Sunday, January 10, 2010
Does Philosophy Do More Harm Then Good?
In the beginning of the course, we read CHAPTER XV: THE VALUE OF PHILOSOPHY from Bertrand Russell's The Problems of Philosophy. We were then asked why philosophy is valuable to us and to the world in general. Which got me thinking, what would the world be like if philosophy never even existed in the first place? Is it possible the world would be a better place if noone ever asked the question "Why?"
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I think that asking "why?" opened up a great spectrum of possibility for humans. Some people say that "ignorance is bliss," but I think that only ignorance of the bad is bliss. If you knew nothing then you would feel nothing. Pondering the "why" of things has allowed us to have negative and positive experience we wouldn't have been able to have if we remained mechanic in relation to our existence.
ReplyDeleteIt's sort of like the question, "is it better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all?" I feel that the prior is true.
In a world without philosophy, I believe we would take too much for granted. Philosophy allows us to discover more about our experience in the world as it is. Would the world be a "better" place without philosophy? Maybe. We wouldn't have to worry about wondering all the time.
ReplyDeletePhilosophy certainly has a knack for complicating the most basic and accepted ideas. But I think our lives would really lack purpose if we just accepted things as they are without question.
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ReplyDeletePhilosophy is really important, I do not believe that we would have anything, if we wouldn't have asked ourselves the question "Why". As we all know everything has a starting point and ending point, and in order for human beings to start something, they need to think and ponder for a while about it, by thinking we take our first step towards philosophizing.
ReplyDeleteIt is something that is naturally given to human beings, because if you see the only difference between an animal and a human being is that human beings Think. It is thinking which makes human beings different than anything else.
In the movie "I Heart Huckabees", the question "why?" was what finally brought authentic meaning to the lives of each character (even though at first it was not balanced and seemed more negative). Nevertheless, "why?" will always bring new ideas to surface, and has lead mankind to the evolution of where we are today- with technology, ideas, religious views, societal norms, etc. I think philosophy and questions have allowed individuals to take profound leaps in unique thinking.
ReplyDeleteNatural evolution of the body and brain will (hopefully)not cease to occur. Therefore; it is natural in evolution for philosophy to exist, and the question "why?" to be a prominent part of our species development. And in my opinion, development, change, and philosophy are some of the values which make the world a better place.
Just to take a different perspective... Doesn't philosophical inquiry alienate us from other people and society in general? Is it possible that asking "why" could lead to disbelieve and become sceptical about the values, norms and values of our culture?
ReplyDeleteIs it possible that to study philosophy is to step out into an abyss of confusion and meaninglessness? Perhaps posing questions that have no definite answers, to disagree with Russell, leads to a life of frustration, noncommittal behaviour and uncertainty in everything we do...
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ReplyDeleteYet as we can see from Monsieur Mersault, Albert Camus' anti hero from The Outsider, You can be content living a life without disecting everything; without asking "why". "Confusion and meaninglessness" doesn't only spring from a philosophical approach on life. In addition, it should be said that meaninglessness isn't necessarily a bad thing; it is a neutral thing. A lack of meaning allows for a clean slate from which a new outlook on life can be formed. This process of rebirth was demonstrated in the move I (Heart) Huckabees.
ReplyDeleteWell, to answer your question, I'll just refer again to Bertrand Russell's The Problems of Philosophy paper. Let us assume that there were no philosophers and philosophy was an study that never existed. Following this hypothetical, we should accordingly say that everything that has originated from the study of philosophy would presumably not have existed either.
ReplyDeleteTo elaborate, those studies that perhaps would disappear (or at least appear at a different time or in a different form) would include, as Bertrand listed, the studies of astronomy and psychology--both incredibly interesting subjects that have roused the interest of old and modern mankind.
If the question of "Why" was never asked, then answers to the pressing problems of the ages gone by and the questions to come would be lost.
A man once asked, "How could we use this material to better our lives?"
And, so was borne the worldwide standard of use for pencils, paper, the internet, the computer, and the condom.
I believe that philosophy varies person to person, going back with the Bertrand Russell paper's meaning is that the importance of philosophy is to the person. As to me I believe philosophy does more good for it allows people to look at things from all sorts of different angles and perspectives. To me thinking that there is no certainity to anything really intriques me, to believe that I could possibly just be dreaming right now is such a profound idea.
ReplyDeleteI belive that it is impossible to live in a human world with out the concept of philiosphy.People even to this day have diffrent ideas of what philosophy constitutes. Because we are studying this course we seem to have the understanding that it is the ideas towards life by famous philosophers. But in my opinion we are all philosophers who have diffrent ideas toward life, and how to live it.As students we have taken from these philiosphers what we do and do not like about their ideas and created our own veiws.
ReplyDeleteAlbert Camu's outsider decided to just be in his cell. This pure being helped him realize that he was happy. He focused on the little things and never questioned why, as philosophy and Russell encourages us to do. While Russell encourages the seeking of knowledge that philosophy brings, with it can also bring a separation of society. If everyone is constantly asking "why?" then no one will want to do anything, as everything will be questioned. It's possible that asking "why?" as Russell tells us to do in search of higher knowledge can actually lead to the break-up of society as we know it.
ReplyDeleteDoes philosophy do more good then harm?
ReplyDeleteI belive Russell states this "It is the more necessary to consider this question, in view of the fact that many men, under the influence of science or of practical affairs, are inclined to doubt whether philosophy is anything better than innocent but useless trifling, hair-splitting distinctions, and controversies on matters concerning which knowledge is impossible. "
I belive that philosophy has both harm and good. To some it might offer more harm and to other more good. But when russell says we must all value philosophy I belive he is being to dogmatic. To some ignorance is bliss. And to others they have explored philosophy and the various concepts of other people, and do not agree with them. My main idea in this post is that it is impossible to say weather philosophy hold more harm than good, because philosophy holds subjective meaning to every individual ( including no meaning at all).
I think that's a really hard question, honestly. There's a lot of 'if' 'ands' or 'buts' when thinking about all that. Speculation is really all we have to go on.
ReplyDeleteBut as for if it's good in our current way of living? Yes, I believe it is. As Bertrand was attempting to get at, it allows us a freedom of opening ourselves up to new possibilities and stops us from tying ourselves down to things we perceive as true or fact. Although it may be difficult to let go of everything we believe in, it gives us a chance to rethink or reanalyze what we once thought as simple or what we should take at face value.
I believe Russel does a good job explaining his opinions of the value of philosophy in his last paragraph. In this sentence:
ReplyDeletePhilosophy is to be studied, not for the sake of any definite answers to its questions since no definite answers can, as a rule, be known to be true, but rather for the sake of the questions themselves; because these questions enlarge our conception of what is possible, enrich our intellectual imagination and diminish the dogmatic assurance which
closes the mind against speculation
I too believe with Russell that ultimately there is no definite answer to our questions.So in a sense yes I can understand why philosophy can be harmful ( as we most people need the satisfaction of an answer.)
But like Russell said, having no answer is even better, as we are able to explore all different kinds of answers and questions. That philosophy will do good, as we can to enrich our mind intellectually.
In "the value of philosophy" Russell explains that philosophy can give a different kind of value to life,not something above to material value, but essential value. AS Socrates said about "tending your soul"means to a life of excellence.
ReplyDeleteAccording to me,the value of philosophical thinking lies in giving us the right values to lead our life in line with our own unique capability and ambition/desires. Everyone needs to create some values to guide how the life is to be lived.and these values need to be uniquely decided by each individual since the our capability and desires of every person are never the same, despite the overcome influence of the society and environments. therefore, philosophical thinking is important for this process because of the need to view things and analysis in order to understand the significance of the different values in our life. so i dont think the study of philosophy does any harm to us.
I believe that there are two sides to philosophy. Yes, it does bring us enlightenment and perhaps studying it makes us seem more insightful (think of all of the essays that have been written that seem so complex... Transcendental Idealism, anyone?) but on the other hand, I believe it is a cause of war, of separation, of deviance and of reform.
ReplyDeleteFor example, Socrates was on the edge of society. He was often considered insane and a threat to their religion. He was not of the norm and that caused many problems and as we know, he has eventually executed for this.
Is a human life the price to pay for a new generation of free thinkers? How is it that fair to those who have lost their diginity, their status, even their life?
Philosophy is a cruel game that only some are willingly to play. I know for one that if I try to talk about philosophy at home, my parents will make fun of me. Does that stop me from wanting to learn more? No, not at all. It is a sick game because we will always try to continue no matter the costs (sounds a lot like alcoholism and gambling problems).
Yes, I do think philosophy does more harm than good, but that is only in the eyes of society. If you are the philosopher, you have far more to gain than to lose (or so you think). Ignorance works both ways and sometimes it's alright to be philosophically bliss.
If noone asked the question Why? how about when? where? how? which? etc...list can go on!hehe! We need philosophy!
ReplyDeleteAccording to Bertrand Russell, if we only think in terms of what knowledge will do for us, as an individual or as a species we will be unable to find any value to philosophy and it is only those who believe that man needs a healthy mind as well as healthy body in order to survive, one must ask WHY? world will remain as it is, nothing will change, it is in us to asks questions about things that are unknown. Philosophy opens the world to us and giving us a way to look at things in a new light.
I am not sure if the world would be a better place to live but certainly, it would be much simpler place. Humans life would be basically be limited to the single purpose of surviving and very little if any time would be spend on more deeper questions and developing our intellectual. In that case, the world would be very miserable and unhappy place to live if we did not asked the question “Why?”. As John Mill explained, the highest form of pleasure is higher intellectual. In that case philosophy and “Why?” are probably the best thing that happened to this world.
ReplyDeleteI certainly believe that if we were to live in a world where no one asked the question "why?", we would be a completely different society. A more degrading one, I would argue. By asking yourself questions about existence, you sometimes come up with epiphanies and learn more than if someone was to just lay it down in front of you, straight up. Now, I don't believe that we should all just do what Descartes did, because when you start blindly questioning everything, you end up nowhere: in the nothingness and knowledge becomes meaninglessness.
ReplyDeletePhilosophy focuses on life's most basic questions and it is the activity about these issues yourself, not simply understanding what philosohers from the past have said about these questions. Studying philosophy will strengthen your analytical abilities, your capacity for abstract thought, and your ability to argue. Therefore Philosophy does not do harm.
ReplyDelete