Philosophy: Who Needs It? You Do!
Why is Philosophy Important?
Many people think of philosophy as a relatively useless subject, perhaps interesting to ponder in a late night discussion while intoxicated, but otherwise left to the realm of those loons in the philosophy departments in our universities. To most people that are busy and engaged in their lives, it seems like a waste of time, something that only a snooty professor has time for. After all, who really cares if the chicken or the egg came first, or if a tree falling in the forest makes a sound? Even if it does matter, it's much too complicated. Just try opening a philosophy textbook and not have your eyes immediately glaze over! Thankfully, it doesn't have to be this way if approached correctly.
Many people think of philosophy as a relatively useless subject, perhaps interesting to ponder in a late night discussion while intoxicated, but otherwise left to the realm of those loons in the philosophy departments in our universities. To most people that are busy and engaged in their lives, it seems like a waste of time, something that only a snooty professor has time for. After all, who really cares if the chicken or the egg came first, or if a tree falling in the forest makes a sound? Even if it does matter, it's much too complicated. Just try opening a philosophy textbook and not have your eyes immediately glaze over! Thankfully, it doesn't have to be this way if approached correctly.
Contrary to popular opinion, philosophy is the most important subject in our lives, as it's the basis of your knowledge. It's possible to live your entire life, even productively, without the slightest knowledge of chemistry, physics, economics or US History. It is not possible to live the next 15 minutes without philosophy. Philosophy is the study of knowledge, and as such governs everything from is there a God, to what kind of job to get, to who to vote for, to "was that movie any good?", to "is my mother-in-law crazy?!". Whether we know it or not, it is our philosophy that influences all of our ideas, goals and even emotions. The correct philosophy will allow you to live your life properly, while adopting a wrong or incomplete philosophy will cause destruction in your life, to the extent you adhere to it. In layman's terms, philosophy asks these fundamental questions:
Where am I? How do I know it? What should I do?
Fortunately, you don't have to be a professor of philosophy to answer these rationally (in fact that might hinder you!). Understanding a rational philosophy is possible to a blue collar worker as it is to the President, and equally as necessary for each.
If you take away anything from this post take away this: everyone needs a philosophy on life, and if you don't take the time to think about it, your subconscious will fill in the gaps for you. Unlike the rest of the animal kingdom, the human brain needs a philosophy in order to live, and just like a defense attorney; one will be provided if you don't provide your own.
While it might be possible to hit the lottery and get a philosophy that makes sense through osmosis, to take that risk with your life is in many ways worse than playing Russian Roulette. Unfortunately, for the majority of people, this is how they live their lives, and it applies to morons, geniuses, and everyone in between. Taking the time to integrate a rational philosophy in your life involves constant effort and a willingness to subject your beliefs to scrutiny anytime you see a contradiction, so most people take the easier route and rely on their emotions to guide them and more or less just do what people around them are doing. Whether this be your family, friends, church, political party, newspaper or watching the Kardashians, we are constantly inundated with different ideas, values and opinions. Without a philosophy that is firmly grounded, a person is vulnerable to fall for the latest fad or gimmick from any intellectual huckster that is slick enough to convince them. Without a firm grounding, most will form a philosophy from a hodgepodge of religion, popular culture, and social pressures. A rational, integrated philosophy is your shield against the crazy, the irrational, and the evil. Without it, you are like a seed blowing in the wind, hoping you'll be the one out of a million to grow into a tree.
Where am I? How do I know it? What should I do?
Fortunately, you don't have to be a professor of philosophy to answer these rationally (in fact that might hinder you!). Understanding a rational philosophy is possible to a blue collar worker as it is to the President, and equally as necessary for each.
If you take away anything from this post take away this: everyone needs a philosophy on life, and if you don't take the time to think about it, your subconscious will fill in the gaps for you. Unlike the rest of the animal kingdom, the human brain needs a philosophy in order to live, and just like a defense attorney; one will be provided if you don't provide your own.
While it might be possible to hit the lottery and get a philosophy that makes sense through osmosis, to take that risk with your life is in many ways worse than playing Russian Roulette. Unfortunately, for the majority of people, this is how they live their lives, and it applies to morons, geniuses, and everyone in between. Taking the time to integrate a rational philosophy in your life involves constant effort and a willingness to subject your beliefs to scrutiny anytime you see a contradiction, so most people take the easier route and rely on their emotions to guide them and more or less just do what people around them are doing. Whether this be your family, friends, church, political party, newspaper or watching the Kardashians, we are constantly inundated with different ideas, values and opinions. Without a philosophy that is firmly grounded, a person is vulnerable to fall for the latest fad or gimmick from any intellectual huckster that is slick enough to convince them. Without a firm grounding, most will form a philosophy from a hodgepodge of religion, popular culture, and social pressures. A rational, integrated philosophy is your shield against the crazy, the irrational, and the evil. Without it, you are like a seed blowing in the wind, hoping you'll be the one out of a million to grow into a tree.
Philosophy, who needs it?
What Kind of Philosophy Should You Choose?
To be succinct, a rational one, meaning one that makes sense according to reality. Our nature as humans is one of a rational being, and thus we need a rational philosophy to guide us. A deer or fish can live their lives based on instinct, we cannot. Animals do not have to think about where they are, how they know it, and what they should do. Their survival and reason to exist doesn't require it (nor are they capable of it). To put it differently, animals don't need a philosophy to live, but we do.
Throughout most of history, religion has been the dominant means of philosophy for the average person. Christianity, for instance, tells us the nature of our universe (God created it), how we know it (through the Bible, prayer and the "feeling" of God in our lives), and what we should do (obey Biblical ethics and follow the teachings of Jesus). It provides a solid foundation to live by, although one I believe is based on faulty premises. If you don't choose to use a religion as your philosophical foundation, you still need to answer basic questions, and still need a guide to living, which is the purpose of this website.
For any philosophy you choose to follow, the following must guide you; always confront any apparent contradictions and correct them to the best of your ability.
For instance, if you decided through experience that all squirrels are gray, and then one day you saw a white squirrel run by, you would have to change your definition of squirrels to include that they could be gray and white. Further investigation, if you made it, would reveal that white squirrels are albino, and even further investigation into biology could tell you why. If you decided, for some reason, not to change your definition, then you would be evading reality. Your concept of squirrels would contradict reality, and cause problems in your life to the degree you allowed that contradiction to persist. In the political realm, evading reality could be the elderly guy who rails against big government and socialism, and then complains that his Social Security is being cut. In the realm of aesthetics, an error could cause you to think that Gigli is a good movie.
To be succinct, a rational one, meaning one that makes sense according to reality. Our nature as humans is one of a rational being, and thus we need a rational philosophy to guide us. A deer or fish can live their lives based on instinct, we cannot. Animals do not have to think about where they are, how they know it, and what they should do. Their survival and reason to exist doesn't require it (nor are they capable of it). To put it differently, animals don't need a philosophy to live, but we do.
Throughout most of history, religion has been the dominant means of philosophy for the average person. Christianity, for instance, tells us the nature of our universe (God created it), how we know it (through the Bible, prayer and the "feeling" of God in our lives), and what we should do (obey Biblical ethics and follow the teachings of Jesus). It provides a solid foundation to live by, although one I believe is based on faulty premises. If you don't choose to use a religion as your philosophical foundation, you still need to answer basic questions, and still need a guide to living, which is the purpose of this website.
For any philosophy you choose to follow, the following must guide you; always confront any apparent contradictions and correct them to the best of your ability.
For instance, if you decided through experience that all squirrels are gray, and then one day you saw a white squirrel run by, you would have to change your definition of squirrels to include that they could be gray and white. Further investigation, if you made it, would reveal that white squirrels are albino, and even further investigation into biology could tell you why. If you decided, for some reason, not to change your definition, then you would be evading reality. Your concept of squirrels would contradict reality, and cause problems in your life to the degree you allowed that contradiction to persist. In the political realm, evading reality could be the elderly guy who rails against big government and socialism, and then complains that his Social Security is being cut. In the realm of aesthetics, an error could cause you to think that Gigli is a good movie.
While it may seem absurd that someone would make such glaring evasions of reality, the fact is that it happens often to most of us if we don't actively confront contradictions. Even intelligence itself is no protection against this. While an intelligent person may not make an elementary mistake, like in the case of the squirrel, often the most intelligent among us fall down the wrong path, and use superior brain power to construct abstract or complex arguments that mask or evade the truth, instead of affirming it. View contradictions as your enemy, and seek to confront and eliminate them the same as you would an intruder in your home.
The Basics of Philosophy:
Philosophy is divided into 5 major branches:
Metaphysics- (where am I?)
Epistemology- (how do I know it?)
Ethics- (what should I do?)
Politics- (what should the proper social constructs be?)
Aesthetics- (the nature of art and refueling our souls)
The goal of this website is to cover each of these areas in as engaging and entertaining way possible, so that people who normally might not read about philosophy can, and those that do might get a new perspective or challenge their views. You certainly don't have to accept this philosophy as your own, but if you don't I would ask that you at least confront the arguments that I put forth and see if whatever philosophy you have makes more sense rationally, and above all doesn't contradict itself in reality. If you choose to ignore philosophy, good luck to you and I hope you are fortunate enough to become that lucky seed that grows into a tree.