Big life questions, why are we here, etc. etc., but I've yet to hear an answer that wasn't (i) painfully obvious or (ii) complete nonsense. Aren't philosophers just blagging answers on what you thought as a kid and then realised there wasn't much point to thinking about it and so you moved on?
2007-02-03 11:14:13 · 22 answers · asked by drcswalker 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Philosophy is not about learning the answers but how to learn and Live.
You say that we move on from asking questions. Move on to what? How do you know where you want to go if you do not ask yourself the question, 'why?'
Children are wise and unfortunately we forget the wisdom of asking 'why?'.
Your life is discovering itself.
2007-02-03 11:23:29 · answer #1 · answered by Chloe 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
If you think philosophy is solely concerned with such questions and facile answers you obviously haven't studied it yet.
Saying that, the only answer philosophy can reliably claim is that there is no way of knowing the answers to such grandiose questions.
Philosophy isn't just, or mostly, about telling us the meaning of life, it's about conceptual analysis. Among other things, it makes sure that scientific discovery is just that, and not fallacial claims based on presumptions about the ultimate nature of reality.
A powerful example of this is the outlawing of creationism being studied in science in a region of Pennsylvania. A philosophical debate was presented to the judge, which showed that creationism was NOT, in fact, a science. We can only assume that the majority of the US think, as you do, that philosophy is worthless and thus are condemning their future generations to profound stupidity.
It also enables the student to think clearly and rationally, but then so will most degree level subjects.
It's not a waste of time, unless you want to get philosophical about it and claim that intellectual education is a waste of time in a capitalist society where qualifications are merely a gradient of economic gain... but that's just a waste of time...
2007-02-04 00:39:01 · answer #2 · answered by Foot Foot 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think that the most positive thing that could be said about philosophy is that it is childish. Kids don't automatically assume they know the answer to every question and don't immediately lock themselves into one way of thinking.
If there is nothing else to ponder than the empirical, a lot of people have been wasting their time. I mean guys like Aristotle, Socrates, Plato, Descartes, Augustine, Luther, Marx, Darwin, Freud, Einstein, and Hawking would have frittered away their lives in the pursuit of nothing. The greatest civilizations and empires in histories were led to greatness by their philosophical views. To discount philosophy is a crime.
2007-02-03 12:07:39 · answer #3 · answered by Ron Obvious 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Philosophy (Greek for 'lover of wisdom'.) The pursuit of wisdom, study of realities and general principles, system of theories on nature of things, on conduct, God, politics and economics.
I love knowledge for its own sake and you can learn a lot from others! It's the big questions like why are we here that can never be answered that teach you the most!
About people! What is obvious or nonsense to you may not be the same for me or many others!
We who like the subject will remind you, no-one forces you to go into a question or section of the site!
2007-02-03 11:40:14 · answer #4 · answered by willowGSD 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
no, philosophy isn't just about the big questions. It's about developing complex and well supported thought patterns, and coming up with answers to things that build foundations for the big questions. The question, "why are we here?" is rarely asked by a serious philosopher, because he understands that the chances of him discovering the answer are nil.
2007-02-03 11:35:03 · answer #5 · answered by sothisislife 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Philosophers so called fail to arrive at adefinitive conclusion about life and living because they are either university professors interested in making an earning and trying to attain fame. Or they are just do-nothingers pretending to all answers without the necessary ingriedients of the ONE thing that will set at rest all conundrems. Know thyself said the ancient Greek men of wisdom. The same message is repeated time and again by the Hindu upanishads[more tahn whom no one ever seems to give any thought to self discovery}. So unless one reflects at the elementary level of self-questioning one cannot arrive at the total silence. When that stage is reached human minds have no more questions to raise and they understand as what is the TOTAL TRUTH. Many thanks for asking.
2007-02-04 02:39:13 · answer #6 · answered by polymath 1 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Ah, but the point is not necessarily to find answers, but to ask questions. If we stop questioning things we might as well be dead. Indeed, whether the answer to your question is yes or no, is irelevant, isn't it? But it got a whole load of people all over the world thinking. That's the point of philosophy.
2007-02-04 06:37:56 · answer #7 · answered by Shona L 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
drcswalke,
While I can see your point at the same time your missing the point. Without philosophy we would be lacking in many areas; e.g., we would have none of the sciences, medicine or mathamatics. Therefore, we would be without many, if not all, of the advancements wwehave made over the last three thousand years!
2007-02-06 21:57:49 · answer #8 · answered by Tarmey 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just because we have larger brains doesn't mean we are any less animal than, say, a dog. We hunt, we feed, we reproduce, the only difference is that we need to satisfy our ego in a more complicated way - so we have Philosophy.
Like we have Religion because we fear death.
Sure, we can't do away with abstract thought, but we don't need to over-complicate life.
Most philosophers do this - I think they're jerks, on a search that can have no end.
2007-02-03 19:58:30 · answer #9 · answered by Londo Mol 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Philosophy is a waste of time but so is our own life. Philosophically speaking of course!
2007-02-03 11:38:26 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋