Crouton

My wife and I often find ourselves together in the car for a few hours at a time. When faced with that kind of time, I can't help but think of the great opportunity we have to discuss certain topics in-depth. I love philosophy. She is indifferent. It is only through my initiation that conversations of philisophical matters ever take place, and then she is a reluctant participant. I have considered the possibility that in order to be philisophically satisfied, I may have to take my discussions elsewhere, but I'd rather not. So I seek advice. Is there a way to get people interested in philosophical discussions other than bribery?

Crouton

By the way, I'm don't want to go into the history of philisophy. In fact, the fewer philosophers I mention in my discussions, the more accessible it seems.

Darth Dane

Just ask her, who she i essense is, or how she perceives life, and take from there.

Even in day to day activities I find philosophy. Ways to see an analogy to something.


DD - Who am I? Spliff

Pyrrho

Could you be a little more specific? What kinds of philosophical discussions do you wish to have, and what is it that your wife does not like about these discussions?

cobrashock

Change your tact. I suggest you tell her you are going to drive her nuts intill she reads "Sophie's World" by Jostein Gaarder. When she's finished reading it tell her "freedom" from your inquirys will be a result if she is still so inclined. It's a chance but what do you have to loose? There reallys isn't any short cuts through this though. And I don't think she will be passive past that point either if she does indeed read it.
Another thing I do is focus on the things that my wife places value on to get the conversation going, then I subvert it into the philosophy intrensic to that subject. It's really a lot easier than you would think. Something else you can do is leave copys of books authored by female philosophers laying around. Ayn Rand's "selfishness" comes to mind.
Good luck, but most of all be patient.
cobrashock

Answerer

Ask them to watch 'matrix', it should help to some extent.

Darth Dane

Also watch Pi, very inspiring.

Cube also has value, but you need before hand to have some understanding of analogies.

Mindwalk is also a very good movie, where incidently, one of teh actors is a woman, who reached an understanding the two men doesn't have yet. Rather good.




DD - Love Spliff

Totalitarianist

LOL!! I honestly do not get this whole "Matrix" thing among philosophical laymen.

NearNihil Experience

just let it go. sounds like she's just not interested. might just not like it 24-7...small doses might do. If your gonna try to talk this stuff, don't make direct refrence to it. use everyday politics, religion, news and such as topics...you add the philosophy. Even movies, as a few here suggested.

onceuponapriori

While I cannot vouch for the integrity of these books, they might help. Especially if she likes any of these shows.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...557245-2678315

The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846

The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to the Desert of the Real:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...books&n=507846

Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=books

Pooh and the Philosophers:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...glance&s=books

Thomas Ash

This is a great book! Well, it's a bit of a curate's egg actually, with some great essays like the starting discussion of whether Homer exhibits Aristotelian virtues (is any discussion necessary ?), but also a moronic po-mo essay on 'hyper irony' which had me "d'ohing" on several occasions.

____

NB: Interesting factoid... the Simpsons script never actually had Homer going "D'oh" - it always read Homer makes annoyed noise or suchlike, and Dan Castelanetta, the actor, always supplied a d'oh-like sound until it became a tradition.

PPNB(?): I don't get this Matrix fixation at all. It's not even the first film to use the idea of 'what if this isn't the real world' that has occured to every 11 year old (seriously) as well .