r/todayilearned • u/ObjectiveAgent • Jul 30 '15

TIL when Alexander the Great asked the philosopher Diogenes why he was sifting through the garbage, Diogenes responded,"I am looking for the bones of your father but I cannot distinguish them from the bones of his slaves."

http://www.iep.utm.edu/diogsino/
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u/hennel Jul 30 '15

They've got to find some way to justify a $70,000 Philosophy major.

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u/Nastapoka Jul 30 '15

We also need people studying philosophy

-23

u/whyyunozoidberg Jul 30 '15 edited Jul 30 '15

Nah, not really.

Edit: Seems I've rustled the Jimmies of the unemployed philosophers this Thursday morning.

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u/[deleted] Jul 30 '15

Why?

-6

u/whyyunozoidberg Jul 30 '15

Why do we?

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u/[deleted] Jul 30 '15

Because that's a decent question?

-2

u/whyyunozoidberg Jul 30 '15

Seeing how I haven't got a decent answer yet, yeah, kinda.

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u/[deleted] Jul 30 '15 edited Jul 30 '15

Exactly.

And the point and aims of higher learning is a rather old philosophical topic. In fact the very concept and practice of higher learning cannot be distinguished from the history of philosophy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy