I'm looking for philosophers, both classical and modern, who have constructed arguments for optimism. [more inside]
posted by MikeHarris on Dec 12, 2009 - 29 answers

Are the existence of logical paradoxes evidence that logic is not Universal truth, or simply symptoms of incomplete or inaccurate semantic systems? [more inside]
posted by idyllhands on Oct 14, 2009 - 37 answers

MeFi virgin here, can anybody help me find wisdom? [more inside]
posted by big open mouth on Jan 2, 2009 - 40 answers

A Crisis of Identity? All my life, I've been the sort of person to avoid my faith to a certain extent (I would pray and try and be as good a muslim as I could, but there was always so much more I could do, and I knew it). Recently, I've met someone who's awakened that desire in me to finally make the commitment, and it feels great to have begun to do so, but there's another side of me that feels like I'm (I don't even know how to say it...) cheating on it... [more inside]
posted by hadjiboy on May 20, 2008 - 38 answers

In Buddhist philosophy, how is one supposed to do anything? [more inside]
posted by phrontist on May 18, 2008 - 45 answers

I am searching for examples of The Infinite, or the immeasurably large, in our mythologies and archetypes. I am also interested in the categories of Truth which came out of the emergence of Western, ontological thought. Does the trust in a rationally conceivable reality deny us the infinity of the mythological realm? By rooting ourselves in the present, and denying atemporal mythologies, do we also deny the infinite origins from where we came? [more inside]
posted by 0bvious on Nov 28, 2007 - 22 answers

I'm looking for a book that will serve as a good introduction to Buddhism. [more inside]
posted by freetheyams on Nov 8, 2007 - 21 answers

Name some prominent converts to either atheism or theism. [more inside]
posted by keith0718 on Jul 24, 2007 - 45 answers

After being baptized, Jesus immediately went into the desert for 40 days, where he was tempted by the devil. When he came back, he was a transformed man. He was suddenly spouting very clever things (still quoted 2000 years later), and in a few weeks, he had a constant crowd of hundreds to thousands of people around him. What can happen in 40 days that transforms a man from an uneducated carpenter to the greatest philosophical influence that ever existed? [more inside]
posted by markovich on Jun 13, 2007 - 48 answers

Is there an Islamic equivalent to the existential precursors in Judeo-Christianity.? For example, I am mainly thinking of an Islamic equivalent to Ecclesiastes, which is seen as a precursor to Existentialism. Also, are there any writers from Islamic cultures that have existentialist leanings (i.e. versions of Emile Cioran or Paul Tillich) ?.
posted by Gnostic Novelist on Mar 10, 2007 - 6 answers

How is my belief that the world is round any more scientific than someone else's belief that a benevolent deity listens to her prayers? (I know this may seem chatty or open-ended, but I have a feeling that there is a neat argument out there that would wrap up this question for me, and meanwhile I'm in a bit of philosophical crisis about it.) [more inside]
posted by CrunchyGods on Dec 4, 2006 - 60 answers

An op-ed piece argued that it feels right to avoid blasphemy in general conversation even while agreeing that our old blasphemy laws are a bad idea and unconstitutional. This was several years ago, in a secular publication, not written by clergy, and not specifically sectarian. It definitely did not focus on Islam. Any recollection of this? Thanks.
posted by Dave 9 on Aug 22, 2006 - 3 answers

How does one go about "remembering how to think"? A good friend recently mentioned to me that she no longer has any motivation to think deeply about anything, be it religion, philosophy, or even which side of her toast to butter. Help me kick-start her curiosity by suggesting films and books. [more inside]
posted by thewhitenoise on Jul 31, 2006 - 28 answers

Are religious differences enough to split a long term relationship? [more inside]
posted by ninjew on Jun 26, 2006 - 55 answers

Is God perfect? [more inside]
posted by fatbobsmith on Jun 25, 2006 - 32 answers

I am searching for my spirituality. I suppose I never lost it, but I yearn to pinpoint what it is I actually believe... [more inside]
posted by orangeshoe on Mar 11, 2006 - 25 answers

Help me learn Chinese philosophies through primary sources. [more inside]
posted by selfnoise on Feb 17, 2006 - 15 answers

There is a quote from St. Augustine, suggesting that while it is impossible to help all beings in need, it is incumbent on us to help those who happen to intersect with our lives. Anyone know the actual quote, and where it "lives" in his writings?
posted by everichon on Jul 18, 2005 - 8 answers

Why are people who believe in heaven sad about death?
posted by Pretty_Generic on Apr 9, 2005 - 28 answers

Why is faith a virtue? [more inside]
posted by biffa on Nov 4, 2004 - 25 answers