Here's a list of philosophers that I'm supposed to

>>9262191
Sextus. Vico too is fun and engrossing in a good /lit/ kind of way. A few (you) mention are easy; Kierkegaard a chore. Difficult, but the most rewarding, is Plotinus. Especially if youre a writer.

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>scholastics
>philosophy

For the history of Christian philosophy (presumably what you're studying here), start with Aristotle and Plotinus

>>9262234
Kierkegaard's philosophy and writing demands scrutiny, but rewards the careful reader. I recommend fear and trembling, even to an atheist, as a book that puts the idea of faith and its legitimacy into question. A background in Hegel and Continental philosophy helps, but is not necessary.

>>9262273
This is true, and I like Kierkegaard. But he really aims at the reader moreso than any other philosopher, and having to battle this intrusiveness is what I meant by 'chore'. The ones I've returned to are Concept, and Sickness.

>>9262234
>Especially if youre a writer.

Why?

>>9262325
Because he's a synthetic (as opposed to an analytic) SUPER intelligence, meaning he gathers together, merges his examples, has wonderful, unexpected insights that nonetheless strike one as being on. He's a very poetic philosopher, and, once you get into his rhythm, even enjoyable.

Writing is itself a synthetic operation. Analysis does occur, but if (you) can't bring your shit together and make a point you may as well hang up your boots. For me, Plotinus was helpful-- to go any further into the HOW of it would take an essay.

>>9262480
>synthetic (as opposed to an analytic)

explain what do you mean with this, please

>>9262595
I tend to keep as close to the etymologies as I can when actually writing but, for brevity, consider an -idea- : to analyze it wd be to attempt to break it down into component parts, if it has any, and to inspect these closely and for whatever purpose so as to see what the original idea (unanalyzed) looks like by comparison-- science, and much philosophy, wd discover things, ideas anew through such analyses. Or consider data mining-- this is primarily an analytical operation used to discover new trends etc. in old data. Now consider not just one but three ideas (or Hegel the way he moves his dialectic, or Kant in his description of the TUA), instead of breaking them down you mash them up to see what result (you) get-- the use of metaphor would be I believe a very clear instance of synthesis in action. Analysis breaks down, synthesis builds up. Both are useful. But writing is ultimately an instance of synthesis (bringing together) while attempting to discover the component mineral elements in a slice of mountainside, analysis.

>>9262869
Plotinus, by the way, gradually merges a host of ideas up into 'the one'-- not so fanciful if you understand that what he's aiming at is some approximation of the human mind. Many of his constructions (as I recall them) were beautiful. And I really did feel as if I was learning while reading him.