In today’s world of technological advancement and applied sciences, does Philosophy really matter? This is a question I often encounter within the academia as there is now an emphasis on allied courses bent towards vocational and professional orientation jobs. My own quest towards this continues, eventually leading to an emphatic conviction of the relevance of Philosophy in present times. Philosophy comes from the Greek words philo and sophia, which means love of wisdom. Wisdom is the active use of intelligence, not something passive that a person simply possesses. Philosophy is the outcome of wonder, curiosity, and the desire to know and understand, as such rightly defined as a form of inquiry. It involves a process of analysis, criticism, interpretation, and speculation. Initially magic, superstition, religion, tradition, or authority played the roles in answering questions about subjects such as the nature of the world and of reality. But eventually they were considered unreliable by Greek philosophers and instead sought answers by critical thinking and by studying nature. What they began then has undoubtly revolutionized the world of knowledge. What we pursue today in the field of academics as (to name a few) education, history, political science, economics, physics, mathematics, psychology, sociology, linguistics etc., all came under the broad umbrella of Philosophy. It is Philosophy that has given birth to several major fields of scientific study. So philosophy seems to be the basis of all academic pursuits. To support the above, facts on physics, psychology, sociology, linguistics and mathematics are highlighted below. With regard to physics no distinction was made between science and philosophy until the 1700s and during which physics was called natural philosophy. Dr. Barry Vaughan of Mesa Community College claims that traditionally there have only been three higher degrees given: Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Law, and Doctor of Philosophy and Physicists are awarded a Doctorate of Philosophy. Psychology was dealt under moral philosophy. Only in the early 1800s did sociology and linguistics separate from philosophy and became distinct areas of studies. Logic has always been considered a branch of philosophy. Today, logic has now developed to the point where it is also a branch of mathematics, which is a basic science. Over the years, most of its branches have spread out as separate departments for better and systematic understanding on each of them. Unfortunately, this resulted in, what can be termed as the “empty nest” situation for the Mother of all Knowledge- Philosophy. The term “empty nest” is generally associated with the emotion that parents go through when their children finally leave home to begin their own. Each academic departments in the field of knowledge, then owes its credit to philosophy. But sadly, what we see today is but a different attitude towards Philosophy. I am reminded of instances where at times when receiving gifts we become so excited about the gift that we forget to give due acknowledgement to the giver. Dr. Dave Yount, a Professor and Chair of Philosophy and Religious Studies Mesa Community College, Australia in one of his essays, The Importance of Philosophy or “Why Should I Take Philosophy?” began with this statement – “Once someone who does not know me well comes to find out that I am a philosopher, the next question that he or she inevitably asks is, “What can you do with philosophy besides teach?” My answer is and has been, “You can think, and hopefully better.” Dr. Dave’s reply certainly got me thinking, and this is the result of its application. Michael Kelly, Professor of Philosophy, University of North Carolina at Charlotte in his article Why every student should take philosophy has stated that, “Our answer here at UNC Charlotte is that you can do anything with philosophy that you can do without it, but with philosophy you can do anything better”. Philosophic thought is in fact an extremely crucial part of our existence. I believe it is safe to say that almost everyone, if not all, do hold some kind of philosophy one way or the other. Even those who claim that considering philosophic questions is a waste of time is in fact expressing what is important, worthwhile, or valuable to him/her. This is Philosophy. Besides as Kelly puts it, “A rejection of all philosophy is in itself philosophy”. Studying philosophy enhances one’s thought in clarifying what one believe/ believes. Anyone who has undertaken philosophy or even read a philosophical book cannot deny the fact that one’s mind has been stimulated. Philosophy has had enormous influence on our everyday lives. To mention a few, every institution of society is based on philosophic ideas, whether that institution is the law, government, religion, the family, marriage, industry, business, or education. It is the differences in Philosophic ideologies that have brought about revolutions at various sectors in different degrees. For example overthrow of governments, drastic changes in laws, and the transformation of entire economic systems. These changes have occurred because the people involved held certain beliefs about what is important, true, real, and significant and about how life should be ordered. Even educational systems in different societies are largely determined by philosophical ideologies about what children should be taught and for what purposes. Democratic societies encourage independent choices and thinking in their educational system where as this is contrary in non democratic societies. The society’s philosophic ideas are reflected through the educational system of a society through the values and skills being taught as important. To assess the importance of Philosophy the views of Yount, Kelly, M. Gabriel are presented. 1. A philosophy major is perfect by itself because one can learn critical thinking skills and also reflect on big questions in life - in ethics, religion, aesthetics, politics and other valuable subjects. 2. This combined critical/ value course of study is also an invaluable addition to any other field, such as biology, psychology, physics, English, History and many other subjects and what they all have in common is an appreciation for the value of philosophy. 3. It is well-documented (and true) that majoring in philosophy can prepare someone well for law school, business school, or graduate school in general, since philosophy majors as a group score in the highest percentiles on the GRE, LSAT and GMAT. Proof of this is that philosophy majors perform among the top 10, often top 5. 4. Apart from the fact that it assists in providing excellent preparation for a career in law and business, a philosophy major is also helpful for careers in journalism, other areas of publishing, government, academic appointments in universities, colleges, and high schools, professional and clinical ethics consulting in hospitals and in businesses, and consulting positions in government with respect to ethical and political issues and the development of public policy. 5. Why do philosophy majors perform so well on these tests? Philosophy offers a unique combination of critical thinking and writing skills useful in almost any profession, starting with the entrance exams at different levels. 6. If one is moved by value questions or recognizes the importance of critical thinking then one should still consider becoming a philosophy major. 7. The students of Philosophy are very strong in group dynamics, in presentation and in test of reasoning. They have been successful in all these fields. Some appear for Civil Services and State-Level examinations. 8. Philosophy provides a base for critical and imaginative thinking and it gives one moral wisdom to make a good living and to richly contribute to the general good of the society. For many philosophy is only concerned with questions that no one can answer, and that the sciences and other disciplines have more answers that are provable and concrete. The question that immediately follows is, Why work on problems and questions that seems to have no answers? To this Yount begins by asking, “has every other discipline solved all the questions and problems in their respective areas of expertise? There are numerous questions that remain to be answered or are still debated these days in disciplines other than philosophy. To mention a few (1) Medicine: The cures for the common cold, cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, AIDS, and thousands of other diseases; (2) Physics: What light exactly is (both a wave and a photon) and the essence of gravity; (3) Biology: How the brain works, and how a cat purrs; (4) Psychology: How does the experience of consciousness arise from biochemical reactions?” The very fact that numerous researches and projects are carried out today at universities and private companies is to support the above. In the American Philosophical Association’s 1992 publication entitled, “The Philosophy Major” it read, “The study of philosophy serves to develop intellectual abilities important for life as a whole, beyond the knowledge and skills required for any particular profession. Properly pursued, it enhances analytical, critical, and interpretive capacities that are applicable to any subject-matter, and in any human context. It cultivates the capacities and appetite for self-expression and reflection, for exchange and debate of ideas, for life- long learning, and for dealing with problems for which there are no easy answers. It also helps to prepare one for the tasks of citizenship. Participation in political and community affairs today is all too often insufficiently informed, manipulable and vulnerable to demagoguery. A good philosophical education enhances the capacity to participate responsibly and intelligently in public life. Dr. George James, from the University of North Texas, warns that philosophy is not for everyone, “It’s not for persons who have no interest in asking deeper questions. At the end of a lifetime of philosophizing one great philosopher made the claim that the unexamined life is not worth living [Socrates]. Many people don’t believe that. Some people don’t even care to raise the question. Philosophy very simply is not for them. Philosophy is not for followers……..Philosophy is not training. It’s education! It’s for persons who want to understand, who want not just to live, but to live well [Socrates]. It is for persons who simply could never be happy without asking why. Lili Corbus Bezner, Former Associate Professor of Art History testified that until you actually study philosophy, you often “don’t get” just how applicable it is to current life. To conclude, I want to ask again, Philosophy does it matter? Here is the answer… You can think… hopefully better. Dr.Wojanbeni. S. Yanthan. Assistant Professor (Philosophy) Patkai Christian College (Autonomous)
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 22:01:11 +0000
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