Philosophy Forums
Forums Links Articles Gallery Chat
Style:



Register | Forgot Password

Universal harmony?

printPrint


Universal harmony?
mac
Initiate

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Sep 10, 2003
Total Topics: 3
Total Posts: 9
Posted 10/16/03 - 06:26 AM:
quote post
#1
Is our strive for universal harmony for self gain or the goodness of everyone and everything? Many philosophers strive for this. We find the strive for harmony in the works of Confucius, Nietzche, Socrates, Plato and many more. What I am thinking is that if we strive and obtain harmony with others we would benefit ourselves. It is for self gain not for the sake of others. What do you think?

mac
steveb
Assistant Professor

Usergroup: Members
Joined: May 24, 2003
Location: vancouver bc canada
Total Topics: 3
Total Posts: 330
1 of 2 people found this post helpful
Posted 10/16/03 - 07:27 AM:

quote post
#2
A billion minds in unison hardly makes a dent in harmony, a single hearts striving is all that's needed and the rest of humanity can do as they usually do, be well behaved suck ups to this fellows endeavors. Harsh yes, but this is how civilization grows, one persons dream at a time.
JjPregler
Assistant Professor

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Jan 26, 2003
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Total Topics: 17
Total Posts: 273
0 of 1 people found this post helpful
Posted 10/16/03 - 09:24 AM:

quote post
#3
I would not say that the strive for harmony is selfish. It appears mans natural nature to disharmony. Man lives for himself. Harmony can only be realized when all men learn that they are only a small part of the whole.
fantasy pony
Assistant Professor

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Jun 20, 2003
Location: CA
Total Topics: 4
Total Posts: 365
Posted 10/16/03 - 11:32 AM:
quote post
#4
I believe most people are and very well should be out for self gain. Although I no longer practice the Christian religion I have always keep the concept of do on to others as you wish they do on to you. As buddhism has touched my life the concept of what goes around comes around supports the philosophy.
Moonbeam
Graduate

Usergroup: Members
Joined: Oct 17, 2003
Location: SFBA
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 208
Posted 10/17/03 - 12:53 PM:
quote post
#5
mac wrote:
Is our strive for universal harmony for self gain or the goodness of everyone and everything? Many philosophers strive for this. We find the strive for harmony in the works of Confucius, Nietzche, Socrates, Plato and many more. What I am thinking is that if we strive and obtain harmony with others we would benefit ourselves. It is for self gain not for the sake of others. What do you think?

mac

Well your question strikes me as one that could be approached from many directions and about which much could be said. I will just add one small take on it that occurred to me:

I think the reasons I sought harmony was from my own despair. I sought relief from existential pain. Well I think now that it was the enormousness of my pain that pushed me hard to seek and took me to places I would never have voluntarily gone. And I think is some way I won. So it was the lack of harmony that was good for me, but it was the desire for it that pushed. A conundrum, no? grin
Download thread as


You don't have permission to post.

Please login or register.

21 total queries
This page was created in 2.5 seconds
Memory used: 6771276 bytes
Server Status: time since last reboot is 246 days, 19:11, load average: 1.70, 1.50, 1.78