Are most people on YA Philosophy beginners at thinking intellectually?

Question: Are most people on YA Philosophy beginners at thinking intellectually!?

I am interested in seeing much more complicated & advanced philosophical questions here, but rarely do I find any!. Are most of the users on here kids / young adults that don't know anything about philosophy!? (I assume this is the case!.)

If that's true, then why don't the beginners go read wikipedia on philosophy subjects so that you understand the basics!? (This is an unnecessary follow-up questions!.)Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

Yes sir, most of the people here are young adults!. And a quick perusal of the format, design, style, or simply the avatars should make clear the fact that this is Y! Answers' target audience!. From banner to foot, Y! Answers is a cartoon quality, kid-friendly site, and apparently that is what they want!.

For those of us who are more advanced, and enjoy a higher level of discussion, that option is open too! If you ask a more advanced question, most of the time you get fewer answers, but usually there are a few people who catch it, and can provide something of value!. There are a few of us here who are relatively educated, well-read, and intellectually mature enough to handle some "real" philosophical issues!.

I usually cruise down the list of questions and skip most of them!. Most of the time I can find a few each day that aren't obviously childish, meaningless, pointless, etc!. And if not, I can always try to add to the pool with a question of my own!.

I agree that it would be nice if there were a forum of this style that consisted of a high-quality clientèle!.!.!.but we make do with what we have, while striving to improve the quality as much as we can!. Though it often doesn't feel like it, the internet is very new!. This is the first/early second generation to be savvy with online activity as young people!. If they get interested in philosophical issues early, perhaps (with the guidance of the rare decent people here on Y! Answers or elsewhere) maybe the totality of online philosophical quality will increase with time!.

Go ahead and ask as advanced a questions as you want, and hopefully you can find a few decent thoughts on them!.

Edit: I was going to check out your other questions and answers, but you have them hidden! So I thought I'd contact you, and you have that disabled too! If you'd like to get a chat going about anything, I'm always up for it, let me know!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Perhaps they are beginners!. Personally, I see nothing wrong with that!. They are learning to think (and that does *not* imply that they are chronologically young) and ask questions and I think it's wonderful!.

One of the problems with using any resource -- be it Wikipedia, the encyclopedia, or the dictionary -- is that you have to know what question to ask first!. If you don't have the vocabulary to formulate a question, sometimes it helps to have a person (live or e-) to ask questions back and help clarify issues so that the correct question can be asked!.

Sure, it would be interesting to see more complicated and advanced philosophical questions here!. Beginners will learn from those, too, but I would hate to think that someone didn't post because they were afraid that it was too basic!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I don't find that so after being in the R&S section!. I find most of the younger people in the philosophy section much more interesting than in other sections!.

There is a noticeable level of maturity in the the questions but that is to be expected!. Therefore I take the questions seriously and answer them with respect to the asker!.

also, I think the younger crowd are more prone to asking question while the older crowd seems more interested in answering, like myself!.

That is just how I see it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Whoa, whoa whoa!!! That was a major insult to the teens, young adults, and just everyone on here!

Unlike what you believe, young people are very smart and mature!. They express their feelings, beliefs, and opinions a lot more freely than older adults!. Questions are asked because the questioner doesn't know the answer, or wants opinions!. What you may call "complicated and advanced" is not the same for someone else!.

Yahoo! Anwers is a place to people of all ages!. If you have a problem with the people here, perhaps you should leave!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Philosophy is simply the art of thinking and anyone can do that at any age!. What's there to KNOW about philosophy!? It's not like studying biology!. It's an experience, and just because someone doesn't come off as intelligent as you perceive yourself to be, does not mean that they need (gag) wikipedia to expand their mind- I mean, give me a break!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I haven't taken a scientific sample in order to determine the demographic of the YA philosophy section!. I can only speak for myself; I am not a beginner in philosophy!. But I have noticed that complicated questions posed on YA do not get the same feedback as simpler ones!. I try to have fun with this forum!. Don't take yourself too seriously!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

If you have a problem with the questions being asked out here, then try and find some other place that has these "more advanced" philosophical questions!? I am not trying to be mean or anything, but this is an open site where people of any age can ask their questions!.
Why don't you start your own Philosophy question site!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

everyone starts as a beginning thinker!. So while this site may seem a bit dull to Spinoza, ultimately it helps create interest and increase the overall intellectuality of these "kids/young adults that don't know anything about philosophy!." Nobody starts out as Kant, you have to work at it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

most people are just asking questions they already know the answer too!. and people are answering them because they are bored!. ask a complicated question and you will get funny answers or none at all!. there are very few doctorates of philosophy that have time to play around such sites as this!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I'm 60!. I've read widely -from Aristotle to Zarathustra, and thought at length about what I've read!. Assumptions and generalisations will make you look foolish in any forum, as you will realise if you think "intellectually" about it!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Philosophy is the practice of those who believe they will appear smarter if they are able to confuse more people than others can!.
It is the art of disguising obfuscation as brilliance!.

Buy a science book!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

For instance, should we ban rhetorical questions in order to increase the visibility of issues of content!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

lol!!! maybe answering such infantile questions and sharing with them would broaden their intellect!. give the poor kids a break!. they wanna play tooWww@QuestionHome@Com

Many are not even beginners!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Some times the simplest questions and answers are the closest to the truth!.God is! God is !?Www@QuestionHome@Com

!.!.!.such is one's opinion!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

What an arrogant question!.!.!.if you want a challenge post your own questions and follow the answerers that you like best!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Answering your first question first: yes, most people in the Y!A Philosophy 'forum' are just that!.

Here is as good a place as any to start, and better than some!. No grades, no tests, no overbearing smugly superior horse's butt sneering at your naivete, etc!. The elementary questions get the genuinely elementary answers from peers only slightly more advanced, without a lot of attached crap!. The swifter learners move along briskly to more sophisticated intellectual methods; the slower learners move along less briskly--but they aren't being chid about their relative tardiness of development!. I certainly appreciate that latter advantage of the Y!A milieu!.

Indeed, the growth of intellectuality can be followed here, if you care to pursue it, in the Q&A records of the members!.

Some of those reading these lines will abandon the Y!A format eventually, for being frustrated in finding Q/A at the level of sophistication they desire!. Some (the "I MUST TEACH!" types) will remain!.

By the way, have YOU looked up 'the basics' on Wikipedia!? You might be surprised to see how often 'the basics' are not presented as 'the basics' ought to be presented to the tabula rasa that is the beginner's mind, but are presented as the knowing sophisticated practitioner dimly remembers the basics qua basics!.

I recommend that you tarry in Y!A only if you're willing to accept that you must occasionally deal with the unsophisticated--who are in no way identical with the unintelligent; or; if you are willing to restrict your A-ing to Qs from sophisticates, and willing to forego your Q-ing altogether--no way to keep the unsophisticated from sticking their oars in the water-- you can stay and gripe occasionally!. As you do here!.

Do you feel better now!? I know I do!.Www@QuestionHome@Com