The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

15.10 - "Face the facts of being what you are, for that is what changes what you are."
In Honor of Søren Kierkegaard (May 5, 1813 – November 11, 1855) a Danish Philosopher...Read a book whose title relates to your personal philosophy OR a book written by a philosopher whose ideas you identify with. When posting this task share your personal philosophy of life.

If you need suggestions OR have suggestions for books to read for this task post them here.

I guess I already have a question. What qualifies someone as a philosopher? I ask because many self help books espouse philosophies, but obviously the authors are not philosophers in the sense that Kierkegaard is. For example- I have been reading a lot of books about Buddhism, meditation and lovingkindness (metta). Is that a philosophy?

Oh my god! I am beside myself with glee right now!

I want to know about this "personal philosophy" thing.... Like what are some examples? Because WOW, that could be broad...

Maybe it is intentionally broad. You can have more than one philosophy too.

Like what, though...? Like ideas you fall back on? Like I say the answer to every question is: "Pray about it." ?? Like that?

Just what you believe about living your life. Like your philosophy could be you believe in helping others no matter what. I mean at least that is what I think. I did not write the task though, so take me with a grain of salt!

Would the idea that "everything happens for a reason" be considered a philosophy?

So, Sara, I read it to mean that you could read something like, The Power of a Praying Woman, if your personally philosophy is "answers are best discerned through prayer."

I think there is a difference between a personal philosophy and a catchy saying, but it might often just be a question of rephrasing.

All righty... Thanks for the help! Oooh... my library has The Power of a Praying Wife on audio!

I'll be interested to hear what you think of it. I am not much of a prayer, but it was *highly* recommended to me. I read it and actually got a fair amount of it, though I had to adjust it a bit ;)

(er, and of course, this isn't my task, so hopefully Cynthia will agree that it works for you!)

Sara, The Power of a Praying Wife is AWESOME. Even if you are not a devout pray-er, or as devout as you would like to be, there is a lot of food for thought about the husband-wife relationship.

I need ideas for this!!!

Thanks to the Lost Lit List, I already have Fear and Trembling by Søren Kierkegaard checked out from the library! I love this task. :o)

You could also try works by:

John Locke
David Hume
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Friedrich Nietzsche
René Descartes
Immanuel Kant
Arthur Schopenhauer
Benedictus de Spinoza
Blaise Pascal
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

Cait wrote: "Thanks to the Lost Lit List, I already have Fear and Trembling by Søren Kierkegaard checked out from the library! I love this task. :o)"

What do you know, so do I! Except replace "checked out from the library" with "downloaded from Amazon for $1". ;) yay!

I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing!

Cynthia,

Would Everything Happens for a Reason: Finding the True Meaning of the Events in Our Lives work? One of my life philosophies is that things always have some kind of meaning even the crappy stuff.

Sarah wrote: "I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing!"
I guess the thing you have to come up with first is you philosophy or principle of life is and then find a book that relates to that.

Nicole wrote: "Cynthia,

Would Everything Happens for a Reason: Finding the True Meaning of the Events in Our Lives work? One of my life philosophies is that things always have some kind of meaning ..."
Yes

Nicole wrote: "Would the idea that "everything happens for a reason" be considered a philosophy? "
I think so.

Nicole wrote: "I guess I already have a question. What qualifies someone as a philosopher? I ask because many self help books espouse philosophies, but obviously the authors are not philosophers in the sense that..."
If they relate to or match your philosophy of life that's fine - philosophy is a very broad thing so I'll be giving latitude on this one.

I think my philosophy is "Enjoy the moment because you never know what could happen." So what now?

Here is an example of what I am thinking. Let me know if I am wrong. One of my philosophies is "Sometimes you need to shut up and just listen... whether it is to the people around you or to God or to the small voice inside of you." And so a book I could read is Just Listen by Sarah Dessen because the title relates to my philosophy.

Sarah wrote: "I think my philosophy is "Enjoy the moment because you never know what could happen." So what now?"

That reminds me of the movie A Walk to Remember. I'm not sure how similar the book is.

Ayn Rand works here.

How to Expand Love: Widening the Circle of Loving Relationships by Dalai Lama XIV is a good read and I think it would work for this task.

Nicole wrote: "I guess I already have a question. What qualifies someone as a philosopher? I ask because many self help books espouse philosophies, but obviously the authors are not philosophers in the sense that..."

Could you recommend some of the books you've read recently about Buddhism that might work for this task?

Would A Walk To Remember be acceptable for my philosophy of "Enjoy the moment, you never know what may happen?"

I think Sophie's World by Jostein Garrder should work. It's a good read and covers a lot of philosophies and philosophers. But Cynthia would this count as it covers the whole 'genre' of philosophy?

Well I was hoping A Walk To Remember would count because I own it.

Katie wrote: "Nicole wrote: "I guess I already have a question. What qualifies someone as a philosopher? I ask because many self help books espouse philosophies, but obviously the authors are not philosophers in..."

I just finished The Dharma Bums by Jack Kerouac - it definitly is about Buddhism - and pretty much any Kerouac book will have a personal philosophy twist.

So does A Walk To Remember count?

Just a funny coincidence - Kierkegaard is exactly 100 years older than I am! (or would be if he were alive) This is a hard task, I have to figure out what my philosophy of life is first!

I think I'm going to read The Christian Agnostic by Leslie Weatherhead. It sounds like it is right up my alley as far as my religious philosophy.

Sarah wrote: "So does A Walk To Remember count?"

I don't see how the title relates to your philosophy but if you can explain the connection when you post - yes.

I'm a big believer in Karma, would that count as a philosophy? Can I read a book with Karma in the title?

The book would be related to my philosophy of "Enjoy the moment because you never know what may happen" because Landon falls in love with Jamie without knowing that she has cancer. Plus at the beginning, they are all just friends goofing around when the accident happens that changes Landon's life forever. Which all show that you should live for the moment because you never know what may happen (because Landon didn't know his life would be changed like this and he didn't know he would fall in love with Jamie or that she had cancer and he would end up losing her.)

Sarah wrote: "The book would be related to my philosophy of "Enjoy the moment because you never know what may happen" because Landon falls in love with Jamie without knowing that she has cancer. Plus at the begi..."

Your philosphy is suppose to be a part of the title, not necessarily the story line...

In thinking about this task I truly came up with the philosophy I live by. That is family comes first so for this task could I read a book with family in the title?

I'm having trouble with this too. I'm not a particularly philosophical or religious person. I just mostly try to be nice to everyone I meet and enjoy every day I have with my family and friends...Anyone have ideas about how that translates?

Maggie, I'm glad I know I'm not the only one having trouble with this task.

Sarah wrote: "In thinking about this task I truly came up with the philosophy I live by. That is family comes first so for this task could I read a book with family in the title?"

To me, that sounds right... but I am not Cynthia, and I could be totally wrong.

Sarah wrote: "In thinking about this task I truly came up with the philosophy I live by. That is family comes first so for this task could I read a book with family in the title?"
Yes

Valorie wrote: "I'm a big believer in Karma, would that count as a philosophy? Can I read a book with Karma in the title?"

Yes

Sarah, think I will copy urs as well as mine comes 1st due to havin a special needs child x

Fiona, I couldn't find a book at first but decided upon Family Honor if you would like to read with me. I know you said just the idea but I was just putting this out there as a possibility.

Sarah wrote: "Fiona, I couldn't find a book at first but decided upon Family Honor if you would like to read with me. I know you said just the idea but I was just putting this out there as a possib..."

I will see if I can get a copy of this from my local library x

A lot of my philosophy is based on I and Thou by Martin Buber, who said:

"There is genuine dialogue - no matter whether spoken or silent - where each of the participants really has in mind the other or others in their present and particular being and turns to them with the intention of establishing a living mutual relation between himself and them. There is technical dialogue, which is prompted solely by the need of objective understanding. And there is monologue disguised as dialogue, in which two or more, meeting in space, speak each with himself in strangely tortuous and circuitous ways and yet imagine they have escaped the torment of being thrown back on their own resources."

I want to read Race-ing Justice, En-gendering Power: Essays on Anita Hill, Clarence Thomas and the Construction of Social Reality by Toni Morrison which discusses how bad things get when people treat each other as I-It rather than I-Thou.

Does this work?

If not, I'll be happy re-reading I and Thou.

pjreads wrote: "A lot of my philosophy is based on I and Thou by Martin Buber, who said:

"There is genuine dialogue - no matter whether spoken or silent - where each of the particip..."

PJ, I love I and Thou. It completely transformed the way I look at art and approach relationships. Great quote, too.

would "you learn something new everyday" be a philosophy?

Does Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy: Curiouser and Curiouser by William Irwin count as my personal philosophy is to indulge my curiosity?

i want to read that too.

April wrote: "Does Alice in Wonderland and Philosophy: Curiouser and Curiouser by William Irwin count as my personal philosophy is to indulge my curiosity?"
Sure

Tracey wrote: "would "you learn something new everyday" be a philosophy?"
Sure

pjreads wrote: "A lot of my philosophy is based on I and Thou by Martin Buber, who said:

"There is genuine dialogue - no matter whether spoken or silent - where each of the particip..."
If the book itself is not written by a philosopher you identify with then the title must relate to your philosophy - if you can explain it's relation then it counts.

Cynthia wrote: "...

If the book itself is not written by a philosopher you identify with then the title must relate to your philosophy - if you can explain it's relation then it counts."

OK. I didn't notice that it had to relate to the title, but I can explain the relation between Buber's philosophy and "the Construction of Social Reality."

This might be totally wrong, but reading about something that you believe in count? I'm not sure if I'm going to explain this the right way...but I have strong feelings about knowing where my food comes from and what's been put in it. I'm not sure that's a philosopy per say? But I was wondering if I could read Food Rules: An Eater's Manual? Thanks!