I picked philosophy for this post for a few different reasons, two of the main ones being that I have gained some insight into it over the past few months, and that certain people around me don't seem to think much of it. In fact, perhaps discussing philosophy on a blog dedicated to science may come across as a sign of my aptitude being questionable. And this is exactly why philosophy must be defended.
Philosophy today is perceived as a field where people ask unnecessary, or often frankly disturbing questions. Who needs to worry about the great why's of existence when you've got upcoming exams, or a really important project at work tomorrow, right?
Not exactly. In many ways, philosophy has helped us shape our world. You'll often hear people talk about the "philosophy" of their work; the motives behind it, or abstract ideas behind it is what they mean when they say it. Abstract ideas...
I use that term to highlight that human ideas are, in fact, quite recondite – they're called human ideas simply because no other species can have them, or understand them. Try explaining trigonometry to a dog, or expressionism to sheep.
Where I'm going with this is that the kind of ideas humans have, what they think, how they think it, and what makes them think – that is what constitutes philosophy. Simply thinking about anything and everything makes you question the things you hitherto took for granted or as a given, and the analysis of how to think makes you understand why and how people can have opinions that conflict your own. That is philosophy, along with how to justify yourself and incorporate other justified beliefs into your mental catalog. And, yes, that does lead to internal conflicts and existential crises. But there are rainbows after rain, and so it is that at the end of such crises you find that you have shed unjust beliefs, strengthened just ones, and have a clearer outlook on life.
Does this sound familiar?
It must, because this is exactly what science does – just with a lot more paperwork and tangible data. And guess what – there's a reason for that, and that reason is history.
For all of human history, we've been trying to figure the world out, asking what's happening, why it's happening, how it's happening. It could have been about natural phenomena. It could have been about human behavior that harms society as a whole. It could have been about why people need other people. Or, you know, it could have been about finding decent places to sleep.
It didn't matter the kind of questions you asked. As soon as language was created, all what, how, and why questions were (messily) grouped into philosophy.
In fact, traced to its roots, the word philosophy is made from two Greek words: phylos to love, and sophie wisdom. And wisdom is not restricted to scientific wisdom.
Then came divisions, as they so often do in our quest to define stuff. Philosophy split into science, politics, linguistics, visual arts, performing arts, and much more. It is worth noting here that the scientific method was first formulated – and implemented – by philosophers.
So, basically, that's the significance of philosophy. It exists where thoughts and ideas exist – which is to say, everywhere. It's not obsolete, and it's not meta–anything. That is my defense.
