Knowledge and intelligence are not enough

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I don't engage in such BS, believing in science and rationality.
If Ludwig Wittgenstein decided that philosophical questions are literally nonsense, who am I to disagree?

Ludwig Wittgenstein is likely to comprehend logical fallacies. This includes fallicies of appeal to authority. Wittgenstein is alleged to be the greatest 20th century philosopher. This isn't a proof that all he is claiming is true, in perhaps being the greatest "authority" on the subject. Potential arguments against a claim or proposition often begins by determining what is presented as the connected series of statements intended to support that proposition. Agreement or disagreement of the proposition comes from a determination if those statements properly follow in support. Anyone can present an argument of disagreement. You can be a turkey and disagree... even though the nature of the counter argument (perhaps manifest as nuanced gobbling) might be difficult to comprehend.

Yet it is difficult to imagine that Ludwig Wittgenstein is of such questionable intellect to claim "that philosophical questions are literally nonsense". The statement above suggests that "all" philosophical questions are nonsense, even in absence of knowing all the philosophical questions that could be asked (as being nevertheless concluded as nonsense). Many problematic issue arises: Is a "question" automatically nonsense if determined of origin philosophical, partly philosophical, hinting of being philosophical, and by whom? How do questions "in and of" themselves manifest as nonsensical?

The adverb "literally" as used above means "actually," often used when we want others to know we're serious, not exaggerating or being metaphorical. However there appears no reason for philosophers, particularly the likes of a Wittgenstein, to go out of there way to include "literally" as a qualifier, as the absence of such a qualifier doesn't necessarily imply the opposite. It can also be a problematic inclusion if in the subsequent exclusions of such qualifiers can thereupon begin implying being not serious or being of a form exaggerated.

In all, it seems you are conveying BS being suggested of conclusions drawn by Ludwig Wittgenstein, this seemingly presented as "an appeal to authority" by whom "who are you to disagree"? The engagement in using logical fallacies can itself be concluded BS.
 
@ rayma, Someone who is thinking to know and just wrote few words as if the guy was the alpha and omega of rationality.
This IS BS argument sorry. You just have no idea to write such non-sense about what philosophy is and from what modern science method came.

Psychanalism has for illustration no rational bases and can be said as BS. Philosophy evolved as a corpus and method about Knowledge including science methodology and also work with paradigms. It is not about magic.
 
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I’ve been defining and solving problems caused by engineers* my entire working life, all without a college education……..ironic huh? 🙄
But being forced to take electives that have nothing to do with your life goals just in order to buffer the bottom line of the learning institutions is exactly as said…..BS!

Well rounded my hairy behind……..i’d rather KNOW what I’m supposed to than spend precious time,energy,and money on useless fluff i’d only be ever able to use on internet forums to make myself look “well rounded” 😉

*Not all engineers
 
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My daughter took a degree along with numerous electives. What she did was take electives as core courses for a second degree in another field... specifically to shorten the time to obtain that degree. In completing her first degree and registering for the second, university officials seemed went into outrage mode, that in doing so the university wouldn't be getting the cash for that degree (being shortened in time and losing yearly tuition).

Of particular note was that they refused to give a credit for a course marginally nuanced of variance from another that she had taken as an elective. Apparently it had changed the following year since she took it. One could ask If this course changed so seriously that graduates having taken the previous course would be required to retake it. It would seem that this university agent wanted some measure of retribution for what my daughter had done... being seemingly forced to give her credit for all the rest.

Such evidence doesn't suggest all universities officials aspire solely to create "well rounded" graduates... rather it would seem more nuanced than that. It seems that universities in general are given more credit in the aspiration for greatness than they deserve... much like priests in the Catholic Church. The question becomes if we should leave it to university officials to decide what constitutes "well roundedness"? What qualifications do university officials have in determining it? Who are they?
 
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That misses the whole point of getting a college education. The study of engineering is just one aspect of attending college. A far more important issue is producing a well rounded and educated individual. A person who can not only design amplifiers as in your example, but can function in the world on a broader scale. If fact, I think there should be more emphasis on liberal arts subjects, not less.

For many decades, I would have disagreed with you. I actually resented having to take "fluff" courses like sociology or psychology. Engineering takes focus and hard work to learn and I just couldn't have cared less about anything but math, science, and engineering. I didn't even care about chemistry; this shows just how ignorant I was. I truly regret this because now I find chemistry and chemical engineering utterly fascinating, and I am weak in chemistry.

When I look back at myself 40 of 50 years ago, I see a gifted but ignorant and stubbornly myopic young man. Now I see how important it is to understand history, economics, sociology, politics, etc in order to be not just a good citizen but a successful individual. My laser focus on electronics and physics didn't get me very far at all, but my insouciant attitude towards "fluff" topics has cost me dearly. Now I wish I had paid more attention to those topics not just at university, but also life.

You know what they say.


 
Then maybe there ought to be a pure trade school for engineers - where one could get the laser focus approach if that’s what they wanted. Or the full college experience, for more money, of course. There are some positions that would of course favor someone with a full degree - but for many it’s a don’t care.
 
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Most of my training was through job specific trade school programs or apprenticeship programs offered by employers……and of course just plain paying attention in the school of hard knocks.

In my world the fluff is superfluous, the proof is in the pudding.
I am curious Eddie as to what you missed out on (or ‘cost you dearly’ as you say) due to the lack of fluff? Serious question, not being a wisenhiemer.
 
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Universities offer different programs for engineering. I was put into my curriculum by academic advisors based on my test scores. My buddy, who went to SIU with me and studied electrical engineering as well, was shunted into a different curriculum because he wasn't as "smart" as me. His curriculum skipped all the "BS" courses and focused entirely on the technical aspects of EE.

The irony is that he was way more successful with a much better career than me, and he is rich. Who's "smart" now? And he'll still say that I know way more than him, but that really depends on the topic. He knows way more about computer engineering than I ever did.
 
In my world the fluff is superfluous, the proof is in the pudding.
I am curious Eddie as to what you missed out on (or ‘cost you dearly’ as you say) due to the lack of fluff? Serious question, not being a wisenhiemer.

Outside of technical topics, I'm a moron. I worked in finance but bungled my personal finances. I wasted my good health and had to work the hardest I've ever worked in my life to get it halfway back.

That's a short list.
 
I reckon my horse headedness over computers (went out of my way to avoid anything to do with them) is biting me in the behind concerning things I’d like to move forward with, such as speaker design. 🙁

But I’ll get there! All the great knowledge compiled on this site probably surpasses (or at least equals to) to any college courses available. Learning to sift through the chaff for the wheat is the challenge!

edit; Eddie are those things that college courses would have solved for you? In general i’ve found plenty of college educated “morons” that can barely change a light bulb…….I believe people are predisposed to certain traits they really have little control over no matter the education level. (No offense intended) Live and learn!
 
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I know exactly what SPICE does but never learned it. I was taught the old fashioned way of circuit analysis; brute force by hand with algebra etc. I still do it.

I did use some speaker modelling software a couple times with good results. Compared to the old days it's so easy it ought to be considered cheating.
 
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