Importance of Perspective

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I'm curious to see what everybody's thoughts on perspectivism are. This poll will be run for a fortnight, after which it will automatically lock. If I remember, I'll start a new poll. If I don't, someone please remind me. Until then, please answer the question & feel free to discuss it.

[Alcon]

I can smell a really interesting topic here, but first I want to know how narrowly you want to define "perspective."

By the way...if I haven't said this, welcome.  You're one of the best new posters we've had in a good while. 

[Associate Justice PiT]

I can smell a really interesting topic here, but first I want to know how narrowly you want to define "perspective."

By the way...if I haven't said this, welcome.  You're one of the best new posters we've had in a good while. 

     Thank you for the compliment.

     When I say perspective, I specifically mean one's life experiences or upbringing. I'm not trying to trick anyone into giving a strange answer or something.

[Alcon]

I think it's hugely important to beliefs, although (obviously) not reality.  Not many people abandon the majority of the philosophical beliefs with which they were brought up.  We, I think, have 90% Christian and Muslim countries for a reason.  Our fundamental beliefs are more easily shaped by our environment and society than we'd like to admit.  Oftentimes they are shaped into unerring belief, even though we readily admit that we mostly came on the beliefs because they were passed down to us.

As for personal perspective...in philosophical discourse, what else is there?

So, I voted, "Very important."  Not terminal, but very important.

[Gustaf]

I think it's hugely important to beliefs, although (obviously) not reality.  Not many people abandon the majority of the philosophical beliefs with which they were brought up.  We, I think, have 90% Christian and Muslim countries for a reason.  Our fundamental beliefs are more easily shaped by our environment and society than we'd like to admit.  Oftentimes they are shaped into unerring belief, even though we readily admit that we mostly came on the beliefs because they were passed down to us.

As for personal perspective...in philosophical discourse, what else is there?

So, I voted, "Very important."  Not terminal, but very important.

The bolded part is not a given to everyone.

Anyway, I have to ask PiT a question too. Do you mean what importance it has in forming one's own opinions or what importance it has or should have in philosophical discussions? I don't see these as the same thing, you see.

And I'd also like to extend a welcome to the forum. Philosophy threads I always enjoy.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

It's extremely important.  How you're raised will impact everything you think; and how you see things.

Btw, I echo Alcon's statement; you are an excellent poster

[Alcon]

The bolded part is not a given to everyone.

I was hoping someone would jump on that

But clearly my perspective disagrees with them, so it can't be right (hyuck hyuck).  Anyway.  The rest of my post was serious.

[Albus Dumbledore]

I'd say perspective is p. important.

[Associate Justice PiT]

     Thanks to everyone for welcoming me here.

I think it's hugely important to beliefs, although (obviously) not reality.  Not many people abandon the majority of the philosophical beliefs with which they were brought up.  We, I think, have 90% Christian and Muslim countries for a reason.  Our fundamental beliefs are more easily shaped by our environment and society than we'd like to admit.  Oftentimes they are shaped into unerring belief, even though we readily admit that we mostly came on the beliefs because they were passed down to us.

As for personal perspective...in philosophical discourse, what else is there?

So, I voted, "Very important."  Not terminal, but very important.

The bolded part is not a given to everyone.

Anyway, I have to ask PiT a question too. Do you mean what importance it has in forming one's own opinions or what importance it has or should have in philosophical discussions? I don't see these as the same thing, you see.

And I'd also like to extend a welcome to the forum. Philosophy threads I always enjoy.

     To answer your question, I lean more towards its importance to philosophical discussions. Since the way people think about the world influences how they approach different philosophical discussions & making different judgments, I think that how much importance it should be considered to have in philosophical discussions should be the main consideration.

[Gustaf]

Ah. In that case I think we disagree. I'm a pretty objectivist guy in my outlook, so I view philosophical opinions as independent entities that should be treated as such on their own merits (to a great extent anyway).

The tendency to try and link an opinion to the person expressing it and disqualifying it in that way is something I find to be a common and anti-intellectual practice.

[Associate Justice PiT]

The tendency to try and link an opinion to the person expressing it and disqualifying it in that way is something I find to be a common and anti-intellectual practice.

     I agree that attempting to disqualify an argument by linking it to the person making it is a bad practice. However, I bring up perspective because I think that philosophical arguments detached from any human element are not really pertinent (though they are fun ).

     As such, I emphasize perspective in philosophical debate, since it allows us to see where different sides are coming from, & the merits of those sides from their own perspectives. As you might guess, I am rather heavily influenced by Richard Rorty.

[Countess Anya of the North Parish]

I think perspective  is very important. It aslo is on how you feel. If you are angry you will not have a good perspective but if you are happy things will look better to you.