Is Philosophy Good For You?

I had a current dialog with somebody who’s studying my ebook Short Essays on Life, Death, Meaning, and the Far Future. He advised me that he was now keen about studying extra philosophy. However this obtained me considering. How a lot do you have to philosophize? Is philosophy harmful? Does philosophizing make your life go higher? If I needed to do it throughout would I’ve spent a lot of my life fascinated with life?

I’ve beforehand written an essay “The Relevance of Philosophy” and shared the views of two of my mental heroes on the subject: “Will Durant: The Value of Philosophy” and “Bertrand Russell: The Value of Philosophy.” I don’t deny that there’s nice worth to philosophical considering, in spite of everything, I’ve devoted nearly a lifetime to it. Nonetheless, I’ve questions.

How a lot do you have to philosophize?

I’d start with Aristotle’s suggestion that advantage is the imply between the extremes. Too little or an excessive amount of philosophical considering is problematic. Too little and we fail to observe Socrates’ sensible maxim that the unexamined life just isn’t price dwelling; an excessive amount of and we fail to acknowledge that the overexamined life just isn’t price dwelling both.

So whereas I inspired the scholars I spent over 30 years educating to assume extra I additionally warned them to not let considering eat them. As one other mental hero of mine David Hume stated,

that nature has identified a combined form of life as best suited to the human race, and secretly admonished them to permit none of those biases to attract an excessive amount of, in order to incapacitate them for different occupations and entertainments. Indulge your ardour for science, says she, however let your science be human, and corresponding to could have a direct reference to motion and society. Abstruse thought and profound researches I prohibit, and can severely punish, by the pensive melancholy which they introduce, by the limitless uncertainty through which they contain you, and by the chilly reception which your pretended discoveries shall meet with, when communicated. Be a thinker; however, amidst all of your philosophy, be nonetheless a person.

Is philosophy harmful?

Sure. It might result in Hume’s “pensive melancholy” and “limitless uncertainty.” It might destroy the beliefs that maintain you. Whether or not that is good or unhealthy depends upon the content material of these beliefs however as Camus warned “starting to assume is starting to be undermined.”

Does philosophy make your life go higher?

It additionally appears to me, on the briefest reflection, that whether or not philosophy is effective for an individual relies upon considerably on their circumstances and their stage of life. For instance, you need to have monetary safety and free time to philosophize; philosophy is a luxurious. In the event you’re simply attempting to outlive there is no such thing as a time for idle hypothesis.

Furthermore, in case you are, for instance, a younger faculty scholar together with your mother and father footing the invoice, independently rich, or a philosophy professor making a dwelling by philosophizing that’s one factor. However should you’re a brand new dad or mum, beginning a profession, or simply completely content material together with your life then you might have extra essential issues to do. And the identical goes for these experiencing psychological or bodily well being points, homelessness, poverty, and so on. The chance to philosophize is certainly a luxurious.

As well as, I’m considering of all these good, completely happy individuals who would possibly discover that questioning could make their lives worse. As an illustration, say you’re newly married and a potential dad or mum who is worked up about your life. Otherwise you’re a happy-go-lucky faculty scholar who enjoys life. I don’t assume your life will essentially go higher—and presumably go worse—should you head down the philosophical rabbit gap.

Surprisingly, I’ve identified a number of philosophers who appeared to take pleasure in inflicting individuals cognitive dissonance. It was nearly as in the event that they thought to themselves, “I’m an sad thinker and I’ll be certain others are too.” This isn’t typical, however I’ve often detected this. Right here I’m reminded of the sensible phrases of Will Durant,

I observe that those that are cooperating elements of an entire don’t despond; the despised “yokel” enjoying ball along with his fellows within the lot is happier than these remoted thinkers, who stand other than the sport of life and degenerate by the separation … If we consider ourselves as a part of a dwelling … group, we will discover life somewhat fuller … For to provide life a which means one will need to have a function bigger and extra enduring than one’s self.

If … a factor has significance solely by its relation as half to a bigger complete, then, although we can not give a metaphysical and common which means to all life basically, we are able to say of any life within the specific that its which means lies in its relation to one thing bigger than itself … ask the daddy of little kids “What’s the which means of life?” and he’ll reply you very merely: “Feeding our household.”

My major level is that upon reflection philosophers should ask in good conscience whether or not or to not attempt to get others considering. If you end up paid to do that, as I used to be for a few years, I suppose you do your greatest with all of the caveats talked about above. However now that I’m retired I by no means deliver up philosophy with my associates and acquaintances except requested—and nearly nobody ever asks, even when they know I was a philosophy professor. I suppose that tells you one thing about how philosophy is valued in our tradition.

If I needed to do it yet again would I’ve spent a lot of my life fascinated with life?

That is robust. In a single sense the reply is sure as a result of I used to be so drawn to philosophy. Philosophical questions and the need for solutions to them got here naturally, whereas questions on how my automobile runs or the right way to repair one thing round the home don’t. Philosophy was irresistible to me in my youth. Once I encountered these first philosophy books I read I felt I had found some secret data that had beforehand been hidden from me. Absolutely the important thing to life and its which means was inside these books. (It wasn’t.) So I most likely couldn’t assist doing it yet again.

But there have been regrets. I’ll have made extra money and introduced higher monetary safety to my household had I chosen a distinct path. Even now I might assist my grown youngsters and grandchildren in ways in which I now can not. This causes some remorse. And I don’t like when individuals say, as they usually do when speaking concerning the previous, “I wouldn’t have modified a factor.” This strikes me as silly; should you wouldn’t change one thing about what you probably did up to now then you definately haven’t realized something. Absolutely each determination you made as an adolescent wasn’t the best one. Absolutely each selection I made yesterday wasn’t the best one both.

So maybe I might have began philosophy earlier, studied extra, went to completely different universities, realized to not analyze issues to dying, targeted on completely different philosophical issues, and so on. Possibly I ought to have been a doctor, a scientist, or a social employee. Who is aware of how we should always reside a life?

Ultimately, all I can say is that the very best issues are the easy issues. The enjoyable of enjoying ball or the piano or no matter you’ll be able to play; the enjoyment of being with these you like and who love you; the communion you’re feeling when engaged in trustworthy dialog; the contentment felt from doing all your responsibility. These items are greater than sufficient.

Philosophizing is a small a part of a great life however it’s removed from the entire of it.