The Basis

The understanding and engagement with philosophy has more often than not been relegated to academic circles, and people within the ‘community’ that have a grounding in the vocabulary used.  The argument could be made that only those who understand the contexts and traditions should be allowed to join in the debate — but it seems a pity to deny people the ideas philosophy uncovers and examines.  Indeed, it seems ridiculous.

All ideas and debates in philosophy are within a human context, and everyone has access to their own beliefs, identities, understanding and questions. Philosophy is meant to help us elucidate these things and help us understand their relation to ourselves and others — it is a search for truth and knowledge.  It seems there is only something to be gained from a more open philosophical discourse, and nothing to be lost from trying to help people understand what philosophy is.

That is the basis of this blog.  Philosophy does not have to be seen as elitist, meaningless, or outside of real-life issues.  It can help us understand how to decipher arguments, recognize influences in our outlook and identity and even give some simple reading pleasure (well, some of it can, stay away from Kant!)

In view of this, the posts here will strive for clarity and rootedness in relevant modern questions.  If a term or idea used is too obscure — we will provide a concise definition.  Anyone who happens upon this blog should be able to read a post, understand it, and join in the conversation.

“The main role of philosophy is, I think, to shed a strong light on what is going on in the world –a light that also makes it possible to see the ethical elements inherent in all human relations and action– and thus help us better understand what has to be done –or what can be done– in a given concrete situation, so that human beings can live with dignity.”

-Ioanna Kuçuradi

UNESCO Courier on Philosophy

Philosophy is pointless

Philosophy is not useless or in vain, but is without a pre-determined point; a philosophical investigation is not one which has an answer in mind before it addresses the question; philosophy does not argue toward but from.

We can seek to prove what we believe, but if our investigations unveil support for a counter-claim, we should not hold onto our prejudices¹ as to a piece of driftwood, but should realize that we can in fact swim, and swim in fact, i.e. think truthfully.

Truth is not a limit or a trap; we should keep in mind what George Santayana called the debt we as thinkers owe to Spinoza for “the magnificent example he offers us of philosophic liberty, the courage, firmness, and sincerity with which he reconciled his heart to the truth.”² And it may indeed require a reconciliation because for some there will be truth in the old cliché: the truth hurts.

– O

¹ I mean prejudice in the sense of a pre-judgement, one we bring to the facts before we have studied them (see Hans-Georg Gadamer, ‘The Universality of the Hermeneutical Problem’)

² George Santayana, ‘Ultimate Religion’

The Work of Philosophy

Sometimes it can seem like bringing owls to Athens:

Verb: To undertake a pointless venture, one that is redundant, unnecessary, superfluous, or highly uneconomical; Bringing silver (owl stamped coins) to the richest city in the world.

But some of us still choose to do it… Why?