How can you distinguish a good philosopher from a bad philosopher ?

Question

Thanks a lot .

Answer 1

When you read a good philosopher, you suddenly see some aspect of life in a new light.... So I think it's ORIGINALITY that makes the difference.

Answer 2

A good philosopher learns while the bad one tries to teach. The good philosopher analyzes deep whereas the bad one argues loud. The good philosopher packs his sayings with ideas rather than words, whereas the bad one tries to cover up paucity of ideas through flood of words.

Answer 3

A good philosopher tries to answer

from all aspects of a question.  He/she

digs deep for a meaning.

The bad philosopher, not sure there

is such a thing, answers.

  

Answer 4

You will know them by their fruits.

Answer 5

By the clarity of their questions and answers.

Answer 6

A good philosopher would make what he has learned easy to understand even for those who are not philosophers.  He wants you to share in his understanding of the words he is expressing.  He may even use good examples and always come back to it to reinforce his points.  But he might be selective of his audience somewhat for he cannot just be like someone on the street corner talking into the wind..

A bad philosopher would be one who is arrogant and may think his ideas are superior to those around him. So much so that the only ones who care to discuss anything with him are other philosophers and even that may be few in number.

Answer 7

A bad philosopher gets lost in the weeds when he talks.  

Answer 8

The bad philosopher is the one in the rabbit suit.

Answer 9

You will know "good philosophy" from what is defined in that philosophy, and further, by what is allowed for discussion.

Philosophy "ought" to be open, it is the belief that reason (reason and emotion) can be altered based on the belief that reason can change the way people think. It is based on the faith that if you can speak to a person's wisdom that  "change of mind" can take place. Faith is always "a given", but without it you have nothing!

Answer 10

Well that's a rather philosophical question :)

In Ancient Greece there were sophists, men who made business out of wisdom and demanded people to pay them for their knowledge. That's what I define a bad philosopher.

A true one would never ask for money. His prize is sharing his knowledge to make the world a wiser place.  

Answer 11

A bad philosopher is stubborn a thinks he is always right. Well, I guess I could be wrong.

Answer 12

How do you distinguish a good combination of colours from a bad one?

The same principle can be applied. For it is the speech from within that gives out the colours that are seen in the imagination of the one who hears the philosopher's voice.

Answer 13

A bad philosopher aims at a closed system, and demands that we accept or reject it as a whole.

A good philosopher offers thoughts that are as tentative, as hypothetical, as those of the most cutting edge of lab scientists.  

Answer 14

a bad philosopher makes alot of money........

Answer 15

there is no such thing as a bad philosopher, because it is all reletive. everything. in the universe.

but the better philosophers are the ones that are quoted timelessly, and the ones we choose to remember. the ones that live on.

Answer 16

"He who knows does not speak, but he who speak does not know"

Answer 17

A bad philosopher tells you what you want to hear, or what they think they should tell you.

A good philosopher tells you what they really believe or are thinking about.

Answer 18

Every good Philosopher has a unique sense of style or virtue of his own reasoning powers. Every bad Philosopher can still possibly learn how to be great too. It is also the matter of means of those who believes in each whether good or bad. Whereas the best quality of a reason stands for the truth but sometimes it does generally depend to those who render faith.

Although a better one can move a hundred of hearts for just 1 sensible reason. Because that reason can shed light and impact into other's lives.^^

This was only a part of my idea..

Answer 19

You have clarified subject matter that is anathema to philosophers. To you, especially, a forceful "No thanks!"

Answer 20

How many people agree with them.

Answer 21

from the original greek philo meaning to love and sophia meaning knowledge;  philosophy is the love of knowledge.  therefore, i would think that anyone who sincerely seeks answers to any or all of lifes questions and is driven by a desire to learn for the sake of learning is likely a good philosopher.

Answer 22

you cannot judge a philosopher..you can judge only his philosophy.

love

Pluto

Answer 23

By what they have to say.  A good philosopher has no need to quote others.

Answer 24

Certain criteria could be applied so as to assist one in making a wise decision.

Is the philosophy complete in that it deals with and applies to the whole of life rather than to bits and pieces while falling part when viewing the whole?

Is it rational or does it present extremes that will be difficult if not impossible to apply and utilize?

Is it or will it be beneficial to all persons, as well as to all else that exist, doing no harm or as little harm as possible in the attainment of the proposed benefits?

Does said philosophy promote harmony, unity, peace, understanding and respect for all?

What has been your personal experience with living the proposed philosophy?

Is it based on what is observable, understandable and knowable or does one have to accept unseen and that which is not experienced as a basis in utilizing the same?

Does it make promises of results that no one can actually verify, that might not be reliable?

Be well, my friend, and please, be wise.

Answer 25

The good one writes complicated stuff as clearly as he can so that it can be understood and challenged. The bad one writes complicated and obscure so that nobody understands it enough to challenge it.

The good one argues his case, the bad one defends his opinions.

The good one responds to his critics, the bad one criticizes his respondents.

The good one lets his argument speak for itself, while the bad one relies on authority, status and popularity.

The good one changes his mind, the bad one does not contemplate being wrong.

Even if he is wrong, the good one is usually interesting. The bad one rarely is.

That said, the good philosopher isn’t always right and the bad one isn’t always wrong. But as philosophy is essentially a public discipline whose only test is the response of others the guy who makes understanding and response easier, even if he is wrong, is the better philosopher.