Do you think philosophical questions are a waste of time?

Answer 1

No. Philosophical question are the most important questions we are facing in society. Is abortion moral? Does god exist? What are the moral implications of Darwinism? What is the best political system? How do you know what is right or wrong? When is it justifiable to believe something? Is it wrong to eat meat? Should you give to charity? Is it wrong to break the law?

Philosophical questions cannot be avoided. The only people that do not ask philosophical questions are those that have severely diminished mental capacities. A major problem in our society is that the critical thinking skills fostered by studying philosophy and logic are lacking, but the necessity of answering the questions remains. And so we have political discourse and public debates that are the intellectual equivalents of 5-year-olds shouting at each other. The problems of philosophy do not go away, and not learning how to think critically only gets you in trouble. Philosophical questions are an unavoidable aspect of life, and if you treat them as a waste of time and do not bother to think about them, you will only ensure that you'll be taken advantage of.

Answer 2

I can't imagine why you got a thumbs down on this question--it's quite valid. Oh well. You got an abundance of very good answers, so, so what about that silly person. Now, we could have a great philosophical discussion on just that. There is only one danger in philosophical debate; that is when it becomes "low level philosophy." When subjectivity, opinions with no basis in fact are introduced. One of the most exciting things in college was my class in The METHODOLOGY of philosophy. That's something to truly make you aware of what philosophy really is.
I can't imagine living, learning, without it. Philosophical thought impacts every aspect of our lives. If logical progression of thought follows the question, it's a journey well worth taking.

Answer 3

In my opinion philosophical questions are designed to make you think. So, no they are not a waste of time. It makes you think, even if you can't find an answer to the quesiton. Like, to be or not to be. Well it depends. See my mind is thinking already. Now who told you that this is a waste of time.

Answer 4

I do not think philosophical questions are a waste of time. In fact, asking the "Why" and "How" questions (which I believe philosophy is grounded upon) is what makes life more than mere survival.

Answer 5

Well, technically, this is a philosophical question, and anybody answering it obviously doesn't think it's a TOTAL waste of time; therefore everybody who answers this question is obliged to answer in the negative.

Answer 6

How do you define "Waste"???

The nature of the beast is to express some philosophies,,, even in the form of abstract opinions one feels strongly about, or theories born of curiosity. It's not a Science per-say, and never made a vast number of people wealthy, but it does involve thought, and often,,,reason,,, hence it can never be time "wasted"

Steven Wolf

Answer 7

It's a time worth wasting for me. One can actually gain something, out of wasted time.

Answer 8

An emphatic no!

I love them. It's fascinating to hear other's opinions on different subjects. My spouse is not philosophical at all so it's fun to ponder questions here...

Answer 9

No. It's almost the only category here, that I don't feel guilty 'spending' time in.

But one can waste time doing anything. At least philiosophical discussion keep your brain from turning to mush.

Answer 10

Not at all. Without them, we wouldn't question the world, and things would always stay the same. They expand our mind and quicken our thinking process. They're a workout for the mind, and they keep us on our toes.

Plus, it makes you feel smart when you come to a conclusion.

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