Over-complication is not good philosophy. If I was an adviser to the philosophers I would say to them: “Sorry, this is completely not understandable. Go back, do it over, take each chapter and give me one sentence clearly explaining each chapter. A non-philosopher should be able to understand you.” My thought is that if it is not clear and simple it is not understood by the philosopher (and it is also not beautiful). Like good poetry, it is the desire to be understood that calls forth images and not the desire to impress with wild images which should go for philosophers too. How far philosophers have gone away from that.
I suppose Plato wrote clearly, but then he got himself into Pythagorean complications, making sacred his symbols over the thing symbolized, and future philosophers, and theologians, followed him down that path to oblivion.
Perhaps Socrates would have been less complicating since he wrote nothing down and therefore wasn't seeking to impress? with written puzzles. He seems to have let his actions and manner speak, which would perhaps place him on the side of objects rather than definitions of objects. Then again, being Plato's teacher, perhaps Socrates was the father of Western complication?
The East had their own complicaters as they moved forward from the Vedas. How far back would we have to go to see clear, simplifying philosophy, assuming there was such a thing?
It seems that graduate students get pulled into this world of over-complication where they cannot dismiss it and must play the game if they want to stay in the field. Too bad for them. Too bad for philosophy. To bad for us.
I suppose Plato wrote clearly, but then he got himself into Pythagorean complications, making sacred his symbols over the thing symbolized, and future philosophers, and theologians, followed him down that path to oblivion.
Perhaps Socrates would have been less complicating since he wrote nothing down and therefore wasn't seeking to impress? with written puzzles. He seems to have let his actions and manner speak, which would perhaps place him on the side of objects rather than definitions of objects. Then again, being Plato's teacher, perhaps Socrates was the father of Western complication?
The East had their own complicaters as they moved forward from the Vedas. How far back would we have to go to see clear, simplifying philosophy, assuming there was such a thing?
It seems that graduate students get pulled into this world of over-complication where they cannot dismiss it and must play the game if they want to stay in the field. Too bad for them. Too bad for philosophy. To bad for us.
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