>As a HS I read Socrates' Apology and the Symposium. >Years later, I decide I need some philosophy in my life so I go out and buy The Republic. >Realize I don't understand shit about it. >Buy the Illiad and the Oddyssey. >Ok this is pretty cool but I'm not sure I get it, I finish them anyways. >Then read the Republic and 8 more of Plato's books thinking I "get them" >Read history book. >Realize there was tons of stuff I didn't get while reading the Illiad that would have made it a much better experience. >Start reading Hesiod. >This makes me realize I didn't even get the history book I read, Homer's works or Plato's works for that matter. >Start reading book about the presocratics philosophers. >Even deeper realization about how much shit I missed on Plato's books, but also notice that reading Plato was essential to understanding the earlier thinkers.
Is philosophy nothing but an endless loop of realizing how clueless you were a week ago?
no, if you keep trying you will enter the spiral. At first it seems impenetrable but after a few false starts and wider readings things start to clear up. This is of course if and only if you truly embrace the whole scope of western philosophy and thought. Hint: start in the middle somewhere. The presocratics are extremely difficult to read
Cameron Foster
>The presocratics are extremely difficult to read
t. pleb
Oliver Anderson
so how do i stop from fucking up like you OP?
Carter Howard
Your problem was buying a book that's in the public domain.
>inb4 his problem was buying a book
Parker Hall
After going through this loop of shit I'm almost sure it's unavoidable. Intertextuality will always be there to fuck you up one way or the other.
Isaiah Perez
t. pseud
Owen Gonzalez
If you are young or full of fire, devour knowledge like it's a buffet of the gods about to close forever, not like a epicurean tasting menu where you pic and choose and roll morsels around in your mouth.
Eventually you will start clearing texts by era and continent, and intertextuality becomes an asset rather than a liability.
Aiden Morgan
>waaah I didn't understand something therefore nobody did
project harder retard
Angel Morales
>ITT: anons think you are only supposed to read books once
Christopher Diaz
>waaah I'm self conscious about my intellect and would never admit to finding something difficult because it would shatter my fragile ego
Holy...
Jacob Price
That was never implied anywhere in this thread.
Lincoln Clark
>still projecting
Not everyone has trouble with exactly the same stuff you have trouble with. The pre-socratics are not hard.
Robert Martinez
What is notable, then, about works revealing more depending on what you have to work with, or needing to reread books to take advantage of new knowledge?
Jackson Richardson
>claims difficulty is relative >makes absolute claim about the difficulty of specific authors
Is this the wisdom of the presocratics, Veeky Forums?
Andrew Lee
You beat me to it. Made me laugh, though.
Jacob Ross
Considering that the pre-socratics being easy is my reality, making it absurd for me to suggest otherwise, yes, that is exactly the wisdom of the pre socratics.
Maybe you would have caught that if you hadn't had so much trouble with them. Better luck next time user :^)
Jaxson Diaz
Nah, I think they're easy too. I was just going to point out the internal contradiction of your position when beat me to it.
John Martin
It's fine. At one point you'll realize that there is no objective truth to be found in philosophy and you'll either become an edgy nihilist, a laid-back nihilist, or a stoic.
Luis Bailey
You read philosophy hoping to find objective truth?
Sheesh.
Such is the life of a pseud, I guess.
Xavier Anderson
It wasn't absolute you absolute faggot
Justin Hernandez
> Realize there was tons of stuff I didn't get while reading the Illiad that would have made it a much better experience.
Like what?
t. 50 pages away from finishing it.
Colton Sanchez
Yes, basically.
Did you not get Socrates? "All I know is that I know nothing"
Colton Jones
depend on translation user. when you find the perfect translation, you will understand
Aaron Robinson
Give an example of things you failed to 'get'. I never had this experience.
Matthew Ramirez
No, but you have to combine primary sources with secondary literature
Jayden Ward
fpbp
Henry Garcia
which book on the Trojan War should I read before I get to the Iliad and Odyssey?
Asher Powell
Start with the greeks, man.
Oliver Stewart
I'm trying, my dude.
Noah Ross
>Plato was essential to understanding the earlier thinkers Wrong
