All roads lead to philosophy

Posted by – April 14, 2011

Here’s one way to look at the reason why I wanted to study philosophy as a kid: someone discovered that if you follow the first “proper” (non-etymological or pronunciation guide) text link in almost any Wikipedia article, you will ultimately end up at the article for philosophy (the first link from philosophy is to the article for reason, which leads to rationality, which leads to philosophy, so really any of those have the same property). Here are some example paths:

Chess > board game > game > play (activity) > free will > agency (philosophy) > philosophy

Finnish language > Finland > Nordic countries > Atlantic ocean > ocean > seawater > water > chemical substance > chemistry > science > knowledge > reason > rationality > philosophy

Natural Born Killers > crime film > stage play > literature > arts and letters > fine arts > art form > symbol > numeral system > writing system > symbolic system > anthropology > natural science > science > knowledge > reason > rationality > philosophy

Eggplant > Solanaceae > family (biology) > biological classification > biologist > scientist > system > component > electronic component > electronics > science > knowledge > reason > rationality > philosophy

Bicycle > human-powered transport > transport > cargo > commerce > trade > ownership > rights > principle > effect > result > sequence > mathematics > quantity > property (philosophy) > modern philosophy > philosophy

8 Comments on All roads lead to philosophy

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  1. Veikko says:

    The joyous random button:
    1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships
    IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics
    IAAF World Championships in Athletics
    International Association of Athletics Federations
    Sport governing body
    Sport
    Organized
    Corporation
    State (polity)
    Social sciences
    Scholarly method (so close!)
    word
    human
    taxonomy
    greek language
    indo-european
    language family
    language
    communication
    information
    sequence
    mathematics
    quantity
    property
    Modern philosophy
    philosophy

      

  2. Mahtava!

    Lock (device)
    Electronic lock
    Access control
    Physical security
    Attacker
    Sport
    Organization
    Corporation
    State (polity)
    Social sciences
    Scholarly method
    World
    Human
    Taxonomy
    Greek language
    Indo-European languages
    Language family
    Language
    Communication
    Information
    Sequence
    Mathematics
    Quantity
    Property (philosophy)
    Modern philosophy
    Philosophy

    Löytyi myös vastaesimerkki, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locksmithing , mutta en tiedä onko wiktionaryyn linkkaaminen kovin kosheria wikipediaa.

      

  3. sam says:

    I’d take it as implied that the links have to go to Wikipedia.

    There are some local loops though – if we took Greek to be an etymology link, taxonomy would break due to either taxon > taxonomy or (if we considered taxon to be a terminological triviality) count noun > linguistics > human > taxonomy.

      

  4. Here’s a loop: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beacon

    I’d say that etymological pondering in the introductory chapters does count as long as it isn’t parenthesized at the very beginning. Either that or you couldn’t travel at all from e.g. Etymology.

      

  5. ???? ergo sum says:

    Fart > English language > West Germanic languages > Germanic languages > Indo-European languages > Language family > Language > Communication > Information > Sequence > Mathematics > Quantity > Property > Modern philosophy > Philosophy

      

  6. Frank says:

    Had to try it myself to believe. However, I started believing now that I’ve done it once. Not very good inductive reasoning, I guess, but I have always been more fond of abductive reasoning anyway. Here is my path:

    Push the Random wikipedia article button:
    Jim King (basketball)
    Tulsa, Oklahoma
    U.S. state
    Federated state
    Constitution
    State (polity)
    Social sciences
    Scholarly method
    World
    Human
    Taxonomy
    Greek language
    Indo-European languages
    Language family
    Language
    Communication
    Information
    Sequence
    Mathematics
    Quantity
    Property (philosophy)
    Modern philosophy
    Philosophy

      

  7. Frank says:

    Just couldn’t help to try it another time. Interesting to note is that the route in both this and the above example lead first to ‘information’ and from there onwards to philosophy. The same pattern is found also in both Veikko’s and Pekka’s examples. Anyway, here is the path:

    Country ’til I Die (Album)
    Country music
    Music of the United States
    Social class in the United States
    Extreme affluence in the United States
    The New York Times
    Newspaper
    Publication
    Content (media)
    Information
    Sequence
    Mathematics
    Quantity
    Property (philosophy)
    Modern philosophy
    Philosophy

      

  8. Martti L. says:

    Tram
    Railroad car
    Vehicle
    Bicycle
    Human-powered transport
    Transport
    Cargo
    Commerce
    Trade
    Ownership
    Rights
    Principle
    Law
    System
    Element
    Mathematics
    Quantity
    Property (philosophy)
    Modern philosophy
    Philosophy

      

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