Seeking Freedom: Confessions of a Chinese Philosopher

[GreenApple]

I came across this forum and found it helpfull to me.I am a Chinese and live in China.I read and think of philosophy a lot.Though I intend to do mathematics research as my occupation,I think the real thing worth doing is philosophy.
I am telling you what you may find nonsense.I wright it in the purpose of find some one to communicate.(In China,people just laugh at you if you talk about philosophy with them.)

I think philosophy is "seeking freedom" only,with nothing to do with knowledge.Or knowledge is worth seeking only in the sense of that it helps seeking liberty of the mind.It is the knowledge of a freeman,not a slave.I think that,for some unknown reason,we do have some knowledge of practice which has been making it easier to survive on the earth.But mind(or soul) is still a mystery.What is freedom ?You may ask.The satisfaction you my find in math problem solving or new math theory discovery is not a experience of freedom,but slavery.And I can not tell what is that freedom now.For the mysery of mind is for beyoud words can tell.You may get it at the end of my words.

I always feel tow of me,one alway intend to act in accordence of custom and my own habit and find itself content doing study better than orthers,the other always feel everything meaningless and a waist of time saying to itself "What are you doing?All these are only making you a slave and blinding you from the light of truth.Others are slaves as well ,so leave them and find a quiet place to think of what is the real thing to do-there must be a far better way that you do not know yet to live your life."And that leave me with no peace.The only demon that disturb my peace is the sense of "a better way of acting and thinking that do exist but not known to me yet".And I call the tempt to drive away that demon and get real peace "philosophy",and I call that peace that has not come to me yet "freedom".

Written in careless thinking.Reply will be welcome.

 

[J77]

I think I'm hearing what you're saying.

As an example, people could be slaved to learning because they want to get a high-flying career.

However, I've never been one for getting qualifications, in order, say, to get a six figure salary, slaving away fro some multi-national.

It's much nicely to gain knowledge because you enjoy what you're doing - of course, the qualifications help with gaining access to positions in which knowledge can be found.

You can work with others to promote you knowledge though - and, I think this a much better way of doing it than working alone.

 

[Rade]

I think philosophy is "seeking freedom" only...

So, when you find freedom then you will no longer need philosophy ? Is it not true that when you obtain the state of pure freedom that you will also need "a philosophy" to maintain an integrated view of existence as relates to the best way of "acting and thinking" ? Here is an alternative definition for you to consider: Philosophy is seeking an integrated view of existence as relates to the best way of acting and thinking.

 

[young e.]

What is freedom ?You may ask.The satisfaction you my find in math problem solving or new math theory discovery is not an experience of freedom,but slavery.And I can not tell what is that freedom now.

1. and so when/ what can we tell about freedom?
2. is it dependent on what (time, space, matter)?

freedom is forfeited in the presence of pre determinism...

 

[GreenApple]

thanks for replies

Maybe,I didn't make it clear what I meaned by "freedom" and "philosophy" in my last post.
I was writing something more like a poem than philosophy.So I expect readers to read it as a poem,rather than a mathematical material.
I expressed the state of a skeptic.There is some restlessness in a heart of a skeptic.He keeps all the time the thought that what he is dong is worthless and what he is thinking is totally rubbish and the thought that he is living in a dark, limited space underearth and he could live aboveearth and in the light of truth.
I think he has more freedom than "ordinary poeple".But he has no peace.
Whether a skeptic could have peace I don't know,but I think that peace which "freedom" in my last post referred to is worth seeking.

Sould a skeptic ask himself "is it a right thing to do to ask 'is it a right thing to do?'?"?

 

[hmm?]

Green Apple,

I'm totally digging on what you're saying about a person, or the more suitable example, the skeptic, being a slave to his/her pursuit to find freedom, which was also synonymous with peace, from what I picked up from your statement. I feel the essence of all philosophy is to simplify an idea into a lucid yet placid thought, in other words all that points to peace, as you were saying. The attempt is toilsome; all who seek this "peace" may in fact never achieve true peace of mind, but I feel the endeavor is worth the proverbial squeeze.

 

[Mk]

I am a Chinese and live in China

Well congratulations for you then for using the internet! I hear it is a lot harder than over here in America.

In China,people just laugh at you if you talk about philosophy with them.

No way! That's terrible. It is the same for all of us. You must find other people that like philosophy to talk to. It is difficult for me, to find people interested in physics or philosophy at times. That is why I visit this website.

I think philosophy is "seeking freedom" only,with nothing to do with knowledge.Or knowledge is worth seeking only in the sense of that it helps seeking liberty of the mind.It is the knowledge of a freeman,not a slave.I think that,for some unknown reason,we do have some knowledge of practice which has been making it easier to survive on the earth.But mind(or soul) is still a mystery.What is freedom ?You may ask.The satisfaction you my find in math problem solving or new math theory discovery is not a experience of freedom,but slavery.And I can not tell what is that freedom now.For the mysery of mind is for beyoud words can tell.You may get it at the end of my words.

Sounds very poetic, and "zen". I think philosophers just like to think about things.

Have you visited this website called "Wikipedia"? It is where everybody from around the world can make an encyclopedia and learn from it. You can just type in anything you want to know about in the left side of the screen and it will tell you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

If I type in "Galileo" in the search, I can get this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo

There is also a wikipedia site for Chinese people. http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/

 

[GreenApple]

Thanks for all your comprehending.
Welcome different opinions.I am open.

 

[Rasine]

have you ever concidered that "freedom" is only achieved by expeariencing a state counter to it. it's a bit like the opposite deal. if there wasent hot there wouldn't be cold.

besides that, what i am saying is maybe this now is a prerequsite to "freedom". myabe you cannot achieve it without your internal struggle now.

'freedom' may be the goal, but what are your means of getting there. how will you know it in the end?