The purpose of philosophy

Philosophim

A common question that is asked on these boards is, "What is philosophy?" While the answer, "The love of wisdom" may be the definition, it doesn't answer the deeper and more important question of, "What is the purpose of philosophy?"

Is it to find a particular philosopher, quote them as if their words are gospel truth, and worship at their feet? No.

Is it to use complex vocabulary in conversations that can have multiple meanings that can be conflated towards an outcome you want? No.

Is it to assuage our own ego, finding things that justifying what we want, then talking down to others who don't come to our obviously superior intellectual conclusions? No.

Is it to find an ideology to spout at people in hopes of furthering an ethical, political, or cultural viewpoint? No.

Its about one thing, and one thing only: "Thinking in the face of the pressure not to." Philosophy at its base, breaks down the cultural understanding of terms and phrases and shines a direct light on them to say, "But is this rational?" Think of the major questions that philosophy asks:

1. What is good
2. What is knowledge
3. What is mind
4. What is God
5. What is...anything

All of these are typically terms and ideas that we have believed to be a particular way most of our lives, then one day doubted. But the things that are doubted are often taken for granted in one's life and/or culture. You are raised to have a particular outlook towards good, knowledge, mind, God, and multiple other things. But then one day you really ask, "I was told this, but does it really make sense?"

Many people will likely discount your questions. "Why are you questioning what's good? Do you want to justify doing something wrong?" "Why are you asking about God? How dare you question and doubt his righteousness?" "Of course the mind is a soul, why are you such a fool?" "Don't question this law or political idea. To do so is evil, and I don't have to debate with evil."

The reality is that there is often immense pressure to not think about things. For many, thinking about common ideas that hold society together is dangerous. It is 'immoral' to think in the minds of many. Even on these boards, you'll find people who will attempt to restrict what you think because of a philosopher quote or 'you should use this term' to control the outcome of your thought process. Because even many fans of philosophy are uncomfortable actually thinking about things, and merely reuse things they've read about before and liked. Even to them, questioning evolves from 'Lets think about this together" to "This is an assault on my ego, my comfort in thinking a certain way, and I will attack you until you stop it."

Does that mean that philosophy is a fool's enterprise? No, its an ideal that every human being struggles with. We all have a bit of ego, and we all fail at thinking at times. The point is to get back up. Yes, the pressures of the world and yourself may have won today, but there's always the next day. Never stop thinking and never stop questioning even basic assumptions and outlooks. That is what pushes us forward. That is the purpose of philosophy.

Athena

Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living," and for me, never again having the experience of a new realization would be worse than death. My father said people avoid thinking, and that appears to be true. If it were not for the internet, and especially this forum, I would die from lack of intellectual stimulation or at least wish I were dead. In my everyday life, I do not come across many people who enjoy thinking.

There are some wonderful books about thinking, and ever since reading Daniel Kahneman's explanation of thinking, I have regretted not fully understanding the process and better forms of thinking. But then I read another book and :gasp: Kahneman's explanation of thinking could be lacking because of a lack of emotions. I think we have been encouraged to be logical and not emotional, but that may not be the best thinking, especially when making judgments about how we should live together.

While I live to have new realizations, I am concerned about the people who appear to be excellent thinkers but who have no joy in doing so. What is up with that? :worry: It is so sad that everyone doesn't enjoy thinking and having new realizations. I think that is why Socrates said what he said.

180 Proof

[Philosophy]'s about one thing, and one thing only: "Thinking in the face of the pressure not to."

The reality is that there is often immense pressure to not think about things. For many, thinking about common ideas that hold society together is dangerous.

Never stop thinking and never stop questioning even basic assumptions and outlooks. — Philosophim

In so far as 'thinking' helps one to thrive over above one's mere survival, I agree.

baker

The reality is that there is often immense pressure to not think about things. For many, thinking about common ideas that hold society together is dangerous. It is 'immoral' to think in the minds of many. — Philosophim

I've always thought that the reason why people don't think much (or at least don't seem to) is because they've already figured it all out, are beyond uncertainty and doubt.

In so far as 'thinking' helps one to thrive over above one's mere survival, I agree. — 180 Proof

Exactly.
There is such a thing as idle doubting.

Philosophim

In so far as 'thinking' helps one to thrive over above one's mere survival, I agree. — 180 Proof

A fair clarification.

Chisholm

↪180 Proof

For me philosophy goes wrong when it urges upon us a criterion of rationality, a norm for right action, a project of enquiry, that has been arrived at without due consideration for the complexities and frailties of human nature. This insensitivity to how we actually are can take two forms. It can attribute to human nature some unreal power that human nature does not, perhaps could not, possess, alternatively it can pass over, or fail to give proper weight to, something that is integral to us as we are. Philosophy can attribute to human nature some unnaturally abstract faculty that it chooses to call "reason", or "the good will", or it can devalue the place of desire in our lives or it can make light of the intensity of human emotion.

baker

In so far as 'thinking' helps one to thrive over above one's mere survival, I agree. — 180 Proof

This also explains the trend of anti-intellectualism and anti-philosophy. People who are actually living in constant state of existential anxiety due to the pressures from trying to earn a living cannot add to this same existential anxiety by thinking about it without this somehow hindering them in their efforts to earn a living. Perhaps counterintutively, this can apply to people of any socioeconomic class; living paycheck to paycheck is not limited to the poor, not by far.

Which is why I say that philosophy is and should be the domain of the leisurely elites.

Ciceronianus

↪Philosophim

"Thinking in the face of pressure not to" sounds rather like Hemingway ("grace under pressure"). The philosopher as matador, perhaps, fighting an unusually ponderous bull fed on platitudes? Or out hunting the dreaded guardians of the common herd of humanity? Perhaps philosophers in that case would be taking themselves too seriously.

Never stop questioning? Maybe have a reason to question, first.

L'éléphant

Does that mean that philosophy is a fool's enterprise? No, its an ideal that every human being struggles with. We all have a bit of ego, and we all fail at thinking at times. The point is to get back up. Yes, the pressures of the world and yourself may have won today, but there's always the next day. Never stop thinking and never stop questioning even basic assumptions and outlooks. That is what pushes us forward. That is the purpose of philosophy. — Philosophim

Okay, good conclusion.

Not all of us will be thinkers. Solitude and thinking is a predisposition. That's why philosophy is always misunderstood. Yes, there is a point of thinking philosophically -- what is reality, what exists in the deepest analysis of the world, the meaning of what we say such claims, beliefs, arguments, and opinions. We want to know the truth and if truth is knowable.

These type of thinking is not an everyday activity that everyone cares for.

Tom Storm

While the answer, "The love of wisdom" may be the definition, it doesn't answer the deeper and more important question of, "What is the purpose of philosophy?" — Philosophim

True enough: although I suspect purpose may be plural. I doubt it could ever be one thing.

My issue with the ususal definition is: what does “love of” actually mean, and what is wisdom? The hermeneutics of either of these broad, portentous terms could keep us guessing forever.

Many of us have met enough people who claim a love of wisdom without ever cultivating it for themselves.

But here’s another question. Does it matter? When people say they aren’t interested in philosophy to those who aspire to be, there’s a tendency to hold them in mild contempt, or at least to consider them somehow inferior. I suspect, however, that having no interest in philosophy can be a perfectly legitimate way of being. It may simply be dispositional, and I wouldn’t want to live in a world where philosophy must appeal to everyone, and those who aren’t interested are somehow suspect and intrinsically plebeian. That said, there's probably a right way and a wrong way to be disinterested.

Never stop questioning? Maybe have a reason to question, first. — Ciceronianus

Quite. But one might consider: how is it that one comes to the view that anything should be questioned at all? I suspect one needs a skeptical bent to begin with.

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