what is the value of a philosophical life?

Answer 1

"The unexamined life is not worth living"
- Socrates

Life is quite the experience. In fact, it may be the only chance we have for any experience at all. I wouldn't say there is any serious debate over the fact that we should attempt to make the best of it. Well, philosophy, in a practical view, is the study of the best life - the good life. Philosophy helps us to widen our horizons and really look at life from all angles - to experience life to its fullest.

Life is about the journey and the struggle. We have to examine all aspects of our experience in order to truly appreciate and maximize our experience - our happiness. All people, from all walks of life, experience all sorts of worlds. But, universally, we all have questions, concerns, ideas, desires, feelings, and ambitions. Some more than others, but either way we feel the need to reach for understanding and accomplishment. In order for these corners of the human experience to truly be penetrated and made the best of, we need to understand them, understand ourselves, and then challenge our own understanding.

The unexamined life is the uninspired life - the passionless life. The unexamined life is confused, or too sure. Bored but too busy. Happy but stupid. If we want to truly value our experience, we have to try to understand our experience - to enjoy ourselves. That involves philosophical inquiry. That requires a philosophical life. Philosophy is the heart of esteem for strong living. We have to care about life if we want to live it strongly. And, that care is most easily identified in the honest and thoughtful pursuit of a philosophical life.

In the philosophical life we find the examined life - the careful, amazing, wild and weird, scary but brave, and interesting life. In the examined life, we care enough to live strongly and make it all worthwhile.

Answer 2

I believe that the value of a philosophical life is that by asking philosophical questions you develop a questioning attitude to life that makes every minute a living one that you don't just take for granted. You may also find answers that satisfy yourself, even if they satisfy no one else. But even if you find no answers, you have still given your brain a work-out and ensured that you never do or say anything lightly, or just go along with the crowd. Everything you do will be by your own choice and your own responsibility.

Answer 3

Philosophy is a Greek word derivative that means love of wisdom. It is a study of the ultimate reality, causes, and principles underlying being and thinking and is traditionally divided into several branches.

Metaphysics inquires into the nature and ultimate significance of the universe.

Logic is concerned with the laws of valid reasoning.

Epistemology investigates the nature of knowledge and the process of knowing.

Ethics deals with problems of right conduct.

Aesthetics attempts to determine the nature of beauty and the criteria of artistic judgment.

Within metaphysics a division is made according to fundamental principles. The three major positions are idealism, which maintains that what is real is in the form of thought rather than matter; materialism, which considers matter and the motion of matter as the universal reality; and dualism, which gives thought and matter equal status. Naturalism and positivism are forms of materialism.

So you see, the value of a philosophical life is the value you yourself give life, through your own viewpoints, based on your own life experiences and philosophical reasoning about it.

Answer 4

For most people, the greatest advantage of spending time thinking about, reading about, and talking about philosophical matters is that it enhances critical thinking skills. Philosophy and logic are necessarily intertwined, and philosophy forces you to really think about what you believe, the implications of those views, and whether any of your beliefs are inconsistent with each other.

Philosophy also increases open mindedness. Whether you agree with a given point of view or not, in order to argue either for or against it effectively, you must recognize and accept its strengths and its weaknesses. Often people prefer to deny that any view other than their own has any strengths at all, but in philosophy this doesn't work.

For those few of us who take enough pleasure in philosophy to immerse ourselves in it, it also offers intellectual fulfillment and fun (yes, I said fun).

Answer 5

moral, ethical,spiritual, and intellectual values.
moral-constitutes subject matter solely concerning man's free-will;how he governs his actions towards other constituents of this universe, the state, community etc.
ethical- covers rational judgments on what is good and what is evil
spiritual- lets us discover the divine truth of the existence of God, and the immortality of the soul
intellectual/logical- enables us to see clearly the truth of this universe and everything in it using our reasoning power and the summation of all the values stated above.

Answer 6

I believe it would make the person accept things more easily and develop a wider viewpoint of life, in general. Hopefully, they would see the damage done in judging and criticizing others.

Answer 7

It helps you with your perspective on life.