incorrectly if it's not a logical argument. But okay, there's no wrong answer so long as it's a logically well thought out argument.
Speaker 1:I think an important aspect of this is whether it's a nice straight road that you're traveling down in conversation or it's a roller coaster going all over the place, enjoy the ride. That's about as much as you can do in a philosophical argument or discussion or debate or whatever you want to call it about why, why, why, why, why why not?
Speaker 1:Why not Useless philosophy degree? We have reached the end of our show. Thank you for listening. Thank you for watching. Don't forget, smash that like button, subscribe. Life's too short, so keep laughing, keep learning and and remember idiots have way more fun. Thank you.