Do you think there is a need for philosophycal inquiry?

Question

about philosophy

Answer 1

philosophy-has always been with us, it has to do with back seat drivers, and who will tell us we have egg on our face, we have our greatest challenge to philosophy in pandemics of war, all know how to be in a war and no one can understand how to end one with out loosing, they forgot to take the title to the country when they Win, something got lost in the philosophies of conquest through the ages...perhaps in inquiry should be?

Answer 2

OK, I am going to assume you meant "philosophical" there. If you were trying to coin a new word to incorporate the term "physical" to some extent, I don't know the term.

But anyway. Certainly there is a need for philosophical inquiry. I admit it might be argued that it has all been worked out by various wise men and women centuries ago, and all we are doing is working on the details. But that is a nearly meaningless argument, because we live in those details.

Certainly we begin philosophy school with a historical look at what has been done. We learn a few definitions, trace a few rather well-known quotes back to their context and so on. Then study what more recent philosophers had to say about the earlier ones, and work our way up to, should we pursue the Ph.D. program, what we think about all of it ourselves.

I got a BA in philosophy, but I figure that was plenty enough to get me started on self-education, and economically, it was pre-law or pretty useless. But that's OK; I'm philosophical about being in the lower income areas. See, philosophy CAN be useful!

Eventually what you need to come to, whether you go by way of an academic degree or two or not, is what philosophy you believe to be truth as you can best work it out. That may take a few years, but it is something you have to do to really feel like an adult.

Answer 3

Without a doubt, philosophical inquiry is a necessity in life. In fact, it is quite a shame that so few pursue such inquiry in their educational lives. I am firm in my belief that the world would be a much better place if only *every* student were required to take an introductory philosophy course and a moral philosophy (also known as ethics) course during their senior year in high school.

At very least, these requirements would cause everyone to consider their stance on some of the vitally important questions in life -- many of which, sadly, often go unexplored -- at the time in life when one has become able to understand the importance of such study, and also, is still quite impressionable. A better knowledge of oneself and of one's views on important topics in ethics (e.g., war, abortion, capital punishment, etc.) and in metaphysics (e.g., the question of God, the nature of being, the nature of the soul, etc.) can only lead to a positive change in the world.

Logic, as another, often understudied, branch of philosophy, would be a wonderful course for high school seniors to take. Just think of a world in which no one would have to resort to, "Because!", as a comeback in an argument.

A better world is attainable -- and indeed a *better* world can be achieved even without philosophical inquiry -- but the *best* possible world? *That* is only available to us via the knowledge that can be attained through philosophical inquiry.

Answer 4

Yes, because people live this life not knowing anything about themselves or where their world really is, so answering questions with great meaning can bring comfort and peace of mind to those who are restless.

Answer 5

The way I see it, it is a fine tool which hones analytical skills, regardless of whether it actually yields any worldview which is of true use to modern humans.

Answer 6

Yep.

Answer 7

sure