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Best type for a Philosopher

What type makes the best Philosopher?

  • ENFP

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ENTJ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ENFJ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ISFP

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ISTJ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ISFJ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ESTP

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ESFP

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ESTJ

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ESFJ

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    20

animenagai

New member
Joined
Aug 22, 2008
Messages
1,569
MBTI Type
NeFi
Enneagram
4w3
I certainly don't want to imply that Ne users aren't equipped to be philosophers, nor do I wish to pat myself on the back for preferring a different form of intuition. Kierkegaard is one of the best philosophers there are, and he was probably an INFP. Part of what made him such a good philosopher was his use of extroverted intuition.

I'm not just saying that Ne users can be good philosophers, I'm saying that Ne is a GOOD tool for philosophy. Certainly not the worse function for it.
 

taylord

New member
Joined
Sep 27, 2013
Messages
55
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
4
Well I'm pretty sure the two most famous philosophers, Aristotle and Plato, were neither INTP or INTJ. Aristotle was ENTJ and Plato was INFJ. I think the question should be, which type of philosopher are the best to read? I find the philosophers I most like to read are ENTP.
 

RaptorWizard

Permabanned
Joined
Mar 19, 2012
Messages
5,895
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
5w6
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
Well I'm pretty sure the two most famous philosophers, Aristotle and Plato, were neither INTP or INTJ. Aristotle was ENTJ and Plato was INFJ. I think the question should be, which type of philosopher are the best to read? I find the philosophers I most like to read are ENTP.

I'm not sure why you equate fame with skill.

In my experience, I've found that those ahead of their times are often not initially recieved well.
 

RaptorWizard

Permabanned
Joined
Mar 19, 2012
Messages
5,895
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
5w6
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
ISTP?? just lol.

What's funny about ISTPs being idea generators? A lot of people have actually called me a potential ISTP!

I can assure you that there's strong evidence on this forum for the force and living power of my many ideas.
And if you don't believe me, I have the time and interest on my hands right now to prove it.

edit - Wait a minute, I thought this was another thread... sorry!
But still, my challenge stands strong.

2nd edit - I second this too!
Relative to an ISTP the signal-to-noise ratio of an ENFP is extremely low.
 

Stephano

Almöhi
Joined
Aug 8, 2012
Messages
1,105
MBTI Type
NFP
First, the topic is: "The best type for a philosopher" and you voted ISTP, your own type.
Can you give me any prominent example for an ISTP philosopher? Do you philosophize by yourself? There are many INTPs, as far as I know, but very few ISTPs.
I voted INFJ and I can give you good examples like Plato or Arthur Schopenhauer.

Why I think that INFJ is the best type for a philosopher?
Imagine a philosopher becomes really, really popular, many people listen to his teachings.
It is way better to have someone with a Feeling-preference in such a role who more likely would consider people's needs over the rational way of "what works". This and the Fe-preference; Fe is less likely to have "a bad morality", since society has more impact on them than on Fis who build their own moral system.

Sorry, if it sounded rude or sth., but ISTP, the best type for a philosopher? - You can't make me believe that.

What's funny about ISTPs being idea generators? A lot of people have actually called me a potential ISTP!
Ummm... nothing. What makes you think I meant something like this?

Relative to an ISTP the signal-to-noise ratio of an ENFP is extremely low.
I had to look that one up. "The ratio of useful information to useless information in any given statement."
I guess that's more a matter of intelligence..
 
W

WALMART

Guest
I was going to offer INTJ as an alternative (heh heh).

I really think people doubt the intellectual power of sensing, let alone it following a dom-thinking position.
 
A

Alper

Guest
lol this is a very old topic...but I need to speak. (I am a philosopher btw, bachelors and probably soon masters)

Well, Philosophy is not something you just solve problems actually solving problems is just the final phase of it.

The first and most important part is creating one by asking that "big question" and this mostly comes from a huge curiosity.
You have to have a huge amount of Ne in order to attack multiple areas to collect many related & seems not related data to find different patterns which later be combined and outcome will be an ultimate inductive reasoning by the help of Ti ofc.

Please carefully examine all types of philosophers in the history.
Every type has an importance to shape an idea but my observation is like this :

ENTPs always come with an out-of-box crazy controversial conceptual ideas, then S and J types make them more systematic and reduced them to more practical uses while at last INTPs make that idea perfectly balanced between practical world and conceptual bases.

or vice versa when a systematic idea is created by types you mentioned, ENTPs found loopholes in that idea and create unbreakable arguments while INTPs understand the thinking methodology of ENTPs and using more Ti they make it balanced.

So basically ENTPs always use the highest version generalization over an idea making it both controversial and unbreakable at the same time because of the high level of Ne use supported with Ti.

Let's name some.

Socrates : He literally the first person in history to lower down the Philosophy from skies (gods) to regular people.
David Hume : He seperated thinking / feeling, created an unbreakable ideas on human perception.
Bertrand Russell : Founder of Modern Analytical Philosophy
Machievelli : He is seen a prototype of a modern empirical scientist, building generalizations from experience and historical facts, and emphasizing the uselessness of theorizing with the imagination
Protagoras : the one who creates agnosticism

ENTPs having huge Ne they are usually not only philosophers but also at the same time many things line musicians, writers, diplomats etc...

Being an ENTP type I understand this perfectly, having multiple interest and skills actually help us to make inductive reasoning better on anythings. Even it seems a topic is unrelated with another one, it still helps to create conceptual ideas. Everything is in everything. So having Ne being curious is a key to create big ideas.
 

Maou

Mythos
Joined
Jun 20, 2018
Messages
6,117
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
5w6
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
Clearly ISTP. Grounded enough in reality, creative enough to see the plausibility in certain theories. Socialized enough to not be an autist about everything. Thinking outside the box, while knowing why the box exists, and how to mediate between the inside and outside of the box.

Also lol at anyone attempting to type philosophers from older times. There is literally no way to quantify any type for them, other than assumptions and pretending to understand what they wrote about. Their ideas, are not unique by today's standards, and what they preach isn't exclusive to one type. All you literally need is an imagination, and open mindedness to appreciate philosophy. Rigid types, are not suited for philosophy. Because not being "Sure" of anything, means they are sure of nothing. Philosophy revolves around the concept of picking a path, and sticking too it. Ti-Se and Ti-Ne would be the best at quantifying information, regardless of emotional investment. INTP tend to suffer from various mental and physical apprehensions in day to day life, thus tend to be more theory than practice. ISTP is the perfect blend of theory and practice.
 

Doctor Cringelord

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 27, 2013
Messages
20,567
MBTI Type
I
Enneagram
9w8
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
All of them. I think each has potential to bring a distinctive and unique perspective as philosophers. Regarding types more likely to major in philosophy or actively pursue philosophy as a lifelong interest, I would guess INxx types probably form the lion's share.
 
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